Mary Magdalene
(see also "she knew him better"
and Virgin Mary)
Mary Magdalene, Saint, in
the New Testament, woman so named from Magdala, a town near Tiberias (now in Israel).
Jesus healed her of evil spirits (see Luke 8:2) and, following her vigil at the foot of
the cross (see Mark 15:40), he appeared to her after his resurrection (see Matthew 28:9).
Mary Magdalene was identified by Pope Gregory I with a sinful woman described as having
anointed the Lord's feet (see Luke 7:37-38) and with Mary the sister of Martha, who also
anointed Jesus (see John 12:3), although the Gospels support neither tradition.
The Eastern church maintains the
distinction between the three. The feast day of Mary Magdalene is July 22.
Source: Microsoft Encarta 97
Our Lady of the Tomb has quite a reputation. Not only was she influential on generations
and generations of people in antiquity, she appears frequently in popular culture. She
seems to have become an icon for feminism, feminist spirituality and sexual liberation,
regardless of the accuracy of her status as "whore."
She is a symbol of feminine wisdom,
perfect love and also of sorrow. The representations of Magdalene are almost as limitless
as the imaginations of those to whom her legend has presented itself. From:
Magdalene in Popular Culture
- a kewl site with a page dealing with what Tori has to say bout MaryM.
Tori Says: "Many scholars believe that Mary Magdalene was a high priestess who came from the cult of Isis. She wasn't this 'anything for a fiver, honey.' She was a peer to Jesus." T.O.R.I. - Articles: Curve September, 1996 by Bebecca Alber
"At five I really believed Jesus and Mary [Magdalene] were in love, and there was this whole thing going on..." Tori, Tori, Tori! at Time.com, MAY 11, 1998 VOL. 151 NO. 18 By Christopher John Farley
"Mary Magdalene is really someone who has made the church very uncomfortable.
That is why you have two Marys in the Bible: one that is very sexual, and one that is
virtuous and spiritual, cut off from her sexuality.
In doing so, they take away all her wisdom. So instead of people
having to align with one or the other, the Marys need to become married -- joined
together." Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July
15, 1998
"And I went, well, where's the Magdalene in all this?
I went to some medicine women. The wise crones. The ones
that have seen many summers and where the lines on their face just become like jewels
because you know that each line has wisdom. They said to me, `Look at the blueprints that
have been passed down, particularly from the religions of the last 2,000 years.
Being brought up heavy Christian, I was going down that
bloodline. I was going down to the blueprint that hadn't been passed down, which started
to get me into things that are hidden, which was very much what the music was about. The
hidden thoughts." Tori Takes A
Bloodbath" by Cindy McGlynn
"I wanted to know why the blueprint of the Magdalene was not passed down," she says. "what was passed down was the whore that wiped Jesus' feet. We skipped the whole phase of the woman - having sexual desire, wisdom, passion. Being an equal to Jesus, in truth. The Feminine Musique," The Sun, January 21, 1996, ARTS section, by J.D. Considine
"....I think that the greatest thing that the Christians could do is say, 'We cut out
sexuality, we made it a bad thing, and we divided the Marys.'
We have to honor both of them, the Magdalene and the Mother
Mary. The Mother Mary was a sexual being; she had children through sex. Mary Magdalene had
great wisdom. She wasn't just the 'Whore of Babylon.' " Choirgirl
hotels, faeries, and a healthy dose of individuality," in _Iowa State Daily_, by
Greg Jerrett
"That's why I sing "God, sometimes you just don't come through/ You need a woman
to look after you." The God-force must be feminized, perceived more as a God-Goddess.
Jesus, his mother, 'his church' all must be redefined. Especially a figure like Mary
Magdalene, who I and so many Christian women were taught to despise, because she was a
prostitute. Because of that we had great problems coming to terms with the prostitute in
ourselves, which again, is something the Church teaches us to deny, and something my song,
'The Wrong Band' is about when I sing. 'Ginger is always sincere/But not to one man.'
" The Hurt
Inside," _The Sirens_ (web zine)
"The shadow side of that was Mary
Magdalene, who we've always been taught was a whore because that's the camp I was in. But
why did I have to be divided from the two Marys? Shouldn't it be about the balance? It
should be about a wholeness, but it's about division." Tori Amos Talks Back, by Ben
Edmonds
Songs referenced:
Muhammad My Friend