Abstract

The powerful symbolism of the Black Madonna is not a new language. It had its beginnings in the 12th century. Black Madonnas began to appear pervasively in western Europe during the 12th–14th centuries, coinciding with the rise of overt hierarchical control in the western Church and the suppression of residual practises honouring feminine aspects of deity. There are still hundreds of such images in existence and they attract enduring cults of devotion. This phenomenon touches not only upon religious and artistic issues, but is also of interest to the disciplines of anthropology, social studies, history and politics. The circumstances which nourished the proliferation of medieval Black Madonnas have evolved but not disappeared. We can identify links between the influence of Black Madonnas and such diverse subjects as political resistance movements and radical philosophy. The qualities which human cultures have historically marginalized–the dignity and power of women, the sacrality of the earth and the human body, respect for the “other”-were given sanctuary in the manifestation of Black Madonnas. Today, the increasing desire for integration of the sacred feminine into religious understanding has given rise to renewed interest in Black Madonnas. What can we learn from these mysterious and persistent images?