“Sin farb was swarz, bla, gel, rot, blich”: Color and Devotion in the Seven Sorrows

ABSTRACT

The Seven Sorrows devotion is traditionally thought of as a Marian devotion that elicits an affective response in its audience. This article considers an anonymous German Meisterlied about the Seven Sorrows, structured around the conceit of constructing a circlet of gemstones for the Virgin Mary, and argues that it goes beyond the affective to promote deeper theological engagement. Such “craft songs” are an effective way of communicating religious knowledge and inspiring contemplation. After showing that the song’s use of color is particularly unusual, the article argues that the song moves its audience from a Marian and emotional engagement with the Passion to a theological one, transforming it into a stage for Christological and eschatological reflection. The particular focus of the article is on the Fifth Sorrow, the Crucifixion, which is represented by a carbuncle. The analysis of color and gemstone imagery suggests that the striking use of color in this Sorrow stimulates contemplation of Christ’s dual nature and situates the Passion in the context of salvation history.