Derzhavnaya bogoroditsa?
Michele A. Berdy
maberdy at GMAIL.COM
Tue Oct 27 14:47:45 UTC 2009
Thank you very much! "Reigning" is indeed an excellent translation.
One clarification: I didn't mean to imply that you don't find the phrases
The Most Holy Virgin or the Blessed Virgin Mary in English Orthodox texts,
but that Bogomater is almost always translated as the Mother of God (or
Theotokos).
----- Original Message -----
From: "Svetlana Malykhina" <mlsvetka at YAHOO.COM>
To: <SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 5:28 PM
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Derzhavnaya bogoroditsa?
Yet another suggestion, if I may.
It seems that the unanimous opinion of those who translated the name of
‘Derzhavnaya’ Icon into English (for numerous relligious sites and printed
pamphlets) is that ‘The Reigning Icon of the Mother of God’ is just perfect.
I hope that those translators were advised by the learned and prayerful
iconographers. Literary descriptions are often sufficiently reliable
evidence for the reconstruction of works of iconography, but for this icon
is not the case. One cannot find enough respected sources where this icon
was described. What is known is that this icon was painted in the 18th
century.
The Icon’s title is consistent with the image depicted. The icon at hand is
not a vintage style icon, however it goes on to the prototype All Merciful
(Panakhranta) or Nicopeia. Briefly about this type (one of five known types
of Theotokos imagery): Nikopeia means “bringer of the victory.” It is a
Byzantine type that appeared as an independent type of icon in the first
half of the 5th century. The word Nicopeia indicates the place,
Constantinople. The early Byzantine and widely spread style usually shows
Mary seated on a throne in a frontal position with her feet on an imperial
footrest. She is richly dressed in purple and the costume of the empresses.
Seated on her lap is the Child, whom she supports with her left hand on the
his left leg and her right hand on his right shoulder. This solemn and
majestic pose is often accompanied by two angels holding the orb and the
scepter at either side and as part of the frame. The Pantacrator Monastery
in
Constantinople was the guardian of the Icon of the Theotokos of Nicopeia.
This holy icon preceded the emperor into battle and is credited with saving
the city on several occasions.
This type is represented by the Russian Icon – the Svenskaya icon of the
THeotokos (in other sources -- ‘Pecherskaya Mother of God’). According to
the oral tradition this icon was painted by the famous icon-painter Alipius.
The All-Holy Theotokos is shone enthroned with the Infant Jesus in her arms.
The throne is flanked by the figures of St. Anthony and St.Theodosius with
scrolls in their hands. All icons of this type share one feature in common:
the Mother of God is depicted sitting on a throne. She holds the Christ
Child on her lap. The throne symbolizes the royal glory of the Theotokos,
who alone is perfect among those born on earth.
The 'Reigning Icon' of the Mother of God is somewhat unique since the figure
at the top of the icon 'mimics' the image at the centre - which is clearly
the infant Christ - with His right hand in blessing and left indicating the
orb of monarchial authority, seems to offer the image of Christ reigning
from heaven as He reigns in His mother's regality. For the note, Christ the
'Ancient of Days' can be recognized by the traditional attire. Though
interestingly, many copies of this miraculous Icon were made and distributed
throughout all Russia, and some renditions seem unclear in a way of
depiction of the traditional iconographic garments for Christ. Therefore it
leads to a discussion whether the figure at the top portrays God the
Father/Lord of Sabaoth, which could be canonically inappropriate. I have to
admit, this issue is out of my competence and I dare to step along this
slippery road just for the sake of translation art.
All in all, it seems reasonably enough to use semantic approach to
translation problems, otherwise we can translate only a skeleton of a source
text.
On a different vein, Theotokos along with The Most Holy Virgin and the
Blessed Virgin Mary is used in both scholarly and ecclesiastical contexts as
well as in Byzantine and Eastern Orthodox traditions.
With respect for everyone's opinions,
Svitlana Malykhina
--- On Tue, 27/10/09, William Ryan <wfr at SAS.AC.UK> wrote:
From: William Ryan <wfr at SAS.AC.UK>
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Derzhavnaya bogoroditsa?
