The Black Madonna

[Avi]

Greetings,

has anyone visited any of the "black Madonna's" scattered throughout the world? I have visited one and am interested in the "appearance" as such, for the local custom/rumour is that this La Moreneta is made of a substance, which at the time, was unlike anything seen or found in the region before. The story goes that a farm-boy found the statue hidden deep in a cave. This is the local tale and I am searching for any online corroborative statements.

If you get a chance to visit Spain, the Monastery at Montserrat is quite breathtaking. This is the place that houses the "original" black madonna I refer to. I use inverted comma's deliberately.

At Montserrat, the mountain appears "alive" with energy and distinct traits appear on the mountain face - particularly at night. I have a personal theory that many a "monk" - if you want to call them that - spent time gazing into the rock face and actually affected or "carved" the energy lines upon the mountain with their meditative states. Again, personal theory, nothing corroborative other than my own experience and realizations there. This place is filled with special energy and has huge expansive vistas.


But back to the Black Madonna, some links/articles on the subject, albeit they are closely related, i.e. not representing any "counter-point"


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_of_Montserrat

http://campus.udayton.edu/mary//meditations/olmont.html

http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/meditations/blackmdn.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Madonna

http://www.thesacredfeminine.com/blackmadonna.html


As a side note, Goethe and Schiller are said to have placed in Montserrat the Holy Grail. (reading more about this claim, seeking original text) I have not researched artifacts much, but am interested in their meaning, and felt it worthwhile to share this here to see of any interest or corroboration/denial.


Cheers,

Avi

 

[StrangeCaptain]

There is a list of them on the website you reference:

http://campus.udayton.edu/mary/resources/blackm/blackm02.html

They all pretty much have some discovery myth attached to them. I have visited one in Toulouse, which is not an original, though it is in its original place. Every so often people in Toulouse have carried it around town when they were freaking out about so coming disaster. Many were destroyed during the revolution. A local told me the one in Toulouse was stolen. There is a second somewhere there I yet to visit. The symbology is inspiring; the idea of something being born from dark matter (because they are almost always icons of the virgin and her child).

 

[Johnno]

Yes, I've seen the one in Chartres which is described on the list "Patience' gives above. It was VERY popular with the locals compared to the rest of the Cathedral. Lots of locals dropping in to visit and have a pray and then popping straight back out.

 

[Adaryn]

I've seen a few times the black virgin of Rocamadour (quoted in the list), a wooden statue from the XIIth C situated in the Notre Dame chapel.
The atmosphere in the church is peaceful, warm and intimate. I usually don't like churches, which i find cold, but this one is not. It's rather dark, which gives an intimate feel.

I would speculate that the images survived in France with a HEAVY overlay of Christianity that pretty much wiped out any of the older meaning, while in that one spot in England, in Scotland and perhaps in Ireland, a bit of the meaning survived, though highly distorted. More of the "old ways" survived there than in France in general, it seems.

It appears so, at least for Rocamadour.
_http://members.chello.nl/~l.de.bondt/Rocamadour.htm
Today, 20 august, is the local celebration of St Amadour who "according to tradition, chose the place (Rocamadour) as a hermitage for his devotions to the virgin Mary".

 

[Avi]

I wish to clarify a point from my earlier post regarding the statue at Montserrat. Some sources state it was originally carved by Luke ~ 50 AD, another (below) that it appeared in Spain as an apparent "delivery" by either "angels" or "aliens" it would seem. And I find it amazing to see how this thread has woven into examination of the Divine Feminine and we are now apparently in Morocco on our search! When I first posted I was curious more so on the "sudden appearance" of this statue in Montserrat along with the landscape/power spot itself, but am enjoying the threads coming out of the woodwork. Cheers, Avi.


(1) {quoted from bluemoonnews.net}

On the mountain named Montserrat, near Barcelona, in the Catalonia region of Spain, a church now contains a 'miracle-working' statue of the Madonna and Child known as La Moreneta, that is: the dark little one. Legend relates that the miraculous image was first known as La Jerosolimitana (the native of Jerusalem), since it is believed to have been carved in that city during the early days of the church. Another account, seemingly well-attested, indicates that the image was moved to Montserrat in 718, to avoid the danger posed by invading Saracens.

