Mary symbol
As symbols of Mary or Marian symbols are called symbols that link to be Mary, the mother of Jesus , relate. The symbols of Mary include plants, animals, stars and objects that are borrowed from the Old and New Testaments , the Apocrypha , the writings of the Church Fathers , the Lauretan Litany as well as the spiritual poetry or the visions of the mystics and which are related to the Virgin Mary, z. B. a tree or a well. If an event such as the scene with Moses in front of the burning bush is equated with Mary, we speak of an allegory . Some symbols of Mary can also be interpreted archetypically . Mostly symbols of Mary are combined with allegorical representations of Mary, so that a conceptual differentiation makes little sense in practice.
Aaron's flowering staff , Gideon's fleece , the porta clausa (the locked gate) of the prophet Ezekiel , animals such as the unicorn , the phoenix or the pelican and plants such as the Madonna lily , the common columbine , the thornless rose , wild strawberry , cowslip and lily of the valley can all be Marian Be symbols.
Symbols according to areas of origin
The symbols in the biblical writings are not related to Mary in the original context, but were applied to Mary by later Christian theology and spirituality and used, for example, in the liturgy of the feasts of Mary. One speaks of an "accommodation", a dogmatically correct and liturgically usable application of a scriptural word to a holy person or thing, which, however, finds no support in the text itself.
Source: Old Testament
- Radix Iesse ( Isa 11,1 ) (root of Jesse) ( Isa 11,1 EU )
- Rubus incombustus ( Ex 3.2 ) (non-burning bush) ( Ex 3.2 EU )
- Scala Iacob ( Gen 28.12 ) (Jacob's ladder) ( Gen 28.12 EU )
- Lignum vitae ( Gen 3.22 ) (Tree of Life) ( Gen 3.22 EU )
- Arca Noe ( Gen 6,14 ) (Noah's Ark) ( Gen 6,14 EU )
- Templum Salomonis ( 1 Kings 6 ) (Temple of Solomon) ( 1 Kings 6 EU )
- Signum foederis ( Gen 9,13 ) ( rainbow as a sign of the covenant) ( Gen 9,13 EU )
- Columba ramum ferens ( Gen 8.11 ) (dove with olive branch) ( Gen 8.11 EU )
- Arca domini ( 2 Chr 5,2 ) (Ark of the Covenant) ( 2 Chr 5,2 EU )
Source: Wisdom Literature : Song of Songs , Book of Wisdom , Jesus Sirach (Old Testament)
- Hortus conclusus ( Hld 4,12 ) (closed garden) ( Hld 4,12 EU )
- Turris Davidica ( Hld 4,4 ) (Tower of David) ( Hld 4,4 EU )
- Castrorum acies ordinata ( Hld 6,3 and 6,9) (mighty as an army) ( Hld 6,4 LUT and 6,10)
- Aurora consurgens ( Hld 6,9 ) (glowing dawn) ( Hld 6,10 EU )
- Electa ut sol ( Hld 6,9 ) (exquisite as the sun) ( Hld 6,10 EU )
- Pulchra ut luna ( Hld 6,9 ) (beautiful as the moon) ( Hld 6,10 EU )
- Turris eburnea ( Hld 7,4 ) (ivory tower) ( Hld 7,5 EU )
- Lilium inter spinas ( Hld 2,2 ) (lily among thorns) ( Hld 2,2 EU )
- Fons signatus ( Hld 4,12 ) (sealed source) ( Hld 4,12 EU )
- Puteus aquarum viventium ( Hld 4,15 ) (Fountain of Living Water) ( Hld 4,15 EU )
The following symbols are stated in the biblical text of wisdom (Greek σοφία, Latin sapientia ) and were applied to Mary in church tradition.