To: SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu
Date: Tuesday, 27 October, 2009, 1:09 PM
Dear Daniel.
You raise an interesting point of translation. This is not a question of
your personal church affiliation, or lack of it. My suggestion of "Our Lady
of the Orb" was prompted only by the fact that "Our Lady of ..." or "The
Virgin of ..." is the most familiar English terminology used in naming art
works involving Marian iconography, Eastern or Western, e.g. the very common
"Virgin of Kazan'" or "Our Lady of Kazan'" for Kazanskaia Bogomater'. "The
Mother of God of Kazan'" can certainly also be found but to my ear has an
over-literal and possibly ambiguous flavour, while to use "Theotokos", which
some favour, seems to me to be an example of "obscurum per obscurius".
My main point, however, was simply that in the case of the Bogomater'
Derzhavnaia, the word "derzhavnaia" seems to me more probably to mean "of
the orb" than "powerful", following the common tradition of naming icons
after an iconographic feature or attribute. An orb may not be part of the
conversational vocabulary of the average American or British speaker
(Pantokrator even less so), but that is immaterial - this icon is
conspicuous for its prominent use of the orb and sceptre - and that is what
they are called. To translate this as "imperial" is an interpretative
assumption which could be inaccurate, and is I think a jump too far.
Can any of our Russian colleagues cast any light on this icon title?
Will Ryan
Daniel Rancour-Laferriere wrote:
> Dear Will,
> That is an interesting point. Normally an orb ("derzhava") is topped with
> a cross, signifying the reign of Christ over earthly powers (this was true
> in Byzantine areas, medieval West). Traditionally the Pantokrator may hold
> the orb, or an earthly ruler may hold the orb. For a Russian example, see:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Russian_regalia.jpg
>
> In the "Bogomater' Derzhavnaia" icon, however (Fig. 19 in my book), the
> cross is not atop the globe, but at the tip of the scepter. Curious
> displacement. Also, the Mother of God, not the Christ child is holding the
> globe (although he is pointing to it). So she has what may be termed an
> attenuated orb/derzhava (assuming that the cross by itself signifies power
> in an imperial context, which it always has from the time of Constantine's
> adoption of the cross when the Roman Empire was Christianized). So: "Our
> Lady of the Attenuated Orb?" No, sounds too problematical. First, she is
> not MY "lady," for I do not belong to OUR Christian collective, and "lady"
> is a bit off for various reasons. I prefer the literal translation "Mother
> of God," and "orb" sounds too obscure into the bargain, not a part of the
> vocabulary of ordinary English-speaking believers (at least not this
> former North American believer; perhaps "orb" is more widespread among
British speakers?). So perhaps: "Russian Imperial Mother of God" (as
opposed to Russian national/ist Mother of God, which would describe
Vladimirskaia, Kazanskaia, etc.; yet nationalists can be imperialists or
monarchists too). Other suggestions out there? It is quite a striking image.
>
> Regards to the list -
> Daniel RL
>
>
> On Oct 23, 2009, at 4:21 PM, William Ryan wrote:
>
> Daniel, this is useful information. I do wonder though, in view of the
> iconography, if "derzhavnyi" might perhaps here be an adjective formed
> from "derzhava" not in the sense of state or power, as you have translated
> it, but of the orb (also called "derzhava") which the Mary is holding? The
> orb and sceptre are after all a departure from tradition and the most
> striking feature of the icon. Thus an appropriate English name for the
> icon might be "Our Lady of the Orb".
> Will
>
>
> Daniel Rancour-Laferriere wrote:
>> Dear colleagues,
>> I agree with the comments of Michele A. Berdy. The finding of
>> "Derzhavnaya" was represented as "quite an event." Here are some further
>> sources referring to it (from my 2005 book THE JOY OF ALL WHO SORROW):
>>
>>> The Mother of God is interested in defending Russia not only from
>>> external enemies, but from internal enemies as well. Indeed, she seems
>>> to have taken over as protective ruler of Russia in March of 1917, right
>>> after political opponents of Nikolai II had forced him to abdicate. At
>>> this time in the village of Kolomenskoe near Moscow an icon was �found�
>>> of her called Derzhavnaia (roughly, �Great Power�). There now exist many
>>> copies of this icon, which is commemorated every year on 15 (2) March.
