Dear Edward, First of all Selma is correct. Also, many aspects in Christianity predate Christianity, and through appropriation, Christianity became the richer (visually and in numbers) for it.
Here is something from the web to get you started on the level of elaboration you wish for. http://www.ancientquest.com/embark/blackvirgin.html In Southern Provençal tradition, the Black Madonna is associated with St. Sara, the patron saint of the Gypsies. She was said to be the black assistant who accompanied the three Marys to France when they fled from the Holy Land after the Crucifixion. In local gypsy tradition, she is said to have been a gypsy (some say 'Egyptian') woman who helped them to land safely. A cult of St. Sara persists today at Les Saintes Maries de la Mer, one of the earliest Magdalene sites in France. Here is a tour one could have taken in August 2007: http://www.sacredearthjourneys.ca/TOURS/sacred-France-PFV.htm The Templars and the Grail: Knights of the Quest By Karen Ralls. See pg 69. http://books.google.com/books?id=M7ME8PcUx4MC&pg=PA69&lpg=PA69&dq=books+on+gypsies+and+the+black+madonna&source=web&ots=9nwKc3Jo74&sig=bDVRF-cKLs492NUGgGVyGUHrl3s But frankly such questions are best referenced in libraries. I am though reminded that Eric Pinto knows a lot about such topics, having encountered his past posts. Perhaps he may elaborate a bit. venantius _____________________________________________________ edward desilva <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> asked: Hi All, Can any one please elaborate on the belief that the Gypsies believe in the Black Madonna. ED, Selma said: The Cult of the Virgin Mother, predates Christianity. It is infact a remnant of mythology, customs and prevailing half-truths that abounded in the Middle East circa 2000 BCE.
