Pilgrimage to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
The pilgrimage to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is a religious tradition in Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer , France .
The underlying legend
According to local legend, the saints Maria Cleophae and Maria Salome were abandoned by persecutors on a boat without a sail or oar and Providence washed up on the coast of Provence. Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Maria - equated with Maria Magdalena - as well as Sara , the black servant, are said to have been in the boat . While the others moved on to evangelize more distant areas, the two older Marys, the mothers of the apostles James and John, stayed on this stretch of coast, which was then named after them: Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. Her relics were recovered on May 24, 1923 and are now resting in shrines in the church.
Course of the May pilgrimage
At the end of May each year, members of the Roma , Manouches , Sinti and Yeniche meet to pay homage to their patroness, Black Sara. The small place becomes a huge trailer park. The pilgrims prepare the religious event and organize the process for a week. It is also the festival of reunion and the majority of children are baptized in the Notre-Dame-de-la-Mer church . The procession to worship Saras did not appear until the Second World War , and the "Gypsy Pilgrimage" has now put the traditional Marian pilgrimages in the shade. The fact that the Roma identify with the black Sara is probably not only due to her dark skin color, but also to her alleged Egyptian origin . In ancient times, the non-sedentary ethnic groups were said to have the same origin. According to legend, Sara secured the survival of the three Marys by begging.
Black Sara procession
On May 24th the procession to the sea begins , which is supervised by the Archdiocese of Aix . At the top rides a dozen Gardians on Camargue horses . From the old fortified church , the wooden Sara statue is carried on their shoulders to the sea and back by four men, accompanied by several thousand people. The statue is tied with sequins and embroidered cloaks so that the head just barely peeks out. At the seaside, she is carried into the water and the believers spray her with seawater. Then it goes back to the fortified church, where an evening prayer is held. Afterwards, the party continues into the night in the streets of the city.
Procession of Maria Kleophae and Maria Salome
The next day, May 25th, is dedicated to the two saints of the village: Maria Cleophae and Maria Salome are ceremoniously carried to the sea in a procession. This in memory of the arrival of the saints by boat around the year 45 and the first evangelization of Provence . The boat with the statues is surrounded by the crowd of believers from the area in their traditional costumes. Pilgrims from all over the world also come here. During both days there are many services and prayers in the church. On this day, your reliquary will be lowered from the upper floor of the church onto the altar.
Course of the October pilgrimage
The second pilgrimage takes place on the Sunday closest to October 22nd. The festivities are similar to those of May with church services and reliquary worship and the procession on Sunday morning by boat to the sea.
Trivia
In the television series Mond Mond Mond , the pilgrimage of a clan to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is shown.
literature
- Monica Rüthers : Jews and Gypsies in European History Theater: “Jewish Spaces” / “Gypsy Spaces” - Kazimierz and Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in Europe's new folklore . Transcript, Bielefeld 2012, ISBN 978-3-8376-2062-7 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Colorful pilgrimage to the black Sara. In: sueddeutsche.de . March 31, 2011, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ a b c Le pèlerinage de Mai. In: sanctuaire-des-saintesmaries.fr. Retrieved August 23, 2020 (French).
- ↑ a b Ulrike Koltermann: South of France: Camargue, scene of a hot gypsy pilgrimage. In: welt.de . May 24, 2011, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ↑ Christoph Wendt: The great pilgrimage of the gypsy clans. In: Abendblatt.de . April 26, 2003, accessed August 23, 2020 .
- ^ Catholic memorial day for Maria Kleophae and Maria Salome: Acta Sanctorum
- ↑ Le pèlerinage d'Octobre 2013, les 19 and 20 octobre 2013. In: sanctuaire-des-saintesmaries.fr. Retrieved August 23, 2020 (French).