diff -r 76445d7e613f Lib/test/test_minidom.py
--- a/Lib/test/test_minidom.py	Sun May 20 15:37:33 2012 +0100
+++ b/Lib/test/test_minidom.py	Fri Jun 01 21:59:44 2012 -0700
@@ -1521,6 +1521,37 @@
         num_children_after = len(doc.childNodes)
         self.assertTrue(num_children_after == num_children_before - 1)
 
+    def testElementConstructor(self):
+        dom = parse(tstfile)
+        child1 = dom.createComment("Hello 1")
+        child2 = dom.createComment("Hello 2")
+
+        attributes = {
+                "first": "1",
+                "second": "2",
+        }
+
+        attributesNS = {
+                ("http://www.w3.org", "xmlns:python"): "http://www.python.org",
+        }
+
+        element = xml.dom.minidom.Element(
+                "some_tag",
+                childNodes=[child1, child2],
+                attributes=attributes,
+                attributesNS=attributesNS)
+
+        self.assertEquals(child1.data, element.childNodes[0].data)
+        self.assertEquals(child2.data, element.childNodes[1].data)
+
+        for name, value in attributes.items():
+            self.assertEquals(value, element.getAttribute(name))
+
+        self.assertEquals(
+                element.getAttributeNS(
+                    "http://www.w3.org", "python"),
+                "http://www.python.org")
+
 def test_main():
     run_unittest(MinidomTest)
 
diff -r 76445d7e613f Lib/xml/dom/minidom.py
--- a/Lib/xml/dom/minidom.py	Sun May 20 15:37:33 2012 +0100
+++ b/Lib/xml/dom/minidom.py	Fri Jun 01 21:59:44 2012 -0700
@@ -678,12 +678,17 @@
                          Node.ENTITY_REFERENCE_NODE)
 
     def __init__(self, tagName, namespaceURI=EMPTY_NAMESPACE, prefix=None,
-                 localName=None):
+                 localName=None, childNodes=None, attributes=None,
+                 attributesNS=None):
+        self.ownerDocument = None
         self.parentNode = None
         self.tagName = self.nodeName = tagName
         self.prefix = prefix
         self.namespaceURI = namespaceURI
         self.childNodes = NodeList()
+        if childNodes:
+          for child in childNodes:
+            self.appendChild(child)
         self.nextSibling = self.previousSibling = None
 
         # Attribute dictionaries are lazily created
@@ -696,6 +701,13 @@
         # namespaces.
         self._attrs = None
         self._attrsNS = None
+        if attributes:
+          for name, value in attributes.items():
+            self.setAttribute(name, value)
+
+        if attributesNS:
+          for (namespace, name), value in attributesNS.items():
+            self.setAttributeNS(namespace, name, value)
 
     def _ensure_attributes(self):
         if self._attrs is None: