“Call Me Empress of Hell”: The Intercessory Power of the Virgin Mary in the Later Middle Ages
“Call Me Empress of Hell”: The Intercessory Power of the Virgin Mary in the Later Middle Ages
In the later Middle Ages, the Virgin Mary was pictured as a strong, articulate, and commanding figure second only to Jesus on the devotional landscape. Wielding her voice, Mary functioned as an advocate who defended sinners in her Son’s courtroom, in order to mediate between heaven, earth, and hell. As Queen of Heaven, Mediatrix, and Empress of Hell, Mary championed her supplicants, tipping the scales of justice, and causing the devil to cower in fear. The consideration of patterns of Marian speech as a constructed category can further illuminate the medieval portrait of Mary.
Vanessa Corcoran is currently writing a Ph.D. dissertation under the direction of Dr. Katherine Jensen at The Catholic University of America. She has already presented papers on her research into “Later Medieval Representations of Marian Communications” at the American Historical Association, the Medieval Academy of America, and elsewhere. In 2015, she served as conference organizer for the National Museum of Women in the Arts exhibit “Picturing Mary: Woman, Mother, Idea.” CUA recognized her teaching ability with an Excellence in Graduate Teaching Award in 2014. Currently Ms Corcoran is teaching History 133 (History of the Crusades) at the University of Maryland.
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