Well, here is my opion: I love the Christian art from Early through the
Byzantine Era.
At that time, any who actively participated in the Nativity paintings were
given the halo to distinguish who were important and those who were incidental
to the painting. Mother, baby, Joseph and magi had that honor. It was as if to
say these people were touched by God to be there at that time, to witness this
special event.. the birth of God's Son made into human flesh. The fulfilment of
the prophesies of the Jewish Bible/Torah.
The magi were well educated men, usually of high ranking and social status...
so people would believe them. They researched the star for many years before
finding the Christ child. THey had travelled for mnay months to get there at
just the right time.
Joseph was given this honor because God and his angels had told him that Mary
had notbetrayed their marriage vow. Joseph was to raise the holy child and
guide him until he was old enough to begin his teachings.
Mary, of course. was the Holy Vessel in which the Holy Child was made flesh.
She was perfect in God's eyes, the symbol of the love and caring that only a
mother can have most of the time. Mary had been choosen long before she was
told by the angel.
The halos themselves held stars to represent the heavens and godly
environments. This was the symbol of heaven... the star... just like the star
that shone that night.
I say all this because I took a class on Early Christian Art and Iconography. I
did research on the Madonna and Child in the Haga Sophia. Through that
research, I read lots of books trying to find out what each part meant. The
colors, the jewels, the way the people were portrayed by posture... right down
to that white hanky on Mary's finger. I finally found out what that was last
year. I met a man who was Orthodox Christian from Constantinople/Istanbul. He
told me that the handkerchief respresented the partonage of Mary, who was the
parton saint of that city. Through her, the city prospered and was under her
protection. Some say the cloth represented the swaddling clothes, or the cloth
in which the body of Christ was wrapped (especially the cloth that was put over
the face of the dead before wrapping and oils applied) or the cloth to wipe
away her tears at his death. Either way, the symbolism is a wide open field.
Well worth reading if you're really interested. Look in iconography books and
symbol books.
Sorry so long a message but I love that research. Great stuff to those
Christians that don't know and aren't taught in thier churches either. Most of
the symbolism is lost to the books when it does have a bearing on any faith in
the world, Christian, Jew, Hebrew or Moslim. Don't know about other religions
but all have symbolism.Sincerely, Rebecca Rautine> Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2008
19:58:23 -0400> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> CC: > Subject:
[h-cost] saint/iconography question> > We've been looking at this painting>
http://www.wga.hu/art/l/lorenzo/monaco/ador_mag.jpg> Billed as "Adoration of
the Magi" by Lorenzo Monaco ca. 1422> > Are those really the Magi? (The folks
with the halo's). To my *very* > untrained eye, they remind me more of saints
than Magi. The > individual in the peach/orange with the blue head-wrap reminds
me more > of The Magdalene rather than one of the Magi.> > I'm not that good
with early 15th c. art or saints iconography -- and > I know that there are
folks on this list that are more knowledgeable > than I. Half my brain tells me
that I should just take the painting > title at face value and go with it, but
those 3 individuals aren't > like any other representations of Magi that I've
seen.> > Thanks!> Susan> -----> Susan Farmer> [EMAIL PROTECTED]> Abraham
Baldwin Agricultural College> Division of Science and Math>
http://www.goldsword.com/sfarmer/Trillium/> > >
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