A rich, noble and good woman owned an inn in Sardonay. A monk, bound for Syria, stayed there and she begged him to return when he had completed his pilgrimage. She asked him to bring her an image of the Virgin.
The monk went to Jerusalem, visited the holy sites, and was about to leave when a voice from heaven reminded him of his promise. He turned back and bought the best image of the Virgin he could find.
On the road, he encountered a fierce lion that approached, but did not attack him.
Some thieves tried to kill him, but a voice from heaven warned them to leave him alone. The monk, realising that the image he was carrying had special powers, resolved to keep it.
He boarded a ship bound for Constantinople. A storm arose and threatened to sink it. The monk was told by a heavenly voice to hold the image aloft, and when he did so, the storm abated.
He went to the inn in Sardonay, but was pleased that the owner did not recognise him. Again, he decided to keep the image for himself. As punishment, he was prevented from leaving. The monk finally relinquished the image. When he had placed it on the altar, oil flowed from it.
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| A larger image of panel 5, Cantiga 9 of the Cantigas de Santa Maria of Alfonso X - The Icon of Sardonay | |||