The Cult of the Black Virgin The Black Madonna, La Vierge Noire, is revered throughout Europe and elsewhere... But what are her origins? Why are 400+ of the world's images of the Madonna "black" or "dark"? Why they are so little known? Where may we find Her? This book investigates the pagan origins of the phenomenon. Here is a comprehensive overview of the cult of the Black Madonna in France, Spain, Italy and elsewhere - thought to have originated in the pagan Earth Mother Goddesses of Europe: goddesses of sexuality, the underworld and earth-wisdom. It is associated with the heretical Gnostic-Christian underground stream which flowed West with the cult of Mary Magdalene and resurfaced in Catharism at the time of the Crusades. Many of the statues are thought to have been brought back from the Crusades by Knights Templar. Ean Begg associates major Black Madonna festivals with Saints' feast days, uncovering the deeper senses and beliefs of newly-christianized western Europe. Here is a psychological interpretation of the meaning of the Black Virgin statues and an exploration of early christian Virgin mythology. The second part of the book is an invaluable gazetteer of current and former sites where Black Madonnas are to be found. Click to buy The Cult of the Black Virgin
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