The Virgin Mary in the Middle Ages

The Virgin Mary in the Middle Ages is quite different that the Virgin Mary in modern times. Like in modern times though, the Virgin Mary holds a significant and reputable place amongst the church. In the play, The Miracle of Theophile, Mary is presented as a strong woman who reclaims Theophile’s deed from the Devil. When Theophile first comes upon Our Lady, she angrily tells him to leave, “I will not hear your hypocrite’s babble. Go! Go! Get out of my chapel!” (188).  Unlike the motherly version of the Virgin Mary that modern viewers have, this representation of Mary is much more forceful and a powerful weapon of God. It gives reason for readers and listeners to fear Mary and to fear for committing a sin in her presence. Her strength is then reaffirmed when she orders the devil to give back the deed. When the devil refuses to present the covenant, the Virgin Mary tramples on the belly of the devil (189) and, essentially, beats him. It is a brutal representation of Mary, but it affirms Mary’s power over evil. 

Our version of the Mary scene when beating the Devil.

Like our modern representation and image of the Virgin Mary, different statues portray her as the caring mother of Jesus. Instead of the fierce representation of Mary presented in the play, in many churches and museums I saw a much kinder portrayal of the Virgin Mary. This representation of Our Lady may be significant to those women during the Middle Ages. In looking for guidance or faith, turning to the Virgin Mary for help would show a much kinder version of love. For example, at The Cluny museum, a statue of Mary struck me. There was a whole row of statues of Mary and baby Jesus, all of which were looking very lovingly on the baby. It was a much different portrayal of Mary than in the play. But this portrayal is significant because it shows the need for motherly kindness during the Medieval ages. It also reveals the similarities between our modern need for Mary’s motherly love to that of the Middle Ages.