Cathedral of the Black Madonna: The Druids and the Mysteries of Chartres

Cathedral of the Black Madonna: The Druids and the Mysteries of Chartres
Author: 
Jean Markale
Price: 
$24.95

This book explores the connection between ancient Druidic worship of a virgin at Chartres and the veneration of the Black Madonna, it examines the Virgin Mary’s origins in the pagan worship of the Mother Goddess. Chartres is known as a masterpiece of High Gothic architecture, remarkable stained glass, considered alchemical glass, and its mystical labyrinth. But the sacred foundations of this sanctuary pre-date Christianity, where Druids worshiped a Virgo Paritura: a virgin about to give birth. This ancient place where druids gathered, now houses Chartres Cathedral dedicated both to the Virgin Mary, Mother of God, and to one of the most venerated Black Madonnas: Our Lady of the Pillar. The author’s exhaustive examination of the site traces Chartres’ roots back to prehistoric times, and contends that the mother and child depicted by the Black Madonna are descended from the image worshipped by the Druids of the Virgin forever giving birth. This image is a theological notion of great refinement: the Virgin gives birth ceaselessly to a world, a God, and humanity in perpetual becoming.