Nova et vetera religijności ludowej w świetle początków kultu krakowskiego obrazu Matki Bożej Świętojańskiej

Abstract

In the archives of The Congregation of the Ladies of Presentation of Our Lady one can find sets of miracles, dating from the 17th and 18th centuries, which were connected with the incipient cult of the image of the Holy Virgin Mary from St. John’s church in Cracow. Together with other sources (registers of votive offerings, the church inventories, wills, etc.) they allow to attempt a description of that important part of popular religion which is a cult of holy images. They also allow to raise a question about both the permanence and the development of that piety in relation especially to medieval popular piety wliich has been described many times so far. Above all the thing which remained unchanged was perceiving holiness through miracles (a miracle begins the cult history of the image) and also eagerness in adressing the omnipotent and unpenetrable God through close holy intermediaries. However the God’s image itself and the model and motives of people’s attitudes to Him have deepened considerably.