The image disappears from the historical record at this point, to reappear in a legend holding that shepherds found the lost statue under supernatural guidance in 890: While tending their flocks that night the shepherds were amazed to see lights and to hear singing coming from the mountain. When this was repeated, the shepherds reported the situation to their priest, who investigated. When the priest also heard the singing and saw the mysterious lights, he informed the Bishop, and he also witnessed the phenomenon. The statue of Our Lady was discovered in a cave and was brought out and placed in a small church that was soon erected. However, the statue presently kept at the Montserrat shrine appears to have been introduced in the twelfth or thirteenth century. Its Romanesque style is consistent with this estimate.

Beyond general style, the genre of the statue is certainly that of an 'enthroned virgin', typical of the earliest icons of Mary. On behalf of Madonna and Child representations, Stephen Benko notes: It is well known that the iconography of Isis and [her son] Horus was basically adopted by Christians when they started to portray Mary and Jesus as Mother and Child." Benko adds that Isis was sometimes "pictured as black". These observations indicate only a correlation, not a causal relationship. They do not answer the question why the Montserrat figures or over 1,000 of the world's better known Madonnas are black.

The present copy could have reproduced the general style with adaptations to accommodate Romanesque taste. However, no less likely is the theory that the present copy was modeled on the Christian genre of the enthroned Virgin. Why then the black color of the figures? Perhaps it was done in imitation of earlier Christian Black Madonnas the sculptor had seen. This sounds plausible, but is unsupported by hard data. Maybe it was inspired by the commentaries on the Song of Songs ["I am black but beautiful"] which were popular at that time. Again, there is no evidence of this beyond the temporal coincidence of events. On the negative side, Montserrat is located in Spain, not in France where St. Bernard of Clairvaux ( the nephew of one of the original nine Knight Templars) and others produced well-known commentaries on the Canticles. Perhaps the image was created black to represent some esoteric religious symbolism. Ean Begg notes that the Shrine of Montserrat is among the best candidates for former sanctuaries for the Holy Grail. Further, in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries esoteric Christian sects proliferated, though not primarily in Spain. Again, these are correlations and speculations, not proofs.

The statue has always been considered one of the most celebrated images in Spain. However, like Our Lady of Einsiedeln in Switzerland, its popularity is limited to a regional rather than a universal scope. Also, the shrine has received innumerable pilgrims over the years, currently at the rate of at least one million per year. This multitude includes secular and ecclesial rulers as well as a number of canonized Saints. The most notable of these was St. Ignatius of Loyola, who laid down his sword and embarked on his religious mission "after spending a night praying before the image", a miracle in the order of grace.

This is the Black Madonna of Montserrat. La Virgen de Montserrat or La Moreneta. I actually have another one that no one is allowed to see. Kinda like the president's invisible plane. However, the one that I pay homage to is not for public consumption. Like my angel once said when I asked him why he didn't appear to everyone so that I could prove that I wasn't crazy, "If I wanted everyone to see me, I'd rent a hall." This is a wall plaque, hanging on my wall that I show to everyone that asks what's in the shrine. Note that She is VERY Egyptian looking.. {bold emphasis added}


(2) {quoted from thesacredfeminine.com}


Montserrat is one of the Black Madonnas.

She was found about 50 km North of Barcelona, inside a cave up in a mountain called "Montserrat", which means in Catalan, "serrated mountain". She became the patron saint of Barcelona, and her festivity is celebrated every April 27th. ( I was born on an April 27, and that is how I got named after her)

A monastery was built near the cave and it became a favorite place for pilgrims from all over Europe.

There are many stories about this black madonna and the mountain, who many believe to be magic, and those of you who are researching the Holy Grail and Mary Magdalene should look into Montserrat and her story.

