14 “Woman, Why Weepest Thou?” Mary Magdalene, the Virgin Mary and the Transformative Power of Holy Tears in Late Medieval Devotional Painting

Abstract

This chapter explores the tradition of devotional literature and its connection to the particular iconographic representation of Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene of the later Middle Ages. It considers the salvific significance of holy tears in the literary tradition (biblical, exegetical and mystical), with a particular focus on the writings of, for, or about women. The chapter examines the dualistic nature of the Virgin Mary and the Mary Magdalene as exemplars for salvation. It also explores the tearful response of pilgrims (many of whom were women) who experienced first-hand the sites of Christ's Passion. The chapter reflects on the transportive potential of tears, thus linking text and image as a means for imaginary pilgrimage. Pilgrims who traveled to the Holy Land to see and touch the places Christ himself saw and touched, often responded with a flood of tears. Keywords:devotional literature; holy tears; late medieval devotional painting; loca sancta ; Mary Magdalene; medieval women; mystical tradition; Virgin Mary