ClarkeElijah (wk3)

 Growing up in a mixed religion/interfaith household I was exposed to a wide variety of religious iconography including the Virgin of Guadalupe/the Virgin Mary. Although my childhood home contained several depictions of the Virgin of Guadalupe either on candles or framed, I did not receive any formal religious education. Over time I gathered that the Virgin of Guadalupe was an important figure in the Catholic church and broader religion and was especially important in Central and Southern American interpretations and practices of catholicism. While the cultural significance of the Virgin of Guadalupe was evident to me from a young age it wasn’t until college that I really learned anything more about the image. In a history of religions course I took during my 2nd year we studied iconography relating to the Virgin of Guadalupe as well as the rise of Roman Marian churches. While depictions of the Virgin Mary vary across time and space, depictions of the Virgin of Guadalupe are relatively consistent. Generally, the Virgin of Guadalupe is depicted as standing in front of an oval of sun rays, hands clasped in prayer and face turned ever so slightly downwards, all while standing atop a crescent moon. The Virgin Mary has always represented fertility across catholic cultures however it is of note that the imagery of the Virgin of Guadalupe is particularly evocative when it comes to fertility. Many scholars, activists, and the general public have noted that the Virgin of Guadalupe may be a representation of a vagina as well as Mary due to the generally elongated shape of the imagery. In addition to learning a bit about the Virgin of Guadalupe through the lens of a religious history class, I have also had the opportunity to learn about her through the lens of ancient art and textiles. While it may seem insignificant to many, the fact that the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe was first imprinted onto the cloak of Juan Diego an indigenous Aztec man is extremely telling. In both Aztec and Mayan cultures textiles such as the cloak of Juan Diego were considered to be extremely valuable both economically and culturally. Fascinatingly the fact that Juan Diego asserted that the Virgin of Guadalupe, a Catholic icon, became imprinted onto his textile cloak signifies a melding of Aztec and Catholic European cultures.