- Speculum sine macula ( Weish 7,26 ) (immaculate mirror) ( Weish 7,26 EU )
- Quasi cedrus ( Sir 24,17 ) (like a cedar) ( Sir 24,13 EU )
- Quasi cypressus ( Sir 24.17 ) (like a cypress)
- Quasi palma ( Sir 24.18 ) (like a palm) ( Sir 24.14 EU )
- Quasi plantatio rosae ( Sir 24.18 ) (like a rose bush) ( Sir 24.14 EU : Oleander)
- Quasi oliva ( Sir 24.19 ) (like an olive tree) ( Sir 24.14 EU )
- Quasi platanus ( Sir 24.19 ) (like a plane tree) ( Sir 24.14 EU )
Source: Revelation of John (New Testament)
- Mulier amicta sole ( Rev 12,1 ) (woman clothed with the sun) - Mulier amicta sole et luna sub pedibus eius et in capite eius corona stellarum duodecim ( Rev 12,1 ) (woman clothed in the sun, the moon was among her Feet and a wreath of twelve stars on her head) ( Rev 12,1 EU )
- Mulier draconis victrix ( Rev 12 ) (Woman victorious over the dragon) ( Rev 12 EU )
- Arca testamenti ( Rev 11:19 ) (Ark of the covenant) ( Rev 11:19 EU )
Source: Lauretan Litany
- Sedes sapientiae (Seat of Wisdom)
- Refugium peccatorum (Refuge for sinners)
- Ianua caeli (gate of heaven)
- Speculum iustitiae (mirror of justice)
- Auxilium christianorum (Help of Christians)
- Foederis arca (Ark of the Covenant)
- Stella matutina (morning star)
- Domus aurea (golden house)
- Rosa mystica (mysterious rose)
- Vas spirituale (spiritual vessel)
- Vas honorabile (venerable vessel)
- Vas insigne devotionis (excellent vessel of prayer)
- Salus infirmorum (salvation of the sick)
- Consolatrix afflictorum (comforter of the afflicted)
Source: Various Areas
- Stella maris (sea star) (from the Marian hymn Ave maris stella , 9th century)
- Templum dei (Temple of God) (from the hymn Intende qui regis Israel by Ambrose of Milan , 4th century)
heraldry
In heraldry , the pain of Mary is represented by a heart with seven piercing swords . The representation belonging to the heraldic figures occurs in church and monastery heraldry, but is not common.
The French Cases-de-Pène municipality
literature
- Alfred Sirch: Pictorial symbols in the Marienkirche on the Schönenberg . Schwabenverlag AG, Ellwangen 1997.
- Church administration Wemding (Ed.): Pilgrimage Maria Brünnlein Wemding. Wemding (?)
- Wolfgang Braunfels (Ed.): Lexicon of Christian Iconography. , eight volumes, Herder Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau a. a. 1968-1976. ISBN 3-451-22568-9 .
- Walter L. Strauss, John T. Spike (Eds.): The Illustrated Bartsch. NY: Abaris Books, New York 1978-, Volume 52
To individual symbols
- Romuald Bauerreiß , Arbor Vitae. The "Tree of Life" and its use in liturgy, art and customs of the West , Munich 1938.
Individual evidence
- ^ Maria Kassel: Biblical archetypes . Depth psychological interpretation according to CG Jung , Freiburg, Basel, Vienna 1992
- ↑ http://www.beyars.com/kunstlexikon/lexikon_5771.html
- ↑ Julius Tycziak: The wisdom literature of the Old Testament. Paderborn 1948, p. 136ff, esp. P. 137 Note - The “Maria sapientia accommodation” possibly goes back to the early medieval school of Chartres ; on this: Karl Stackmann: Salomônes lêre. Proverbs of the Old Testament in chant poetry. In: Vestigia Bibliae 24/25 , Bern 2004, ISBN 3-03910-347-4 , p. 71, with reference to Michael Stolz.
- ↑ Gert Oswald : Lexicon of Heraldry . Bibliographisches Institut Leipzig, 1984, p. 264.