There are various reasons for icons depicting a gathering of saints. Sometimes they are the name saints of family members, sometimes “special needs” saints believed to specialize in various aids to the believer, sometimes a mixture of the two.
Today’s icon of a gathering of saints is a bit unusual.
(Permanent Exhibition at the Episcopal Seminary of Messina, Italy)
As you see, there is a “New Testament Trinity” image at the top, and in the group of saints below, one stands out in the center. He is identified by his abbreviated title inscription, which appears to have been taken directly from a church calendar or a podlinnik. Why? Because the title inscriptions are all in the grammatical “of” form used in those texts. Not just the inscription of Sisoe, but of all the saints depicted. I have put their names into the standard form here.
His inscription reads:
PREPODOBNAGO OTSA NASHEGO SISOYA VELIKAGO MESATSA IIULYA 6 DNYA
“OF OUR VENERABLE FATHER SISOY THE GREAT, MONTH JULY, 6TH DAY”
So this fellow in monk’s garb is the Egyptian saint Sisoes the Great (Сисой Великий / Sisoy Velikiy), also known as Sisoe. In Russian you may also see it spelled Сысой as a first name You will recall him from this previous posting:
These are saints commemorated on the same day as Sisoe the Great — July 6th. So we may assume that Sisoe was the name saint of a person for whom the icon was made, and for emphasis and added power to the icon, all the other saints commemorated on that day were added too. Such individual icons showing all the saints for a particular day are not common.
Now as I have mentioned in previous postings, Russian icon painters were sometimes illiterate or near illiterate. They made mistakes. That is why we find this obscure fellow Presviter depicted among the saints for July 6th. You perhaps noticed that I put his name in bold italics in the first list of names for the saints on the left.
What happened?
Well, in the usual podlinniki (painters’ manuals), under the saints for July 6th, we find an entry for Ualentina/Valentina presvitera. You will notice a saint Valentin in the image above, just below Presvitera. Now Valentina presvitera is the “of ” form of Valentin presviter — “Valentin the Presbyter.” The painter, however, mistakenly misread the clerical rank presvitera here as the name of a separate saint, so that is why we find an extra saint “Presviter” in this icon — a painter’s error.
This icon with its oddities gives us a little insight into the way icons were often painted off a list of names found in a podlinnik or a church calendar. In this icon the painter did not even bother to change the grammatical “of” form found in such texts to the usual form found in name inscriptions, and of course he added the non-existent saint Presbyter by misreading the text.
If you have been a diligent reader of this site, you will be able to identify the subject of this 16th century Russian icon, because the type was discussed in a previous posting:
So no, I’m not going to repeat what I wrote there, because I’m sure you all have it stored in your memories (yes, I do live in fantasyland).
What I will talk about today are the bits and pieces that make up the icon.
First, let’s look at what can be read of the name inscriptions:
It should be really easy for you by now, if you have followed all the postings (yes, I easily delude myself): The first name mixes Greek and Church Slavic: The first word is abbreviated as ΟΑΓ, with the Γ written above the ΟΑ as a superscript. It abbreviates Ὁ ἉΓΙΟC / HO HAGIOS, meaning “The Holy,” or one can understand it simply to mean “Saint,” because it is the equivalent of Sanctus/Holy in Latin, which also signifies a saint.
Next comes the name ФЕѠДОРЪ ТИРОН / FEODOR TIRON. So this is Theodore Tiron — Theodore “the Recruit,” to distinguish him from that other warrior saint Theodor Stratelates — Theodor “the General.” Both words — Tiron and Stratelates — are borrowed from Greek.
Just to the right of Feodor/Theodore is an angel identified as:
ΑΡΧ МИХАИΛ, with both the X and the Λ written as superscript. There are actually two possibilities for the ΑΡΧ abbreviation. The first is Arkhangel / Arkhangelos / Archangel, which is likely here. The second, sometimes found on icons of Michael, is Arkhistratig — Arkhistrategos in Greek, meaning “Chief Commander,” because Michael was believed to be the prime commander of the heavenly armies — the so-called “bodiless powers.”
We won’t bother with the heavily damaged third inscription on the woman at the right. We know it is Feodor’s mother, whose name by tradition was Феодорина Никитишна — Feodorina Nikitishna.
