Seven Joys of the Virgin

The Seven Joys of the Virgin (or of Mary, the Mother of Jesus) is a popular devotion to events of the life of the Virgin Mary,[1] arising from a trope of medieval devotional literature and art.

The Seven Joys were frequently depicted in medieval devotional literature and art.

As with other sets of scenes, the different practical implications of depictions in different media such as painting, ivory miniature carving, liturgical drama and music led to different conventions by medium, as well as other factors such as geography and the influence of different religious orders.

The French writer Antoine de la Sale completed a satire called Les Quinze Joies de mariage ("The Fifteen Joys of Marriage") in about 1462, which partly parodied the form of Les Quinze Joies de Notre Dame ("The Fifteen Joys of Our Lady"), a popular litany.

She encouraged him to add seven more 'Hail Mary's in honor of "the seven signal joys she possesses in heaven, and to instill the same devotion into the minds of others.