This morning while at a doctor's appointment I saw a book about ancient sacred sites. I opened it to a page and there was a picture of a black Madonna, "La Morenata"-- The Little Black Madonna. I read about her and was intrigued. Then I noticed the adjacent page was about St. Teresa and the next the number 7 so I made sure to take note to what was before me. I had been interested in images of black Madonnas in the past. There is one that can be found in New York I thought was interesting. As I studied more about Medea I developed a conception of these women doctors who were taken to other countries from Africa for their ability to heal, which some perceived as magic.
One site about the Black Madonna of East 13th St states, "Latin words Nigra sum sed formosa ("I am black but beautiful") were inscribed on the base of the statue. This phrase is taken from the Old Testament’s Song of Songs, in which a captive shepherdess declares her love for a young shepherd to the women of King Solomon’s court." When I read this a year or so ago it interest me because 1) this figure was black with the depiction of a women and male child, as the iconography in Egypt- teacher/student relationship theme I kept coming across. 2) She was in NW YRK. 3) King Solomon, the architect and first temple builder for Jerusalem, involved in the stretching of the cord ceremony and knot in the bible was involved (whom I perceive as a student of the science from the books that would have been contained in the library of Seshat-chief architect), and 4) It reminded me of my favorite t-shirt given to me at Obama's BET Inauguration Ball that read "My Black is Beautiful", a popular empowerment theme for African Americans since the 70s. I was thinking at first, does this inscription mean that black women have been struggling with proving their beauty to other cultures long before slavery? How long did this go back? So with many questions in my mind I spent several days looking for more information on Black Madonna's and other sayings of ancient times that we African-Americans still use today, such as Imhotep's, "My Brother".
One site about the Black Madonna of East 13th St states, "Latin words Nigra sum sed formosa ("I am black but beautiful") were inscribed on the base of the statue. This phrase is taken from the Old Testament’s Song of Songs, in which a captive shepherdess declares her love for a young shepherd to the women of King Solomon’s court." When I read this a year or so ago it interest me because 1) this figure was black with the depiction of a women and male child, as the iconography in Egypt- teacher/student relationship theme I kept coming across. 2) She was in NW YRK. 3) King Solomon, the architect and first temple builder for Jerusalem, involved in the stretching of the cord ceremony and knot in the bible was involved (whom I perceive as a student of the science from the books that would have been contained in the library of Seshat-chief architect), and 4) It reminded me of my favorite t-shirt given to me at Obama's BET Inauguration Ball that read "My Black is Beautiful", a popular empowerment theme for African Americans since the 70s. I was thinking at first, does this inscription mean that black women have been struggling with proving their beauty to other cultures long before slavery? How long did this go back? So with many questions in my mind I spent several days looking for more information on Black Madonna's and other sayings of ancient times that we African-Americans still use today, such as Imhotep's, "My Brother".
So today opening the pages to see La Morenata brought me back to this place I had forgotten. Where are the black women who were teachers? What is this hand/fingers business I keep seeing? Why does so much written about these figures discount or explain away their blackness? I think we all know the reason for that... I will write about Demeter in another blog, but she is where I ended up with the last research several years ago while searching "I am black, but beautiful". Countless writings from the turn of the time from BC to AD concerning these black women who had come to far off lands with their knowledge of healing, herbs, and other north African type cultural backgrounds.
I don't think that I have written about it yet but the astronomy of Easter and the science related to the stars and Seshat are related. So Easter and its celebration has been on my list of things to delve into deeper as the holiday relates to the goddess Seshat and the science of the stars from that early time period. La Morenata's feast day, Virgin of Montserrat's Day, is the 3rd week of Easter for Spain April 27th, which is tomorrow for me now many people will pray and feast in her honor in Europe. It was on 9/11/1881 that Pope Leo XIII declared the virgin of Montserrat, La Morenata, patroness of Catalonia. 9/11 is also the National Day of Catalonia. On April 25th this song Virolai to her was desclared winner among 70 compositions, the first stanza of which begins with the verse "Rosa April, the Sierra Morena, Montserrat star". Tradition says that this statue of her was found after it was hidden in the 9th century from the Moors who had come to that area. All of Catalonia was under Moorish control by 718 AD, according to Adam Kent.
If you know someone who can speak Catalana please have them provide me with a true translation from here. In the mean time this is what Babble I mean Google has provided me... From reading the translation things that stood out to me were wife of the mountain, gold saw & make you a palace (building), crowned with stars, mystic spring, water of life, fishermen, port, Lebanon cedar, Incense tree, palm sion (Zion), sacred fruit, guide to heaven. Noteworthy is that this festival coincides with St George's Book Day. In 1995 UNESCO established 4/23 as World Book and Copyright Day, the day is celebrated by women giving a book to men and men given the women a rose. Also, the Incense tree is The frankincense tree (Boswellia sacra) before translation- L' arbre à encens. The frankincense tree is found in Somalia, in Ethiopia, the Yemen and Oman. There is also mention of a Palm Zion which may reference a hill where Zerubbabel built the Second Temple, "Daughter of Zion". In the New Testament the Daughter of Zion is interpreted as the bride of Christ. However, as stated in my previous blogs I do not think the terms bride, daughter, mother, son, etc should be taken literally to describe a biological lineage, but rather an educational association of sorts that spans time.
