La legende des Saintes Marie de la Mer (The folklore of the Stes Marie of the sea) ~ 1918 ~ ‘Salon d

La legende des Saintes Marie de la Mer (The folklore of the Stes Marie of the sea) ~ 1918 ~ ‘Salon de Paris’ postcard ~ Consuelo Fould (French painter, 1862-1927)Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (lit.: Saint Marys of the Sea, Provençal Occitan: Li Santi Mario de la Mar) is the capital of the Camargue (Provençal Occitan Camarga) in the south of France. It is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department by the Mediterranean Sea.The village became known as Notre-Dame-de-Ratis (Our Lady of the Boat - Râbeing used in ratis, or boat) in reference to the three Marys arriving by boat. The name was later changed to Notre-Dame-de-la-Mer (Our Lady of the Sea, a synonym for the Virgin Mary).It has a fresh water well inside, for when the villagers had to take shelter from raiders. In the 9th century, the town suffered raids from the Mediterranean Sea by the Vikings and later from the Saracens. In the 15th century, someone “discovered” the relics of Mary of Clopas and Mary Salome, who were said to have arrived there by sea (together with Mary Magdalene).The three saints Mary Magdalene, Mary Salome and Mary of Clopas are believed to be the women who were the first witnesses to the empty tomb at the resurrection of Jesus. After the Crucifixion of Jesus, the Marys were said to set sail from Alexandria, Egypt with their uncle Joseph of Arimathea. According to a longstanding French legend, they either sailed to or were cast adrift - arriving off the coast of what is now France, at “a sort of fortress named Oppidum-Râ”. The location became known as Nôtre-Dame-de-Ratis (Our Lady of the Boat - Râ being used in ratis, or boat) (Droit, 1963, 19). The name was later changed to Notre-Dame-de-la-Mer. In 1838, it was changed to Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. ~Wikipedia -- source link

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