Let’s look a bit at the stylized background:
We see a stylized hill composed of the “steps and heels” forms so common in Russian icons of the 16th and early 17th centuries. Atop it is a stylized well leading to the underground realm in which Feodor’s mother is held captive. At right are stylized buildings of a city, again done in the manner common in the 16th-early 17th centuries. As you can see, it has no real perspective other than “mixed” perspective, and certainly not that nonsensical notion of “reverse perspective” that was a misunderstanding of icon art. At left is the typical white horse such as we find also in icons of St. George, etc. And don’t overlook the “Manus Dei” — the hand of God reaching out of a stylized Heaven in blessing. In later icons, as you know, this was commonly replaced by depicting a heavenly Jesus or Lord Sabaoth (God the Father).
The hill is conveniently open to the viewer like a cave, to represent what is happening in the underground realm within:
There is Feodor in a mandorla of light, battling the many-headed serpent that holds his mother captive. Beside him is the Archangel Michael, and his mother looks on from right.
Now we must keep in mind that the makers and viewers of such icons had a very medieval and credulous mentality. They believed — because the Church taught them to believe — that such events as the battle of Feodor and the serpent /dragon actually happened. This was a pre-scientific mental world in which rationalism and evidence played little part. We may compare such Christian myths with those of other religions of the past, like the Greek myths. Of course today such obviously false and fantastic tales are often considered allegories by Eastern Orthodox Christians, but originally they were thought to be actual history in Russian Orthodoxy. So don’t imagine that Eastern Orthodox teachings do not change — they have and they do.
If you are a long-time reader here, you will not only have wasted countless precious moments of your life, but you will also be able to tell right away from the border ornamentation and style of painting that this is a very late icon.
(Andrey Rublev Museum, Moscow)
It was painted by Vasiliy Pavlovich Gur’yanov / Василий Павлович Гурьянов (c. 1867-1920). He was born in Mstera/Mstyora, which you will recall was one of the three famous icon painting villages in Vladimir Province, the other two being Palekh and Kholui. Though from a tradition of Old Believer iconographers, he learned to paint in both the traditional style and in the more realistic westernized manner. Moving to Moscow and setting up a workshop there in 1890, he was made a painter to the Imperial Court in 1905, which is hardly anything a hardcore Old Believer would accept, but Gur’yanov seems to have been associated with the Edinoverie — the “One Faithers” or Uniates, who returned to unity with the State Orthodox Church while being allowed to keep their practice of the old rites.
As you can see, the title inscription at the base is severely damaged, but we can make out bits of it, and in any case we can know from traditional Russian history (which is not always historical) that it depicts the famous account of the blessing of Grand Prince Dmitriy Donskoy by Venerable Sergiy Radonezhskiy (Sergei of Radonezh). This supposedly took place at Sergiy’s monastery, where Dmitriy is said to have gone before the Battle of Kulikovo. In that battle the forces under Dmitriy were victorious over the Tatar Golden Horde commanded by Mamai. It took place on September 8th, 1380, near the Don river. The river’s name accounts for Dmitriy’s appellation “Donskoy” — “of the Don.”
Now a great many events depicted in icons never happened at all. It is possible that this blessing of Dmitriy by Sergiy is among them. There is no
mention of it in chronicles for the year 1380, and an account of Sergiy written by his disciple Epifaniy/Epiphanius in 1412 has nothing about it. An early life of Sergiy written by Ephanius in 1418 is lost in its original text. However, it is said that in a later text of the life of Sergiy edited by Pakhomiy/Pachomius of Serbia about a decade after the death of Epifaniy, Sergiy blessed Dmitriy before the Battle of Kulikovo. So though its historicity is in doubt, nonetheless the blessing of Dmitriy by Sergiy became a famous motif, and depictions of it were even painted by later artists not as icons, but simply as paintings.
In spite of the doubts surrounding its authenticity, the legendary event has come to symbolize the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian State against foreign “enemies,” whether real or imagined.
Here is a closer look at Sergiy and his monks:
Notice that though Sergiy carries a blessing cross in his hand, the two monks behind him both hold swords. It is said that Dmitriy asked Sergiy for two monks with war experience — Alexandr Peresvyet and his brother Andrey Oslyabya — to join his forces, and Sergiy agreed, sending the two monks off to battle. That is one more unlikely element adding to the dubiousness of the tale. It is said that both were killed there.
Here is a modern icon of the two “warrior monks”:
The title inscriptions read:
Prepodobnomuchenik Alexandr Peresvyet Radonezhsky (Prepodobnomuchenik means “Venerable Martyr,” i.e. a monk-martyr) and Prepodobnomuchenik Andrey Oslyabya Radonezhskiy. The Radonezhskiy part of both titles means “of Radonezh.”
