Lament of the Holy Cross (Polish: Lament świętokrzyski) is a medieval Polish

planctus A ''planctus'' (" plaint") is a lament or dirge, a song or poem expressing grief or mourning. It became a popular literary form in the Middle Ages, when they were written in Latin and in the vernacular (e.g., the ''planh'' of the troubadours). Th ...

, written by unknown author probably in late 15th century. It now is regarded as one of lyrical masterpieces of the era. Literary historians emphasize the fact that the Lament presents

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

almost as a human being, with feelings and emotions. Most likely, the text used to be part of the Good Friday mysterium. Man of Sorrows between angels

Lament of the Holy Cross is the monologue of Mary, who is painful and mourns her son

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

, standing under his cross. At first, she calls on people standing around her, urging them to show compassion and understanding. She then turns to her son, hoping to ease his sufferings and get closer to him. Later Mary gets angry and rebellious, and the text is completed with an appeal to all mothers to pray to God for their sons. The Lament comes from the Benedictine Monastery at Lysa Gora in the

Holy Cross Mountains Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

, and was probably written in ca. 1470.

Sources

* Poezja polska XIV - XV wieku. W: Tadeusz Witczak: Literatura Średniowiecza. Warszawa: Polskie Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 2002

External links

Lament of the Holy Cross
(polish) Polish literature History of Christianity in Poland 15th-century poems Works of unknown authorship {{Poland-hist-book-stub

See also

Sources

External links