Sad delight: Theology and Marian iconography in Aemilia Lanyer'sSalve Deus Rex Judaeorum

What is it about?

In Aemilia Lanyer's Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum the Virgin Mary is depicted as swooning at the foot of the cross. In the later middle ages, this iconography normally symbolizes Mary's priestly participation in Christ's saving action, a view that was later rejected by the Papacy. But in Lanyer's poem, the iconography of the swoon works to fully realize for women the Protestant belief in the priesthood of all believers. In this way, it contributes to the poem's broader depiction of women in priestly roles. The overall result is a depiction of Mary that fits uneasily within either Protestant or Catholic orthodoxies but which could nevertheless appeal to both, hence its value to Lanyer's pitch for patronage from powerful women of differing faiths.

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