$236.98 $328.00
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The Black Madonna of Czestochowa Blue Tortoise Necklace is a triple strand necklace that is sold as a set, but made as two separate necklaces so you can wear them together or separately. The focal point of this necklace is the Our Lady of Czestochowa on a 34" strand of cubed Bavarian Blue Tortoise Crystals. The Blue Tortoise Black Madonna is joined by a double stranded necklace made with Bavarian Bicone Black Jet crystals featuring our Illumination Lourdes medal with Our Lady's symbolic M and oval crystals set in black gunmetal. A shower of tear shaped crystals surround our Lady and Child reminding us to the blessings and wisdom bestowed on those who seek. The miracles and mysteries of this Black Madonna are told in more details below.
The Black Madonna medal and the Lourdes Illumination medal are made of bronze clad with Sterling Silver and hand cast using the lost wax method in New England. The original medals are findings from Europe that have been collected over the years by our owner and designer Ginny Parker. Designed as "everyday" wear to keep the Special Graces promised by Our Lady close at hand.
Length: Triple strand 16" to 34".
The Black Madonna is 1.25 inches round, the Lourdes Illumination medal 1" x 1"
Materials: Bronze Clad Sterling Silver, Faceted 6mm Bavarian Blue Tortoise cubed crystals, Black Jet Bavarian Crystal strands. The strands join with a toggle clasp.
THE BLACK MADONNA OF POLAND—OUR LADY OF CZESTOCHOWA AND JASNA GORA by Bryan J Walsh
"The Black Madonna is a painting of the Madonna and Christ Child which legend states was painted by St. Luke the Evangelist. St. Luke is believed to have used a tabletop from a table built by the carpenter Jesus. It was while Luke was painting Mary that she told him about the events in the life of Jesus that he eventually used in his gospel.
This same legend states that that when St. Helen went to Jerusalem to search for the true cross in 326 AD, she happened upon this portrait of Our Lady. She gave it to her son, Constantine, who had a shrine built to house it. In a critical battle with the Saracens, the portrait was displayed from the walls of Constantinople and the Saracens were subsequently routed. The portrait was credited with saving the city. The painting was eventually owned by Charlemagne who subsequently presented the painting 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 aid his small army and as a result of this prayer a darkness overcame the enemy troops who, in their confusion, began attacking one another. Ruthenia was saved as a result of this intervention by Our Lady. In the fourteenth century, it was transferred to the Mount of Light (Jasna Gora) in Poland in response to a request made in a dream of Prince Ladislaus of Opola.
The legendary history becomes better documented with the painting's ownership by Prince Ladislaus. 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 throat of the Madonna. The Prince, fearing that he and the famous painting might fall to the Tartars, fled in the night finally stopping in the town of Czestochowa, where the painting was installed in a small church. The Prince subsequently had a Pauline monastery and church built to ensure the painting's safety. In 1430, the Hussites overran the monastery and attempted to take the portrait. One of the looters twice struck the painting with his sword 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 in the painting.
Later, in 1655, Poland was almost entirely overrun by the forces of Sweden's King Charles X. Only the area around the monastery remained unconquered. Somehow, the monks of the monastery successfully defended the portrait against a forty day siege and eventually all of Poland was able to drive out the invaders.
After this remarkable turn of events, the Lady of Czestochowa became the symbol of Polish national unity and was crowned Queen of Poland. The King of Poland placed the country under the protection of the Blessed Mother. A more recent legend surrounding the painting involves the Russian invasion of Poland in 1920. Legend holds that the Russian army was massing on the banks of the Vistula river, threatening Warsaw, when an image of the Virgin was seen in the clouds over the city. The troops withdrew on seeing the image.
There have been reports for centuries of miraculous events such as spontaneous healings occurring to those who made a pilgrimage to the portrait. With the fall of communism in Poland, pilgrimages to the Black Madonna have increased dramatically.
