Happy Monday

Thanks to all of you who left me a comment, and of course, all of you (select few!) who read this blog. I'm really loving the blogging, as I said, and am grateful to the readers who drop by. Thank you.

A quick round up of some interesting stuff I found today on the interwebs:

Am A Walker turned me on to this site about the European Pilgrimage trails to Santiago de Compostela and elsewhere. Lots of great photos, and other stuff I haven't even explored yet. Thanks for the tip!

Over at Starlight Ministries, Lia talked about her color prayer and a book she's found called, Praying in Color. Sounds good, and I may need to pick me up a copy this Lent.

And Marie has finally gotten sucked into the Colin Firth as Darcy crush vortex after watching Pride & Prejudice on PBS. What took her so long, I'll never know! But here's a nice little bit of eye candy.

Happy Monday, All.

Knights Templar out of the Secret Archives!

I am fascinated by this article from the BBC about how the Vatican Secret Archives are releasing some of their documents about the Templars' heresy trials from the 14th Century. I guess if we had an extra $8,000, we could get ourselves a copy of the documents too! On parchment and everything.

I have to admit that I am really into the Knights of St John the Hospitalier. Ever since our visit to the town of St Antoine many years ago, I think the whole history of the Templars is amazing.

Plus, there are the pilgrimage routes through France and Spain to Santiago Compostela. What great opportunities for religious art. I think I've convinced Josiah that we should do a walking trip through the South of France to Santiago. It would be awesome!

Image from Grailquest.org

Entombment Statues in Moissac

This group is from around 1476. The statues are made of oak wood, and the style is sort of formal, sort of emotional. Not as restrained as Gothic, but not as emotive as the Renaissance.

The sadness comes across to me. I saw this group right after a friend of mine died. I felt the emotion of the Mary's and James. I really put myself in the group. [sigh] I still feel it when I see it.

But who were those other two men? Well, apparently, Entombment groups usually include Joseph of Arimethea, and Nicodemus. Who were they? This Joseph is mentioned in the Gospels as the rich man who bought the fine linen to wrap Jesus' body and gave up his own tomb for Jesus to be laid in. Nicodemus, another rich man, brought the myrrh and aloes for preparing Jesus' body for burial. I think Joseph is on the left, and Nicodemus is on the right.

It's interesting to me that both men are said to be rich. At the time when most of these Entombment sculptures were being done, they were commissioned by wealthy Christians who wanted to beautify/be remembered in their local churches - generally cathedrals, or sites along the pilgrimage trail of Santiago de Compostela. The family crests of the patron are on the side of Jesus' coffin.

The other statues represent, from the left, Mary - Martha's sister (probably), the Virgin Mary, James (the Beloved), Salome (not the one who had John the Baptist beheaded), and Mary Magdalene.

For my research I read, The entombment of Christ: French sculptures of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, by William H. Forsyth, Published for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, by the Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1970.