>>> The icon shows the Mother of God seated on a throne with the Christ
>>> child, wearing a crown, and holding a scepter and orb (see Figure
>>> 19).[i] In this image Mary is not only the �Heavenly Tsaritsa,� but even
>>> �Russian Tsaritsa� (�Tsaritsa Rossiiskaia�) in one of the nationalist
>>> accounts.[ii] According to legend, the finding of this icon signalled
>>> that the Mother of God was �taking power over Orthodox
Rus�,�[iii] or that she �took on Supreme Tsarist power over Russia and over
the people,�[iv] or that she was the only one worthy to take the �Russian
scepter� �from the hands of Saint Nikolai [i.e., tsar Nikolai II].�[v] In
1991 myrrh flowed from a Derzhavnaia icon located in Moscow, prompting one
nationalist scholar to ask rherorically: �Perhaps the Most Holy Sovereign
was bearing witness to the fact that, having accepted the succession to
Russian power at the end of the Orthodox monarchy in 1917, She was not
abandoning Her protective rule in this new Time of Troubles as well?�[vi]
>>>
>>>
>>> [i] . Filadel�f 1998, 254; Dorenskaia 1999, 59-63; Orekhov 2000, 165-73;
>>> Zevakhin 1996, fig. 244.
>>>
>>>
>>> [ii] . Skazanie o iavlenii Presviatoi Bogoroditsy v g. Budennovske 18
>>> iiunia 1995 goda i napisanii ikony Ee Sviato-Krestovskoi, 1999, 4.
>>>
>>>
>>> [iii] . Vladimir 1995, 2.
>>>
>>>
>>> [iv] . Dorenskaia 1999, 60.
>>>
>>>
>>> [v] . Orekhov 2000, 167.
>>>
>>>
>>> [vi] . Liubomudrov 2000, 160.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Regards to the list,
>> Daniel Rancour-Laferriere
>>
>>
>>
>> On Oct 22, 2009, at 7:32 AM, Michele A. Berdy wrote:
>>
>> With icons, I don't think you're going to find much scholarly or
>> peer-reviewed literature -- especially about one that was found via
>> visions in March 1917. Here's a link for Metropolitan Tikhon's report on
>> it, which mentions an archeologist at the time who said that it came from
>> one of the churches in the Voznessensky monastery.
>> http://www.krotov.info/acts/20/1917_19/babkin_12.htm
>>
>> It sounds as if it were quite an event at the time, so your student might
>> check the newspaper archives.
>>
>> I seem to recall that it was also a very big event when the icon was
>> returned to the church in Kolomenskoe (where it still is).
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Anthony Anemone"
>> <AnemoneA at NEWSCHOOL.EDU>
>> To: <SEELANGS at bama.ua.edu>
>> Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 5:19 PM
>> Subject: [SEELANGS] Derzhavnaya bogoroditsa?
>>
>>
>>> Dear List,
>>>
>>> Here's another interesting question from another former student. She's
>>> looking
>>> for information on an icon that they call "Derzhavnaya" in Russian and
>>> the
>>> "Reigning (icon of the mother of God)" in English. Just about every
>>> website
>>> of Orthodoxy mentions this icon and they all tell the same story: the
>>> peasant girl who found the icon on March 2, 1917, etc. but she haven't
>>> been
>>> able to find a single scholarly, historical, or peer-reviewed source
>>> that
>>> mentions this icon. Does anyone know anything about this icon? Is its
>>> story a fiction of the post-soviet Orthodox Church? Any sources?
>>>
>>> As always, thanks for the help.
>>>
>>> Tony
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>> -- Anthony Anemone
>>> Chair & Associate Provost of Foreign Languages
>>> The New School
>>> 212-229-5676 ex. 2355
>>>
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