Description
The image of the Virgin Mary with the Seven Swords, four on the left and three on the right, relates to the prophecy of Saint Simeon the Theodochus, recorded by the Evangelist Luke: …and the pain, go through your heart, as a stabbing sword…”. These words refer to the pain that Virgin Mary would have experienced at the time of her separation from her beloved Son when he was crucified in front of her eyes.
Byzantine Hagiography Silk screen
