Rocamadour

An important Celtic tradition remains in Rocamadour, with the permanence of one worship to the goddess-mother, in the “dark valley”, dug by Alzou in Causse: Cybèle, then Venus, and finally the Virgin Mary, in the shape of a black virgin. http://lieuxsacres.canalblog.com/archives/vierges_noires__fichier/index.html

The pélerinage was with the Middle Ages a considerable success. One came from all Europe, stage obligatory of the jacquaires.

It is necessary to traverse the 216 steps (the number somewhat varied in the course of time. ll had formerly only 210 of them there. To the small terrace where were the houses of the canons, at the entry of the crowned enclosure, there are 140 steps. There would thus have been 70 to the Notre-Dame vault of it. Multiple of 7… The virgins are 70 cm height) to arrive at the vault Our-lady, of which one of the walls is the rock even.

The statue dates from the XII ème century is of primitive pace. It is covered with money plates and succeeds a statue much older on which we have few information. (a reference to a statue venerated before XIIème for example). Under the furnace bridge is still embedded an old furnace bridge druidic, and it is on this stone that Amadour was supposed to have officiated.

Many miracles are allotted to him: delivery of the prisoners, protection of the navigators (the antique bell of the vault sometimes putting themselves to tinkle of itself, thus calming the storms. Once even, a whole ship was transported to… Saint Jacques in Galicia!), fruitfulness, protection of the children, résurection of the children still-born children, granting the life until the baptème.

The first documents on the pélerinage date from the XI ème, and are the work of the Benedictines. The main thing of them, written about 1170, is the chronicle of Robert de Thorigny, abbot… of the Holy Mount Michel!

It is thus about this time that the Benedictines install the black virgin, and discover the body of Amadour Saint on the spot, during the earthwork of a tomb envisaged in front of the hermitage. The texts add that the body was in a perfect state of conservation.

The legends will be born. the most current version is as follows: Amadour would have been Zachée in person, the publicain which had given hospitality to Jesus. He is companion of Holy Veronique. (Zachée and Veronique will assist Marie until its “dormition” then will be missionnés, secured by the relics of St Face and some milk drops of the Virgin, for évangéliser Gaule.). It was transported in boat in Gaules, was fixed at Rocamadour where it lived as a hermit. It is him which would have brought back the statue of the virgin, carved by Saint Luc. (introduction of the solar element). According to A. Pradelle the name Amadour would come from Arabic Amad-Aour (the Juste), that is to say Zaccaï.

But Rocamadour is not the only place which asserts the presence of Zachée. According to certain chronicles, Amadour would have founded the sanctuary of Puy and would have made stage with Compostelle. There would be Catalan Amadour, Portuguese, berrichon, but there, it takes the name of Sylvain.

According to other legends', it would have been born in Lucques, in Italy. A Sylvain born in Lucques, us here are plunged in the pagan world, confirming the continuity of the places of worships of the black virgin and older religious practices.

Place of the sanctuary one reaches 7 vaults: the church of St Amadour, the basilica St Saver, the vaults St Jean Baptist, St Blaise, co. Anne and the Notre Dame vault. (still figure 7).

On the right of the entry of the miraculous vault is an iron grid. It is here that the body of Amadour-Zachée was found. One can see, in the rock, “the sword of Roland”. After tryhaving vainly tried to destroy it, the legend ensures that it would have launched it so extremely that it would have come to be card-indexed in the rock. The weapon which one sees now is a copy of original removed by the English with the VIII ème century.

Rocamadour is one of the only places where all these saints and holy are joined together close to the black virgin. But, curious thing, one always finds some one or more directly associated with the sanctuaries with the statues.

Holy Anne: it is the mother of Marie. The origin of its worship is close to the black virgins, merging sometimes, having succeeded one and the other that of the antique goddess-mother.

Saint Blaise: It existed forever. On the other hand, among Celts, there was a Bletz god, who would be at the origin of our Blaise. (Beacon…) He was a representation of the death, under consideration as a passage to another life.

One can pass on the direction of Baptist, who approaches that of Michel Saint, having already been studied.

The present study is drawn from the book of Jacques Huynen, the enigma of the black virgins.

I can add that each black virgin has a particular function, each human A a particular approach of the black virgin. It is clear for me that Rocamadour is a site with stage. At the time of my first visit, I did not feel anything, if it is not the beauty of the place. The second was quite different. This Lady there does not make in the lace of Puy, nor in the softness of water of Vassivière… I would say rather than it acts of lance-flame, but as that which exposes, without burn, but with the possibility of finding itself in the simplest apparatus, any ornament. We is vis-a-vis ourself, and believe me it is a beautiful gift, even if it is not easy to digest…