THE SYMBOLISM OF WATER IN THE MIRACLE SONGS OF DON AFONSO X: CANTIGA 95 DE SANTA MARIA

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63418/rccf.v3i1.73

Keywords:

Water. Cantigas de Santa Maria. Miracles. Images. Text

Abstract

The Cantigas de Santa Maria (Songs of St. Mary), composed in the 13th century by order of King Afonso X the Wise, constitute a rich panel of medieval culture and reveal the deep relationship between medieval man and nature, especially water which, in this scenario, emerges as a central element, full of symbolism and meaning. In a context marked by strong religiosity and a close relationship between man and nature, water, present in various manifestations - from the rains that fertilize the earth to the oceans that inspire fear - plays a fundamental role in the miracles attributed to the Virgin Mary. CSM 95, for example, recounts an episode in which the Virgin calms a storm, transforming the previously threatening water into an instrument of salvation. Analyzing water in the Cantigas de Santa Maria allows us to understand how this natural element intertwines with the sacred, mediating the relationship between man and the divine. The Virgin Mary, as a maternal and protective figure, uses water as an instrument to perform her miracles, demonstrating her power over the forces of nature and her compassion for men. By exploring this theme, this work seeks to contribute to a better understanding of medieval popular religiosity and the relationship between man and the environment. As well as being an essential element for life, water is a powerful cultural symbol, loaded with meanings that transcend time and space. The circumstances surrounding water are manifold and it has become an element of our lives.

Author Biography

  • Carlos Henrique Durlo, FATEC IVP

    PhD in Letters from the Postgraduate Program in Letters (PLE) at the State University of Maringá (UEM) - Area of Concentration: Literary Studies. Line of Research: Literature and Historicity (UEM/PLE - 2023) - Doctorate funded by CAPES. M.A. in Letters - Area of Concentration: Literary Studies from the Postgraduate Program in Letters (PLE) at the State University of Maringá (UEM), with a scholarship granted by the CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development).GRADUATE in Portuguese Letters and Corresponding Literatures from the State University of Maringá (UEM - 2015). Researcher at the LEM (Laboratory of Medieval Studies) at the State University of Maringá. Researcher in the Landscape Studies in Portuguese Language Literatures group at the Fluminense Federal University (UFF-RJ). Invited member of ANPOLL's Medieval Studies Group (GTEM). Member of the Brazilian Association of Medieval Studies (ABREM). Professor at FATEC Ivaiporã-PR. Full Professor of the Letters Course - Faculdade Eficaz de Maringá-PR.

     

References

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CEA, Juan Carlos Martín. El agua en los códices historiados de las Cantigas de Santa María. Un testimonio privilegiado de su influencia en la vida, en las costumbres y en la cultura de las gentes del siglo XIII. In: VADIVIESO, Maria Isabel Del Val. El Agua en El Imaginario Medieval: Los Reinos Ibéricos En La Baja Edad Media. Valência: Publicacions Universitat D’Alacant, 2016.

DURLO, Carlos Henrique. Pureza e Purificação: a água nos milagres da Virgem, em Cantigas de Santa Maria, de Dom Afonso X, o Sábio. São Carlos-SP: Pedro e João Editores, 2023.

FREITAS, Isabel Marinho Vaz de. Água no imaginário medieval: alguns cenários de emoção. In: VADIVIESO, Maria Isabel Del Val. El Agua en El Imaginario Medieval: Los Reinos Ibéricos En La Baja Edad Media. Valência: Publicacions Universitat D’Alacant, 2016.

VADIVIESO, Maria Isabel Del Val. El Agua en El Imaginario Medieval: Los Reinos Ibéricos En La Baja Edad Media. Valência: Publicacions Universitat D’Alacant, 2016.

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Published

2025-05-26

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2025): Janeiro-abril

Section

Artigos

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How to Cite

THE SYMBOLISM OF WATER IN THE MIRACLE SONGS OF DON AFONSO X: CANTIGA 95 DE SANTA MARIA. (2025). Cine-Forum Collective Journal, 3(1), 86-103. https://doi.org/10.63418/rccf.v3i1.73