Today we will look at another example, interesting primarily for one small detail. Here is a Russian icon of uncertain date — perhaps early 18th century, and it has the look favored by the Old Believers, reminiscent of the illustrations in their books.
It has two inscriptions: the large title inscription at the top of the painting, and the longer text at the base. You will recall that lots of text on an icon is often a characteristic of Old Believer icons.
The top inscription says:
ВИДЕНIЕ СВЯТАГО АПОСТОЛА И ЕВАНГЕЛИСТА IОАННА БОГОСЛОВА В НЕМЖЕ IСУСА ВИДЕ ПОСРЕД СЕ-ДМИ СВЕТИЛЬНИКЬ. ГЛАВА. В.
‘THE VISION OF THE HOLY APOSTLE AND EVANGELIST JOHN THE THEOLOGICAN IN WHICH HE SAW JESUS IN THE MIDST OF SEVEN CANDLESTICKS. Chapter [1]2″
The writer has made a little error. It is not describing an event in Chapter 12 (he has actually written Chapter 2), but rather in Chapter 1, verse 12 of the Apocalypse/Revelation of John:
И обратихся видети глас, иже глаголаше со мною: и обратився видех седмь светилник златых,13и посреде седми светилников подобна Сыну Человечу, облечена в подир и препоясана при сосцу поясом златым:
12: And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
13: And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the breasts with a golden belt.
It is not unusual in icons of this type to see Jesus seated in a white garment, nor is it unusual that he has the eight-pointed “glory (slava) in his halo, signifying his existence as the Logos/Word in eternity. What is unusual about this particular example is that the painter has given Jesus the red face of Sophia, Wisdom of God, which as you will recall is another aspect of Jesus. He has not, however given him the wings often found on Sophia.
Now let’s take a look at the long inscription at the bottom of the icon:
It is a quote taken from the Apocalypse, Chapter one , and extends from verse 10 to the first part of verse 18:
10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia; to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.
12 And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like to the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the breasts with a golden belt.
14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
15 And his feet like to fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shines in its strength.
17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying to me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
18 I am he that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen;
Aside from that, we need only note that John is depicted twice, once at the feet of Jesus, and again at lower left, hearing the trumpet-like voice and turning to see the speaker. And with him, seated in a cave, is his disciple (and traditionally Apostle of the Seventy) Prokhor/Prokhoros, writing down the vision as John sees it.
Art history relies heavily upon research and evidence. In that it is like science, but also at the opposite pole from theological dogma, which is a creation of the human imagination.
Science fiction author Robert Heinlein described theology as “searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn’t there.” And Thomas Paine wrote that theology “is the study of nothing; it is founded on nothing; it rests on no principles; it proceeds by no authority; it has no data; it can demonstrate nothing; and it admits of no conclusion.”
Nonetheless, Eastern Orthodoxy is filled with theology, and one of the bases upon which that theology is built is the so called “Symbol of Faith,” the Simvol Verui. Eastern Orthodoxy is also a very dogmatic religion, and dogma requires creeds, formulas by which authorities can separate the supposed “true believers” from everyone else, usually to the detriment of “everyone else,” as the violent history of religious dogma has amply demonstrated.
What is the Simvol Verui, The Symbol of Faith? It is the Nicene Creed, one of the basic doctrinal documents of Eastern Orthodoxy, though it is used also in Catholicism and in various Protestant denominations, though not all.
Here is a well-painted 19th century Russian icon, likely from the Palekh area:
Well, from what I have already said, you can guess at what it represents. But let’s look at the title inscription:
It is nicely written in Vyaz’ calligraphy, what I like to call a condensed inscription, because the letters are pushed together, with some made smaller to fit between others. Unlike many icon inscriptions it has no abbreviations but is written in full:
СИМВОЛЪ ПРАВОСЛАВНЫЯ ВЕРЫ / SIMVOL” PRAVOSLAVNUIYA VYERUI
“THE SYMBOL OF ORTHODOX BELIEF”
Notice that in the Slavic spelling of Simvol, I have used the Russian И for the second letter — but the inscription on the icon actually uses the the izhitsa — the letter that can stand for either the ee sound of Russian И, or in some cases the “v” sound. Here it stands for the former.
Though the Slavic actually says “Belief,” it is generally translated as “The Symbol of Orthodox Faith.” There is, however, a distinction here that Aldous Huxley brought out in a quote from his novel Island: “Give us this day our daily faith, but deliver us, dear God, from belief.” Fortunate indeed are those whose dogma has been run over by their karma.
