The Black Madonna (I)

The Black Madonna is a painting of the Madonna and Child which, according to popular legend, was painted by St Luke the Evangelist. St Luke is believed to have used a tabletop from a table built by Jesus. While Luke was painting the portrait of Mary, she told him about the events in Jesus’ life that he eventually incorporated in his Gospel. The painting showed up again in 326 AD when St Helen discovered it in Jerusalem while on a pilgrimage there. She gave the painting to her son, Constantine, who had a shrine built in Constantinople to house it. In a critical battle with the Saracens, the portrait was displayed from above the city walls and the Saracens were subsequently routed. The portrait was credited with saving the city. Eventually, the painting came into Charlemagne’s hands, who gave it as a present to Prince Leo of Ruthenia (northwest Hungary). It remained at the royal palace in Ruthenia until an invasion occurred in the eleventh century. The king prayed to Our Lady to help his small army and as an answer to his prayers a dark shadow fell over the enemy troops who, in their confusion, began attacking one another. This confusion saved Ruthenia. In the fourteenth century, the painting was transferred to the Mountain of Light (Jasna Gora) in Poland in response to a request heard during a dream that the Prince Ladislaus of Opola had one night. When the painting’s ownership changed to Prince Ladislaus, this legendary history became better documented. In 1382 invading Tartars attacked the Prince's fortress at Belz. In this attack one of the Tartar arrows hit the painting and lodged in the Madonna’s throat. The Prince fled in the night, fearing that he and the famous painting might fall into the hands of Tartars. He finally stopped in the town of Czestochowa, where the painting was installed in a small church. Later, the Prince had a church and a Pauline monastery built to ensure the painting's safety. In 1430, the Hussites overran the monastery and attempted to steal the painting. One of the looters struck the painting with his sword twice but before he could strike another blow he fell to the floor writhing in agony and died. Both the sword cuts and the arrow wound are still visible today in the painting.