Mystery File 31: Magdalene and the Black Madonnas

The Coat of Arms of Leith,
Magdalene and the Black Madonnas
John Arthur

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is
the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science."
- Albert Einstein

When I wrote "Leith and the Holy Grail" (click here to see more) I didn't realise I would cause so much
controversy. However please see some of the sources that I used below.

The point is there is no doubt according to historic records that the Knights of St John came to Leith in 1327.
That part of the Order were The Hospitaller Sisters of St. John of Jerusalem, and they were based
originally at the hospital of St. Mary Magdalen, Jerusalem, and they probably came into Leith at the same
time bringing the image of Mary Magalene which would have been what is called the "Black Madonna". This
is compounded by the fact that Leith traded with Northern Europe and France during the same period and
that the images of Mary Magdalene in France and Europe are shown as Black Madonnas and in every one
she is holding a child. These can be seen by clicking onto the relevant links below.

It is also a fact that Leith was Church Property during the Middle Ages and the representation of Mary
Magdalene was used to show what property was owned by the church and this in time came to represent
Leith.

In fact what we have on the Coat of Arms of Leith is a form of Black Madonna. That is the possible reason
why the Coat of Arms of Leith weren't changed at the Reformation for the simple fact it didn't represent the
Virgin Mary at all but St Mary Magdalene

John Arthur

For Images of the "Black Madonna" for more go
to-http://images.google.co.uk/images?q=Black+Madonna&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&start=0&sa=N

"Like pearls from an ancient lover's gift, Magdalene sites and legends lie cast across a vast expanse,
reaching from Ethiopia, Palestine, Egypt, France and north to the highlands and isles of Scotland. Crumbling
chapel ruins, great Gothic cathedrals, caves, symbols carved in stone, and stories of her coming and going
remain like fragments of an old story necklace, waiting and waiting and still waiting to be found." more

"There are almost five hundred so-called "Black" Madonnas scattered over Europe, the highest
concentrations appearing in France and Italy. Many are believed to have miraculous powers of healing and
protection". more

"... Mary Magdalene was a Head Sister of the Nazarite Order (the equivalent of a senior bishop) and was
entitled to wear black. In parallel with the early reverence for Mary Magdalene, a cult known as that of the
Black Madonna emanated from Ferrieres in AD 44. Note: Ean C. M. Begg, The Cult of the Black Virgin,
Introduction, p.20. Among the many Black Madonna representations that still exist, one of the finest statues
is displayed at Verviers, Liege; she is totally black with a golden sceptre and crown, summoned by Sophia's
halo of stars. Her infant child also wears a crown of royalty."for more
http://www.geocities.com/elchasqui_2/Mary4.html

Black Madonnas express a feminine power not fully conveyed by a pale-skinned Mary, who seems to
symbolise gentler qualities like obedience and purity. This idea can be discussed in Jungian terms. It may
be linked to Mary Magdalene and female sexuality repressed by the medieval Church. In France especially,
there are strong traditions that some statues are of Mary Magdalene and not of Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The feminine power may be linked with the earth goddesses and attributed to the archetypal "great mother"
who presides not only over fertility, but over life and death. These ideas overlap with "feminist spirituality" or
"women's spirituality". (Chiavola Birnbaum) Black Madonnas express a feminine power not fully conveyed by
a pale-skinned Mary, who seems to symbolise gentler qualities like obedience and purity. This idea can be
discussed in Jungian terms. It may be linked to Mary Magdalene and female sexuality repressed by the
medieval Church. In France especially, there are strong traditions that some statues are of Mary Magdalene
and not of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The feminine power may be linked with the earth goddesses and
attributed to the archetypal "great mother" who presides not only over fertility, but over life and death. These
ideas overlap with "feminist spirituality" or "women's spirituality". (Chiavola Birnbaum) more

"The year AD 1099 is nowadays commonly agreed upon to be the year of the foundation of the Order of St.
John. I'll tell you later on in detail about it. There are many legendary stories and reports about the origin,
because there are only few written sources of evidence which could proof what the historical facts really are.
The spectrum of traditions stretches from dating back the origins into times before Christ, in order to show
off with a history as long as possible, to the hypothesis of a totally independent spontaneous foundation in
AD 1099."for more

"In the year 1099 the Crusaders were victorious. In the years following the Knights Templar were formed and
cathedrals were built under the patronage of 'Notre Dame', 'Our Lady' known by many to refer to Mary
Magdalene and NOT, as so many believed, Mary, the mother of Jesus."for more

(Throughout the middle ages pilgrims from Leith went to the Tomb of St James at Compostela, in
Galicia,Spain) "Founded in the twelfth century, owes its name to the national patron of Spain, St. James the
Greater, under whose banner the Christians of Galicia began in the ninth century to combat and drive back
the Mussulmans of Spain." for more

"The Hospitaller Sisters of St. John of Jerusalem, early in the twelfth century, were established in the hospital
of St. Mary Magdalen, Jerusalem, for the care of pilgrims. The year after the fall of Jerusalem (1188) a
community was established at Sixena, Spain, by Sancha, wife of Alfonso II of Aragon, for the care of poor
ladies of noble families, and the rule was confirmed by Celestine III in 1193. Except from 1470 to 1569, when
they were under the immediate jurisdiction of the pope, the sisters were subject to the Grand Master of the
Hospitallers. Other communities were soon founded throughout Spain, Italy, Portugal, and England. A reform
was instituted in the hospital of Beaulieu in the first years of the seventeenth century; new constitutions were
drawn up in 1636, and approved in 1644. After the fall of Rhodes the original habit of red, with a black
mantle, embroidered with the cross of St. John of Jerusalem, was exchanged for one of black. On the
suppression of the Templars, the few houses of sisters of that order were united with those of St. John of
Jerusalem." for more

"Mary Magdalen was so called either from Magdala near Tiberias, on the west shore of Galilee, or possibly
from a Talmudic expression meaning "curling women's hair," which the Talmud explains as of an adulteress.
for more

(St Ninian Church was originally the chapel of the St Nicholas hospice, now offices) "Saint Ninian (c. 360 -
432) is the earliest known bishop to have visited Scotland. Neither his place and date of birth, nor his early
life are known with any certainty." for more

(St Nicholas Hospice for seamen now removed) "Saint Nicholas is the common name for Saint Nicholas of
Myra, who lived in 4th century Byzantine Lycia (modern day Antalya, Turkey), who had a reputation for secret
gift-giving. This is as much as is generally known about him in the West." for more

For more on the history of hospitals and hospices. for more

About the Author
John Arthur is a Leith Historian and Genealogist having websites at http://www.leithhistory.co.uk and
http://www.lineages.co.uk. He is also a consultant to the local media on Leith History

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WEBLINKS

Wikipedia: The B lack Madonna
Wikipedia: St. Ninian

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