Our Lady, Star of the Sea
invocation of Mary, Mother of Jesus
Our Lady, Star of the Sea is an ancient title for Mary, the mother of Jesus. The words Star of the Sea are a translation of the Latin title Stella Maris.
The title has been in use since at least the early medieval period. Purportedly arising from a scribal error in a supposed etymology of the name Mary, it came to be seen as allegorical of Mary's role as "guiding star" on the way to Christ. Under this name, the Virgin Mary is believed to intercede as a guide and protector of seafarers in particular. Many coastal churches are named Stella Maris or Star of the Sea.
Etymology and history
The name Stella Maris is first applied to the Virgin Mary in the Liber de Nominibus Hebraicis, a translation by Saint Jerome of a work by Philo, but this is apparently a misnomer based on a transcription error.
The Hebrew name מרים (originally pronounced "Maryam") was rendered in Greek as Mariam (Μαριάμ). In most manuscripts of Jerome's work, one of the interpretations offered is as "stella maris", star of the sea. But this was probably originally stilla maris, meaning "drop of the sea" (as written in one manuscript), based on מר mar, a rare biblical word for "drop", and ים yam "sea".
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Our Lady, Star of the Sea” is invocation of Mary, Mother of Jesus. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Lady, Star and invocation, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “invocation of Mary, Mother of Jesus” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 26, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q1186717.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Our Lady, Star of the Sea” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.