Saint Mary originated from the town of Magdala near Capernaum. According to the Gospels, she was the woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons (Luke 8:2; Mark 16:9), after which she became His follower. She witnessed the Crucifixion (Matt. 27:56) and was among the women who prepared Christ’s body for burial (Matt. 27:61). As one of the myrrh-bearing women, she was informed by an angel of Christ’s Resurrection (Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:1-8). According to John’s Gospel, Mary Magdalene was the first to see the risen Christ, though she initially mistook Him for a gardener. Upon recognizing Him, she attempted to touch Him, but Christ forbade it, instructing her instead to announce His Resurrection to the apostles (John 20:11-18).

According to tradition, after the Resurrection, Mary Magdalene traveled to Ephesus with the Virgin Mary and the Apostle John the Theologian, assisting him in composing the Gospel of John. Her later life is also associated with Rome, as suggested by the mention of her in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (Rom. 16:6). Another version claims she ended her life in Ephesus.

In Western tradition, Mary Magdalene is identified with several Gospel figures:

• Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, who anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume (John 12:1-8);
• the woman who anointed Christ’s head with ointment in the house of Simon the Leper (Matt. 26:6-7; Mark 14:3-9);
• the sinner who washed Christ’s feet with perfume in Simon the Pharisee’s house (Luke 7:37-38).

These associations formed the basis of the interpretation that Mary Magdalene was a repentant prostitute. This view was popularized in The Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine (1260 CE). According to this tradition, she spent the remainder of her life in the desert, visited by Saint Maximin. Elements of this legend appear to have been borrowed from the life of Mary of Egypt.

Iconography

In Ukrainian iconography, Mary Magdalene is typically depicted in scenes of the Crucifixion, supporting the Virgin Mary, or as one of the myrrh-bearing women at Christ’s tomb. In depictions of her encounter with the risen Christ, she is often portrayed with long wavy hair, sometimes uncovered, symbolizing her unmarried state or possibly her past. Her attributes usually include a flask of myrrh, with later depictions adding a cross and a skull.

Independent representations of Mary Magdalene appeared in Ukrainian art starting in the 18th century and gained popularity in folk painting during the 19th century. These portray her as a penitent with attributes of asceticism. The semi-nude depictions, borrowed from Western European art, are exceedingly rare in Ukrainian works.

Mykhailo Skop

Іcons of the Myrrh-bearing Women 
Іcons of the Myrrh-bearing Women at the Tomb