The Dormition

Church of the Assumption (Maria Himmelfahrt), Kelheim, Germany

This is typical Dormition iconography. The apostles perform the medieval funeral rites: St. Peter reads from the prayer book, St. John prepares the censer, and another apostle places a candle in Mary's hands. The palm branch in Peter's hand was given him by Mary, who received it from the angel Gabriel with the promise that "by it many will be healed" during the funeral procession. The figure in the front is probably praying to Mary, not to the apostle facing him.

There are eleven apostles, because in the legend St. Thomas was absent at the time.

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Photographed at the site by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.