Notre Dame means Our Lady in French. Though popular as a name for the most famous Parisian church, which recently caught fire, it refers generally to Mary, Mother of Jesus, who plays an important role in Catholic mythology and in medieval European history.

The New Testament of the Bible mentions that, before her marriage, Mary was told that she was chosen by God to be the vessel through which the Son of God would be born on Earth. Though a virgin, she conceived and became the mother of Jesus. This idea of the virgin birth is critical to Christianity. It establishes Jesus as Christ, the anointed one, chosen by God, to enlighten humanity that they have been forgiven for the sin committed long ago, in Eden, by the first man and the first woman. While many scholars have traced Jesus to a historical figure who lived around 2,000 years ago, his popularity in the Christian world comes from the mythology of being born of a virgin. This idea of virgin birth is found even in Islamic traditions.