I believe that many French Templars escaped death by fleeing to neighboring Spain. After all, one just have to cross over the Pyrenees and, there you are! Also, Templars in Spain were not exterminated as it happened to their counterparts in France.

There were Cathars in Spain too.

The North Eastern tip of Spain is Catalonia, a region with strong cultural heritage, their own language and beliefs. The capital is Barcelona.

The landscape is very much like Provence, and even the language is very similar.

Again, research this. There is no accident that a black madonna was found there.

Many believe that the Grail is still hiding in Montserrat. Apparently, the mountain is full of caves and passages. Some say that there is a subterranean lake and three rivers in its depths , but only a few have seen them.

All kinds of phenomena occurs in the mountain, from electromagnetic disturbances, to mysterious lights, and yes, people see UFOs there too...

 

[Avi]

Hi Laura and All,

I am not sure about the Perseids in relation to the thread but I am curious about:

" the relationship to the goddess Kell, or Kella"

in your transcript. This is somewhat onto a tangent, but the question is the relationship between the goddess Kell and the Book of Kells housed in Ireland? If you are not familiar with the Book of Kells it is an old rendition of the New Testament (9th century) and is a work of art in itself, transcribed on vellum and with intertwined stitching of such complexity that modern day book-binders claim it "impossible" to recreate an exact replica. I am reading about the Goddess Kell now (never having heard of her) but a few years back I spent quite a bit of time researching the Book of Kells so wanted to mention it.

Avi.


"The Book of Kells was written around the year 800 AD and is one of the most beautifully illuminated manuscripts in the world. It contains the four gospels, preceded by prefaces, summaries, and canon tables or concordances of gospel passages. It is written on vellum and contains a Latin text of the Gospels in insular majuscule script accompanied by magnificent and intricate whole pages of decoration with smaller painted decorations appearing throughout the text. The manuscript was given to Trinity College in the 17th century and since 1953 has been bound in four volumes. It has been on display in the Old Library since the 19th century. Two volumes can normally be seen, one opened to display a major decorated page, and one to show two pages of script."

http://www.tcd.ie/Library/heritage/kells.php

It's interesting that the feast of the "Ascension of the Virgin Mary" is on August 15th. That generally falls in line with the Perseid meteor shower. In fact, it was while watching the Perseids on August 16 of 1993 that my children and I saw the "Flying Black Boomerang." Eleven months later, to the day, the Cs appeared on the scene on July 16th.

<snip>

4 April 98

Q: Okay, I get the connection. In the studies of the Triple
Goddess, I came across some interesting things. You
suggested that I should research the Third Man Theme. I
have discovered that the origin of the word 'man' meant a
female - the goddess. The oldest word for the male of the
species was 'wer' as in 'werewolf.' So, the Third Man
Theme could mean actually, the Triple Goddess. Am I
correct?
A: Close, if viewed through "sheets of rain."
Q: Okay. Tracking the Triple Goddess back to the oldest
references, we get to KaliMa. There are all kinds of
derivations of this name, but the thing that strikes me is
the relationship to the goddess Kell, or Kella, as well as
to the word kell, Celts, and how this might be transformed
into the word 'Cassiopaea.' Can you comment on this?
A: Do not the Celts like "kelly" green?!?
Q: Yes. So. What does 'green' have to do with it?
A: Keep searching... learning is accomplished thusly, and
learning is fun!

and

2 Jan 99

Q: So, we are back to something else. I once asked about the Third Man Theme and that perhaps you meant that the imagery was that of the Triple Goddess relating to the Isle of Man... and you said 'if viewed through sheets of rain.' So, in this book that I am reading, it talks about the fact that the Celts of Gaul worshipped the Rain as the manifestation of the Goddess, and the Celts of Scotland worshipped the Sun... the male God. Does this relate in any way to this remark you made about sheets of rain?
A: In an offhand way.
Q: Anything further you can tell me in terms of a clue about 'sheets of rain?'
A: Not for now, when you get there, you will find the chalice.
Q: Where and WHAT chalice?
A: Wait and see!

and

17 August 2003

Q: (L) I don't think that was one of your options. (A) well, someone on the physics newsgroups was discussing this, so maybe it is a confirmation. (L) Look! It's raining. (After months of extraordinary heat and many deaths, rain was significant.)
Q: (A) So we can ask then about this weather breakthrough yesterday, is it a sign of a break through in our own situation?
A: One day there will be sheets of rain.

