Milagros de Nuestra Señora (Miracles of Our Lady) is the capital work of secular clergyman Gonzalo de Berceo. It is a compilation of 25 miracles of The Virgin Mary, written in Spanish between 1246 and 1252.
The purpose of the work is to worship the Virgin, possibly Our Lady of March (Nuestra Señora de Marzo) venerated on the main altar of the monastery of San Millán de Suso
All miracles follow the same structure of fall and redemption, that is, a person devoted to the Virgin is in danger and is saved thanks to a Marian miracle.
Three groups of miracles can be distinguised:
1. In which the Virgin rewards or punishes men
2. In which the Virgin manages to save her devotees from damnation
3. In which the Virgin helps the character to solve a spiritual crisis
This book provides examples of:
- Action Mom: The Virgin, when her devotees are in need
- An Aesop: At the end of each narrative, there is a teaching about the benefits of being a devotee.
- Almighty Mom: The Virgin herself.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Why the Virgin helps anybody from bishops to thieves.
- Christianity is Catholic: It's the Middle Ages, folks.
- Deal with the Devil
- Divine Intervention: The work is a compilation of this.
- Good Is Not Soft: Just don't cross the Virgin.
- Madonna Archetype
- Magical Jew
- Mama Bear: The Virgin to her devotees.
- The Virgin Mary
