Stella Serena: Celestial Hymns to the Virgin

What is more awe-inspiring than the starry night sky? Staring at this sea of darkness, made magical with the twinkling of millions upon millions of stars, provokes an eternal question: just what is up there? 

During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church was a vital body operating throughout the entirety of Europe. Flourishing during this time was the cult of Mary, in which veneration of the Virgin Mother became an intrinsic aspect of everyday life, especially within monastic and spiritual communities. Mary was a connection between heaven and earth, seen as intercessor between mankind and God. As such, Mary was often compared to a star in the night sky, as an omnipresent guide and guardian. 

Eya explores this connection of the human spirit to the celestial realm through songs and hymns devoted to the Virgin. Stella Serena includes music of medieval England, France, and Spain of the 12th through the 14th centuries, observing some of the ways in which these generations sought to connect their world with the divine above. So what did they see up there?