Material Virgin Mary – Liturgy and Devotion

Jonas Carlquist

Medieval devotion

• Many texts have been analyzed– Liturgical texts (latin)– Prayers (latin and vernacular)– Saints lives, visions etc. (latin and vernacular)

• But there are also paintings, sculptures etc…– For the unlettered??? (Cf. Walahfrid, De

imaginibus et picturis)

Religious texts and images of Virgin Mary

• How do they communicate?• In what way?• What kind of models for behaviour and belief

do they teach?– Percipimus nos vivere (what we perceive is what

we live), Thomas of Aquinas

Meditation and apparitions

• Saint Mechthild– Thäntidh sancta mäktildis skulle ga fram, ath

kyssa korseth aff gudhelighom jnskiwutilsom, tha sagdhe hon til fotanna saar Se min härra, alla mina astwndan thrykker jak i thik, ok tilfögher allom thinom wila Swa ath jak här äpther wari fwllelica rensath, ok i alle mattho hälghat Ath jak aldrig här äpther maghe wffias j nakro thy som wärdhline til hörer ¶ Än til höghra handinna saar sagdhe härran jhesus til henna, göm här al the thing

An example, Knutby church (Uppland)

• 13th century• 15th century rebuild, paintings• New Interior, new objects• Donators: Jakob Ulfsson (archbishop), Bengt

Eriksson Tomta, Kerstin Knutsdotter Väsby

Objects

• Altarpiece (1425-1450)

St Olaf Coronation St Erik

Objects, St Martin (patron), 1450+

St BirgittaSt Katarina of Vadstena

The MadonnaINTERTEXT (discourse conventions)•Mother of Christ, incarnation, eucharisty•Virgin Mother (hair), annunciation, visitation, nativity•Queen of heaven (crowned, clothes), obedience, assumption•Maria ecclesia (gothic church)•Woman from the Apocalypse (dressed in sun, twelve stars, stands on the moon) humility (defeats evil)

A shrine?

Hinges?

Liturgical use?Narrative art, Symbolic art

Devotion• Heel jomfru, nadhaful stärna, clarare än sool, gudz modher

ärofwl, söthare än honogx droppe, rödhare meer än roos, hwitare än lilia, alla dygher pryda tik, änglomen ypparen, all hälgon hedhra tik j hymmerike, thy at thu äst allom höghre, miskunna mik Amen

• Heelsat wari thu aldra hälgasta jomfru maria gudz modhir, hymerikes drotningh, paradysi portir wärdinna fru, Thu äst allenast clar jomfru Thu afflade ihesum wtan alla synd, Thu sögde wärldenna skapara, oc frälsara, j hwilko jak ey twäkar, Bidh for mik til ihesum, thin älskelikaste son At han frälse mik aff allo ondo Oc aff allom minom dräffuilsom oc nöd badhe nw oc j dödzsins tima wndsät mik, mildasta jomfru maria gudz födirska Amen