The Virgin of the Navas or how a myth is forged

One of the many examples we can find about how a myth is formed from an assumption is, no doubt, the case of this curious and precious Marian image that, lost and forgotten its original original invocation, has become known as the Virgen de las Navas.

If we ask ourselves why this modern advocation, it would be necessary to go back in time, at least until well into the nineteenth century, when archeology in Spain was hardly in a playful-didactic phase, forming, more or less, that a motive of distraction for certain erudite elements of the Hispanic nobility.

Such is the case, of the Marquis of Cerralbo, who one day investigating the enormous artistic-cultural wealth contained behind the walls of the imposing Cistercian monastery of Santa María de Huerta, in the province of Soria, came little short of going head-on with this magnificent Romanesque-Gothic carving to which, perhaps because there is also the magnificent tomb of the former Archbishop of Toledo, Don Rodrigo Ximénez de Rada and also, with its characteristics of portable image-a feature quite common in medieval times, where many images of Christ and the Virgin used to go to the battle fronts accompanying prelates and priests and with the victories, their reputation as miracle-workers was increased (1) -, hypothetically speaking, the possibility that said image was, in reality, dropped , the one who had in his saddle the aforementioned Archbishop of Rada when he encouraged and participated in the decisive battle of the Three Kings, better known as the Battle of the Na You go of Tolosa, happened in July of 1212.

Of only 30 or 40 centimeters high - measured, however, that used to characterize many images of Black Virgins -, this Theotokos image or Throne of God, possibly brought from France by the first brothers who settled a few kilometers from the current site from the monastery, it shows some beautiful golden tones; Both the Mother and the Son are crowned, showing this one an open book in his left hand, in which the inscription IESUS NAZARENUS can be read, an inscription, possibly made with posterity.

Another feature is that the size is hollow in the back, surely and as was also common, to hide some relic, although the piece that covered it has been lost.

Notes:
(1) In this regard, it might be interesting to remember that at the head of the army crusader of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, Vera Cruz always used to go-according to tradition, found in 304 BC. of C. by Santa Elena, mother of the emperor Constantino, until its loss in front of the armies of Saladino in the famous battle of the Horns of Hattin.
NOTICE: originally published on my blog ARTE, MITOS Y ARQUETIPOS. Both the text and the photographs (unpublished in this post) belong to my exclusive intellectual property. The original entry, which is linked to Steemit, can be found at the following address: https://artemitosyarquetipos.blogspot.com.es/2016/06/portabilidad-mariana-la-virgen-de-las.html