Old Testament Preimages of Mary and Images of Jews in Slovene Religious Hymnals in Different Periods of the Catholic Church

Abstract

The article discovers which events and persons of the Old testament are transmitted to us as Mary’s pre-images by Slovene religious hymnals in different periods of the Catholic Church. Her well-known pre-images are the Tower of David and the Ivory Tower, a spiritual vessel, a chest of peace, a lily, a rose without thorns, a fountain of grace, while comparisons with the Old Testament figure of Eve express a negative connotation, especially in the Baroque period. In Baroque eschatological songs, which aroused fear and condemnation, contempt for Jews (including Muslims) is often seen; these songs began phasing out of the liturgical use in the Church in the Age of Enlightenment. The theme of the collective guilt of the Jews for Christ’s suffering and death is most vividly illustrated by the Passion Songs.

Keywords

• songs of mary
• eschatological songs
• passion songs
• pre-image
• slovenian literature
• old testament
• judaism