 

[Laura]

I am not sure about the Perseids in relation to the thread but I am curious about:

You are right, I took the topic way off topic. I apologize. I've split the thread and created a new thread about Black Madonnas and esoteric/religious speculation. It is here:

http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=9436.0

As for visiting Black Madonnas, there are several in Auch Cathedral as I've reported in the "notes on the cover" section in Secret History. That can also be read here: http://www.cassiopaea.org/cass/fulcanelli_da_vinci_code.htm

The cathedral is dedicated to the Black Virgin, in fact.

 

[Avi]

Now that I've read the article and a bit more of SHoW I realize I was unaware you had explored the thread as such. Alas, in my defense, lol, I will just say their is a lot of material and I am reading it. Thanks for the replies and splitting the threads.

I am not sure about the Perseids in relation to the thread but I am curious about:

You are right, I took the topic way off topic. I apologize. I've split the thread and created a new thread about Black Madonnas and esoteric/religious speculation. It is here:

http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=9436.0

As for visiting Black Madonnas, there are several in Auch Cathedral as I've reported in the "notes on the cover" section in Secret History. That can also be read here: http://www.cassiopaea.org/cass/fulcanelli_da_vinci_code.htm

The cathedral is dedicated to the Black Virgin, in fact.

 

[Pierre]

I've seen a few times the black virgin of Rocamadour (quoted in the list), a wooden statue from the XIIth C situated in the Notre Dame chapel.
The atmosphere in the church is peaceful, warm and intimate. I usually don't like churches, which i find cold, but this one is not. It's rather dark, which gives an intimate feel.

In Rocamadour there is also a sword stuck in the cliff next to black virgin church.

Here's an excerpt of the wikipedia article about this sword :

The buildings of Rocamadour (from ròca, cliff, and sant Amador) rise in stages up the side of a cliff on the right bank of the Alzou, which here runs between rocky walls 400 ft. in height. Flights of steps ascend from the lower town to the churches, a group of massive buildings half-way up the cliff. The chief of them is the pilgrimage church of Notre Dame (rebuilt in its present configuration from 1479), containing the cult image at the center of the site's draw, a wooden Black Madonna reputed to have been carved by Saint Amator (Amadour) himself. The small Benedictine community continued to reserve the use of the small twelfth-century church of Saint-Michel, above and to the side. Below, the pilgrimage church opens on to a terrace where pilgrims could assemble, called the Plateau of St Michel, where there is a broken sword said to be a fragment of Durandal, once wielded by the hero Roland.

Durandal is a mythical sword that would have been used by the hero Roland to make a breach in the Pyrenees mountain.

As told in the Matter of France, Durendal or Durandal (Italian: Durlindana Spanish: Durandal or Durandarte) is the sword of Charlemagne's paladin Roland (Orlando in Italian). According to Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso it once belonged to Hector of Troy, and was given to Roland by Malagigi (Maugris).

In The Song of Roland, the sword is said to contain within its golden hilt one tooth of Saint Peter, blood of Saint Basil, hair of Saint Denis, and a piece of the raiment of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the poem, Count Roland attempts to destroy the sword to prevent it from being captured by the ambushing Saracens and creates La Brèche de Roland in the Pyrenees in the process. But Durendal proves indestructible, so he hurls it into a poisoned stream instead.

Local folklore claims Durendal still exists, preserved in Rocamadour, France. An inscription on Ogier the Dane's sword Curtana read My name is Cortana, of the same steel and temper as Joyeuse and Durendal.

La Brèche de Roland is exactly located on the border between France and Spain and is still used as a gateway between those two countries.