Mother of God of the Burning Bush

Bogurodzica the Burning Bush

The imagery for the Mother of God Hodegetria in the variant of the Mother of God of the Burning Bush was derived from the texts of the Old Testament. The Burning Bush, which was on fire but did not burn up, was seen by the Prophet Moses on Mount Horeb (Exodus 3:1-5). It was a foreshadowing and symbol of the virgin motherhood of the Mother of God and the supernatural Incarnation of Christ, conceived through the Holy Spirit. Icons of this type carry rich allegorical and symbolic content. The Mother of God Hodegetria is depicted with Christ on her left arm. There are several symbols present against the background of the Mother of God's robes. Among the most common is a ladder touching Mary's shoulder, through which humanity ascends from earth to Heaven. Sometimes there is a mountain “not cut by human hands” – a symbol of Mary's virginity, who remained a Virgin before, during, and after the birth of Christ. The figures are surrounded by a star, which is a sign of Christ's birth. It has eight rays formed by two concave quadrilaterals. One, in red, symbolises the colour of flames – the presence of God, and the other, green or blue, commemorates the colour of the mysterious bush seen by Moses, which did not burn up – symbolising purity. In the red fields of the star are the four symbols known from the prophecies of Ezekiel and mentioned in the Book of Revelation by St. John the Evangelist: the man, the lion, the ox, and the eagle, attributed to the four Evangelists. Figures of Archangels and Angels, shown within and between the rays, pay homage to the Incarnate Saviour and the Virgin Mother. The Burning Bush icons were believed to provide protection against fire and storms. The feast of this icon, established in 1680, is celebrated on 17 September (4 September according to the Julian calendar), on the day of the commemoration of the Prophet Moses. 

Teresa Bagińska-Żurawska https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9243-3967