This course will provide an overview of the mysterious phenomenon of the Black Madonnas (statues) of Europe. For the most part, until recently, little attention has been paid to them, their existence ignored or explained away by the Church’s dismissive claim that candle smoke has darkened these statues over the years. However, the truth is more interesting and complex. Nobody knows for sure why these Madonnas are black (candle smoke is not a viable explanation), but we do know that they have remained especially powerful socially, spiritually and even politically in the communities where they reside. They all appeared at approximately the same time (10th to 12th centuries), and legends of their “discovery” share remarkable similarities. This course will include pictures as well as histories and legends connected with the Black Madonnas that the instructor has visited: Our Lady of Montserrat and Pilar of Zaragoza (associated with Saint James and the Camino de Santiago) in Spain, Chartres in France, and Einsiedeln in Switzerland. Discussion will include meanings associated with these images and others like them over the centuries.