Collecting the Tree
4 hours ago
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Where Religion, Philosophy and Demographics Meet
Because most philosophies that frown on reproduction don't survive.
Contact
Our Other Sites
Blog Archive
-
▼
2012
(298)
-
▼
April
(32)
- X is Good != You Must Do X
- Contraceptive Mentality: 19th Century Style
- The Californians
- Has Rome Overreacted to the LCRW?
- Not Many Like Us
- A Living Example
- Greatest Hits
- Surfing with Mel
- Welcome, First Things Readers
- Something Completely Different
- NFP: Not Just Natural Birth Control
- Who Survived The Titanic: A Story of Chivalry Not ...
- Further reflections on home and work
- Nearer My God To Thee
- There Are 2,227 Stories on the Big Ship
- Your Friday Fix: Existential Edition
- Real Jobs
- The Quintessential Pie Fight
- In Search of the 'Strong Female Character'
- There's Something To This DarwinCatholic Thing
- Game Over
- Philosophies of Reproduction
- Whether “you could bear the idea of marrying me”
- On Living In A Sub Culture
- Happy Easter, Chums
- He Is Risen!
- Good Friday
- Holy Thursday
- I Can't Not Post This Picture
- Arthur C. Clarke on How To Destroy Marriage
- Escaping the Gravity Which Diminishes
- How To Marry a Nice Girl
-
▼
April
(32)
Blogroll
-
-
Maxims of Taste4 hours ago
-
-
-
It’s probably not demons6 days ago
-
-
State of the Ape XXXI2 weeks ago
-
-
Academic Honesty and Vainglory1 month ago
-
Flooding and Farewells2 months ago
-
Now on Substack4 months ago
-
Hand in hand in hand.2 years ago
-
-
Zymurgia House is Moving3 years ago
-
Contributors
Reading
Darwin's Recent Reading
With the Catholic News sites discussing the Vatican's move to reform the LCWR, I pulled this slim volume written back in 1986 off the shelf to re-read. It's a quick and amusing read: a satirical view of the breakdown and renewal of reli...
by Henry James
I'd never read any Henry James before, though I did see the Nicole Kidman movie adaptation of Portrait of a Lady some years ago because... well, because it was a costume drama with Nicole Kidman in it.
This was one of those novels I ...
by Evelyn Waugh
If you, like me, have been reared on tales of the second World War as the just and virtuous struggle of the "greatest generation", Evelyn Waugh's arch novels (based loosely on his own war experiences) are an important and darkly enjoyabl...
by Jane Austen
This was the first time in some years that I've re-read this Austen novel, one of the quieter and shorter ones, but one which has ranked among my favorites. It was striking me, on this pass, that it rather shows the effects of having be...
17 comments:
...Is that Mary about to smack a demon like a bad dog?
Poor banished children, indeed!
I saw that going around; it's an awesome picture. We need more Madonna del Soccorso these days. It reminds me of the Little Office: "Sovereign of angels, Terror of hell".
You know what this picture actually makes me think of? Ellen Ripley putting the smack-down on the Alien queen in order to save Newt in the movie Aliens. I will never watch that movie the same way again.
Wait, I'm confused, what is this picture?
I believe that Fr. Z is the proximate source of the picture making the rounds--it's been on his website for a long time.
@bearing: That's Mary beating the hell out of the devil as it tries to carry off children.
Love the Aliens ref, Brandon.
Rob
Oh, ok. i was confused because i was expecting a madonna and child, but there are two children.
I wasn't really sure of the explanation behind the picture (suddenly it was all over Facebook last night) but I was so charmed by it that I had to do something with it.
I like Foxfier's description: Mary about to smack a demon like a bad dog.
Hm. Judging from the angle of Mary's head, it looks to me like she's about to smack the child. And the child's posture is ambiguous - maybe he's running to Mary for help, maybe he's attacking her in a fit of childish rage. My first thought was, "the devil has his hand upon the child, indicating the devil's influence in the child's horrid behavior. Mary is about to whup the child, thus driving the devil away. You know, "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod shall drive it from him," that sort of thing. It's old school parenting, but then, this looks like an old painting. This probably says more about me than it does about the image.
Matthew,
I'm glad I am not the only one who sees it that way! I swear to me it looks like Mary is about to beat the child. It gives me a chuckle because, boy, can I relate. :)
Jenny,
The more I look, the more I think I might actually be right. Look at the way she's holding the child's arm. Not taking his hand to draw him lovingly away from the devil, but gripping his forearm, to hold him still for his spanking. Look at her expression - that's an angry Mom if ever I saw one. And look at the other child - can't you just hear her crying, "No, Mama!" in solidarity with her naughty brother? But it's the grip on the forearm that most tips it for me.
Hmmm. I mostly figured that was a matter of how in paintings in that period the perspective is often a bit off. (Plus it looks like kind of a big cudgel to be leveling at the kid.)
Here's one where it's pretty clear that it's the demon who's about to be whupped.
Ah, and now I know the correct term from Brandon, I can find lots:
http://www.stpauls.it/madre/1006md/images/1006m25b.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_f1vNZ-E8trc/R7riOjKFw8I/AAAAAAAAAFo/ZlK_P2KMA0Q/s200/madonna+del+soccorso.jpg
http://www.museumsinflorence.com/foto/santo%20spirito/image/dia.jpg
I particularly like that last one. The demon already looks cockeyed and the Mary's lids are low and angry as she winds up for the blow.
Spare the cudgel and spoil the child, I always say.
Thank goodness I wasn't the only one wondering why Mary was going to whack that child with a big, big stick. :-D
I figured she might be aiming at the demon's arm -- and I'd be angry if something like that was touching my kid too :)
Thanks for the other images, Darwin!
Somewhat late but perhaps some are still reading. This is Our Lady Destroyer of Heresies - the 'demon' is a heresy. Our Lady is protecting her children and this picture should be all over the internet these days, when heresy is being spread by the Church itself. She is not to be messed with!
Thanks, Heloisa!
Post a Comment