The icon we are examining is a very detailed rendering of the Symbol of Belief/Symbol of Faith. You will note that it uses many standard icon types to represent the different portions of the Creed.
At top center is a depiction of the Council of Nicea, with God the Father (Lord Sabaoth) seated in Heaven above, Christ Emanuel on his lap, and the “Bodiless Powers,” that is, the angels, attending them.
The text and its accompanying illustrations begins at top left.
The text continues at top right of the icon:
So those two images at top left and right illustrate the beginning of the Creed:
Верую во единаго Бога Отца, Вседержителя, Творца небу и земли, видимым же всем и невидимым. I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible:
И во единаго Господа Iисуса Христа, Сына Божия, Единороднаго, Иже от Отца рожденнаго прежде всех век. Света от Света, Бога истинна от Бога истинна, рожденна, несотворенна, едино-сущна Отцу, Им же вся быша. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, Begotten of the Father before all ages, Light of Light, True God of True God, Begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made:
Нас ради человек и нашего ради спасения сшедшаго с небес … Who for us men and for our salvation came down from the heavens,
Then it moves to the image in the second row at left:
… и воплотившагося от Духа Свята и Марии Девы, и вочеловечшася.
… and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man;
The next adjoined segments depict the Judgment before Pilate, the Crucifixion, the Removal from the Cross, and the Placing in the Tomb:
The accompanying text is:
Распятаго же за ны при Понтийстем Пилате, и страдавша, и погребенна. And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried;
Then comes:
The text is:
И воскресшаго в третий день, по Писаниям. And rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures;
И возшедшаго на небеса, и седяща одесную Отца. And ascended into the heavens, and …
Text:
… седяща одесную Отца.
… sits at the right hand of the Father;
И паки грядущаго со славою … And shall come again with glory …
Then:
Text:
… to judge both the living and the dead, Whose kingdom shall have no end.
And then back to the center:
Text:
И в Духа Святаго, Господа, животворящаго, Иже от Отца исходящаго, Иже со Отцем и Сыном спокланяема и сславима, глаголавшаго пророки. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, Who spoke by the Prophets;
The next two segments, though on opposite sides, go together:
Text:
Во едину святую, соборную … In One Holy Catholic and …
Text:
Апостольскую Церковь. Apostolic Church.
Then:
Text:
Исповедую едино крещение во оставление грехов. I Confess one Baptism for the remission of sins.
Then:
Text:
Чаю воскресения мертвых I look for the Resurrection of the dead,
And finally at bottom right:
Text:
и жизни будущаго века. Аминь. And the life of the age to come, Amen.
Here is a less complex example of the “Symbol of Faith”:
(Courtesy of Jacksonsauction.com)
As you see, it is divided into twelve segments, to correspond with the twelve points of the Creed.
1. Верую во единаго Бога Отца, Вседержителя, Творца небу и земли, видимым же всем и невидимым.
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible:
2. И во единаго Господа Iисуса Христа, Сына Божия, Единороднаго, Иже от Отца рожденнаго прежде всех век. Света от Света, Бога истинна от Бога истинна, рожденна, несотворенна, едино-сущна Отцу, Им же вся быша.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, Begotten of the Father before all ages, Light of Light, True God of True God, Begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father, by whom all things were made:
3.Нас ради человек и нашего ради спасения сшедшаго с небес и воплотившагося от Духа Свята и Марии Девы, и вочеловечшася.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from the heavens, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man;
4. Распятаго же за ны при Понтийстем Пилате, и страдавша, и погребенна.
And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried;
5. И воскресшаго в третий день, по Писаниям.
And rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures;
6. И возшедшаго на небеса, и седяща одесную Отца.
And ascended into the heavens, and sits at the right hand of the Father;
7. И паки грядущаго со славою судити живым и мертвым, Его же Царствию не будет конца.
And shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, Whose kingdom shall have no end.
8. И в Духа Святаго, Господа, животворящаго, Иже от Отца исходящаго, Иже со Отцем и Сыном спокланяема и сславима, глаголавшаго пророки.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, Who spoke by the Prophets;
9. Во едину святую, соборную и Апостольскую Церковь.
In One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
10. Исповедую едино крещение во оставление грехов.
I Confess one Baptism for the remission of sins.
11. Чаю воскресения мертвых
I look for the Resurrection of the dead,
12. и жизни будущаго века. Аминь.
And the life of the age to come, Amen.
ICONS AND THEIR INTERPRETATION 