Comments on: Black Madonnas http://romanesquechurchhunt.com/2008/03/23/black-madonnas/ Looking for churches and other France adventures. Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:59:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Karen http://romanesquechurchhunt.com/2008/03/23/black-madonnas/#comment-1486 Karen Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:01:30 +0000 http://romanesquechurchhunt.com/2008/03/23/black-madonnas/#comment-1486 Dear Catherine, How fascinating! I would like to visit farther south (and we did some years ago--but regrettably we just drove through and did not research any churches.) The Black Madonna is compelling and the theories behind her emergence are many. Even when looking at churches, one can often see the precursors to the Romanesque era--There must be hundreds of churches built on the ruins of pre-Christian edifices. I think I shall devote a post soon on a few of the churches that show these traces. Dear Catherine,
How fascinating! I would like to visit farther south (and we did some years ago–but regrettably we just drove through and did not research any churches.)

The Black Madonna is compelling and the theories behind her emergence are many. Even when looking at churches, one can often see the precursors to the Romanesque era–There must be hundreds of churches built on the ruins of pre-Christian edifices. I think I shall devote a post soon on a few of the churches that show these traces.

]]> By: Catherine Henry http://romanesquechurchhunt.com/2008/03/23/black-madonnas/#comment-1402 Catherine Henry Sun, 13 Jul 2008 13:09:29 +0000 http://romanesquechurchhunt.com/2008/03/23/black-madonnas/#comment-1402 This is a wonderful blog, Thank you so much for sharing your love of this beautiful region. I'd like to ad a comment to your Black Madonnas article. I grew up a few miles from Avignon and Nimes, and I remember visiting the Stes Maries de la Mer in the Camargue during the annual gipsy fair (pall bearers parade the church's black madonna in the streets, and take her to the beach and into the sea, a ways.) This was a very long time ago, but I recall hearing the explanation that the black madonnas are the effigie of Sarah, a black woman , who was the maid servant of Mary Madgalena, and came to France with her, (yada, yada...refer to the DaVinci Code for more details, true, or ...urban legend) and remained with her in her exile until her death. This would mean that she was the nanny and governess of Magdalena's (and Jesus'???) child. It is interesting that the name " Les Stes Maries de la Mer" is plural (the Saintes Maries of the sea) when my childhood catechism only ever spoke on ONE Marie. I can't help wondering, just how many Maries came to France. Sarah, the black virgin is an object of worship to the gipsies, so she is probably a pagan figure. How did she wind up in catholic churches then? I expect this would be a bit of an embarrassment to the clergy. This is just hearsay, lore and legend, but I thought I'd pass it on to you. Catherine This is a wonderful blog, Thank you so much for sharing your love of this beautiful region.
I’d like to ad a comment to your Black Madonnas article. I grew up a few miles from Avignon and Nimes, and I remember visiting the Stes Maries de la Mer in the Camargue during the annual gipsy fair (pall bearers parade the church’s black madonna in the streets, and take her to the beach and into the sea, a ways.)
This was a very long time ago, but I recall hearing the explanation that the black madonnas are the effigie of Sarah, a black woman , who was the maid servant of Mary Madgalena, and came to France with her, (yada, yada…refer to the DaVinci Code for more details, true, or …urban legend) and remained with her in her exile until her death.
This would mean that she was the nanny and governess of Magdalena’s (and Jesus’???) child.
It is interesting that the name ” Les Stes Maries de la Mer” is plural (the Saintes Maries of the sea) when my childhood catechism only ever spoke on ONE Marie. I can’t help wondering, just how many Maries came to France.
Sarah, the black virgin is an object of worship to the gipsies, so she is probably a pagan figure. How did she wind up in catholic churches then? I expect this would be a bit of an embarrassment to the clergy. This is just hearsay, lore and legend, but I thought I’d pass it on to you. Catherine

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