Translated Lyrics to Virolai
April Rose, wife of the mountain
Star of Montserrat,
illuminate the earth Catalan
guide us to Heaven
Gold with a saw, the little angels sawed,
with a saw gold, these peaks there, to make you a palace.
Queen of Heaven, the seraphim down
Give us a blue inside your coat,
Dawn, crowned with stars,
City of God which David mused,
At your feet, the moon arose,
the sun's rays to give you clothes.
Catalans you will always be the Princess
Spaniards, the Star of the East.
For good, be the force,
For fishermen, the port of salvation!
Comfort those who leave their homeland,
Without ever seeing the peaks of Montserrat.
On land or sea, you listen to those who crave
Turn to God's hearts who abandoned;
Mystic Spring Water of life
sprung from heaven in the heart of my country,
If you know someone who can speak Catalana please have them provide me with a true translation from here. In the mean time this is what Babble I mean Google has provided me... From reading the translation things that stood out to me were wife of the mountain, gold saw & make you a palace (building), crowned with stars, mystic spring, water of life, fishermen, port, Lebanon cedar, Incense tree, palm sion (Zion), sacred fruit, guide to heaven. Noteworthy is that this festival coincides with St George's Book Day. In 1995 UNESCO established 4/23 as World Book and Copyright Day, the day is celebrated by women giving a book to men and men given the women a rose. Also, the Incense tree is The frankincense tree (Boswellia sacra) before translation- L' arbre à encens. The frankincense tree is found in Somalia, in Ethiopia, the Yemen and Oman. There is also mention of a Palm Zion which may reference a hill where Zerubbabel built the Second Temple, "Daughter of Zion". In the New Testament the Daughter of Zion is interpreted as the bride of Christ. However, as stated in my previous blogs I do not think the terms bride, daughter, mother, son, etc should be taken literally to describe a biological lineage, but rather an educational association of sorts that spans time.
Translated Lyrics to Virolai
April Rose, wife of the mountain
Star of Montserrat,
illuminate the earth Catalan
guide us to Heaven
Gold with a saw, the little angels sawed,
with a saw gold, these peaks there, to make you a palace.
Queen of Heaven, the seraphim down
Give us a blue inside your coat,
Dawn, crowned with stars,
City of God which David mused,
At your feet, the moon arose,
the sun's rays to give you clothes.
Catalans you will always be the Princess
Spaniards, the Star of the East.
For good, be the force,
For fishermen, the port of salvation!
Comfort those who leave their homeland,
Without ever seeing the peaks of Montserrat.
On land or sea, you listen to those who crave
Turn to God's hearts who abandoned;
Mystic Spring Water of life
sprung from heaven in the heart of my country,
Catalan
Rosa April, the Sierra Morena,
Star of Montserrat,
illuminate the Catalan land,
guided us toward heaven.
Saw the golden angels sawing
axes hills to make you a palace;
Queen of Heaven that descended Serafina,
ten us wrap your blue cloak dincs.
Dawn rising star crowned,
City of David dreamed that God,
to the moon you are putting your feet,
the sun his rays assumes you dress.
Catalans will always be princess
Spanish Star of the East,
Be good for the pillar of strength
port of rescue for sinners.
Give relief to those who longs for the homeland,
without ever seeing the peaks of Montserrat;
on land and sea oïu who implores,
return to God that the hearts have stopped.
Mystical Power of the water of life,
rageu heaven in the heart of my country;
gifts and virtues leave it to bloom;
Take, please, your paradise.
Ditxosos eyes, Maria, who you see!
ditxós heart that opens in your light!
Rose of Heaven, the seraphim voltegen,
my prayer to give your perfume.
Cedar gentle Lebanon crown
Incense tree, palm Sion,
the sacred fruit that your love gives us
Jesus Christ is the Redeemer of the world.
Our story begins with your name
Montserrat and our Sinai:
feel for the scale of all the glory
rocky areas covered with rosemary.
Rosa April, the Sierra Morena,
Star of Montserrat,
illuminate the Catalan land,
guided us toward heaven
Over the edge
I saw the temple
Up in the air
There were angels
Inside the halls
I touched the Virgin
Her skin glistened Black
Mother of God
Soaring up over the peaks
Past the clouds around us
High above the Earthly planes
You'll find Montserrat
Past the other patron saints
You'll find Montserrat
The Legacy:
"Over 150 churches were dedicated to the Virgin of Montserrat in Italy alone, as were the first chapels of Mexico, Chile and Peru; even a Caribbean island bears her name. For centuries, the monastery enjoyed outrageous prosperity, having its own flag and a form of extraterritorial independence along the lines of the Vatican City, and its fortunes declined only in the nineteenth century. In 1811 Napoleon's troops devastated the buildings, stole many of the treasures and "hunted the hermits like chamois along the cliffs".....In recent decades Montserrat's popularity has again become established; there are over three hundred brothers and, in addition to the tourists, tens of thousands of newly married couples come here to seek La Moreneta 's blessing on their union." Discovering Barcelona
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