Tag: plashchanitsa

TWO PLASHCHANITSA INSCRIPTIONS

On By DavidLeave a comment

In the Eastern Orthodox Church there is an ornate, rectangular cloth used in the services of Good Friday and Holy Saturday.  It is placed on the altar and on a table in the center of the church, and it is also carried in ritual procession.

In ritual use, it represents the removal from the cross, burial, body, and tomb of Jesus.

In Greek it is commonly called an Epitaphios (Ἐπιτάφιος) or Epitaphion, meaning “on/over the tomb.”  Russians call it a Plashchanitsa (Плащаница) — a “Shroud.”

It is decorated — commonly embroidered but sometimes painted, or both — with either the iconographic type of the Deposition (the “Placing in the Tomb”) or with the dead body of Jesus alone.

On Russian examples, there is generally an embroidered inscription around the outer border.  Usually it is the Good Friday Vespers Troparion, tone 2:

Благообразный Иосиф с древа снем Пречистое Тело Твое, плащаницею чистою обвив, и вонями во гробе нове покрыв положи.

Blagoobraznuiy Iosif  s dreva snem Prechistoe Telo Tvoe, plashchanitseiu chistoiu obviv, i vonyami vo grobe nove pokruiv polozhi.

“The noble Joseph took from the tree your most pure body, wrapped it in a clean shroud, and with spices laid it in burial in a new tomb.”

When that troparion is sung, the plashchanitsa is carried in procession before being placed on a table in the center of the church.  Often that table is ornamented with flowers and candles, and is the symbolic “tomb” in which the plashchanitsa (“the body”) is placed.

Sometimes, however, there is a different inscription, particularly on older examples.

Here is a plashchanitsa from the year 1662.  As you see, it has a long vyaz (meaning with some letters linked and others and pushed close together — “condensed” — by using larger and smaller letters) inscription around the outer border:

(Vologda Oblast Regional Museum)

In the center is a rather standard “Placing in the Tomb” (Положение во гроб  — Polozhenie vo Grob) icon type, which the Greeks call Ὁ Επιτάφιος Θρήνος — Ho Epitaphios Threnos — “The Weeping/Lamentation over the Tomb.”

In the four inner corners are the symbols of the Four Evangelists.

Let’s look closer to see some inscriptions:

By the angel symbol at left, we can make out МАТФЕ for МАТФЕИ –Matfei — “Matthew.”

Next comes МАРФА — Marfa — “Martha.”

Then МАРИЯ –Mariya — “Mary.”

And the woman below is ΜΡ ΘΥ  abbreviating Meter Theou — “Mother of God.”

By that inscription, we see the common IC XC abbreviation for Iesous Khristos — “Jesus Christ.”

At right we see the inscriptions for ГОСПОДЬ САВАОФ — Gospod Savaof — “Lord Sabaoth,” God the Father.  And below him is the СВЯТЫ ДУХЪ — Svyatui Dukh — “Holy Spirit” in the form of a dove.

The face at the right is that of ИОАН–Ioan — “John” the Apostle.

Here is the right portion of the central image:

We see ИОСИФЪ —Iosif — “Joseph” at left.
Beside him is НИОДИМЬ —Nikodim — “Nicodemus.”  And at right is an eagle, the symbol here for МАРКО — Marko — “Mark” the Evangelist.

Now there is the long border inscription to deal with.  It might seem intimidating at first, but remember that when you see an inscription you do not recognize, the first step is not to throw up one’s hands in dismay, but rather to begin looking for any familiar words.

So let’s see what we can do by that methodology.  Here is the inscription separated into parts for easier viewing.  Remember that inscriptions usually begin in the upper left-hand corner, so that is where we shall start:

Let’s look closer at the very beginning.  It is helpful, when trying to decipher an inscription, to write the letters down:

ДАМоЛчиТъВсЯКАплоТьчеЛо

We can put it into all large letters too, and transliterate it:
ДАМОЛЧИТЪВСЯКАПЛОТЬЧЕЛО
DAMOLCHIT’VSYAKAPLOT’CHEL

Wait — doesn’t that beginning DAMOLCHIT sound vaguely familiar?  It should.  We have seen it before in this earlier posting (and of course you remember everything in earlier postings here, don’t you?):

TWO EUCHARISTIC ICON TYPES

There we see it as the beginning of this text:

Да молчит всякая плоть человеча, и да стоит со страхом и трепетом, и ничтоже земное в себе да помышляет; Царь бо царствующих, и Господь господствующих, приходит заклатися и датися в снедь верным. Предходят же Сему лицы ангельстии со всяким Началом и Властию, многоочитии Херувими, и шестокрилатии Серафими, лица закрывающе, и вопиюще песнь: Аллилуйя, Аллилуйя, Аллилуйя.

Da molchit vsyakaya plot chelovecha, i da stoit so strakhom i trepetom, i
nichtozhe zemnoe v sebe da pomuishlyaet; Tsar bo tsarsvuiushchikh, i Gospod
gospodstvuiushchikh, prikhodit zaklatisya i datisya v sned vernium.  Predkhodyat zhe Semu litsui angelstii so vsyakim Nachalom i Vlasiiu, mnogoochitii
Kheruvimi, i shestokrilatii Seraphimi, litsa zakruivaiushche, i vopiiushche pesn:
Alliluya, Alliluya, Alliluya.

“Let all human flesh be silent, and let it stand with fear and trembling, and let itself consider nothing earthly; for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords comes forth to be sacrificed and given as food to the believers; and there go before him the choirs of Angels, with every Dominion and Power, many-eyed Cherubim and six-winged Seraphim, covering their faces, and singing out the hymn: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.”

And if we look at the inscription, we can see that even though our embroidered version says vsyaka plot as the third and fourth words instead of vsyakaya plot, we can consider that just a shortening of the word — such differences are common in old inscriptions.  But the important thing is that if we go on and write down and transliterate the rest of it, we find it to be very much the same as the “Da molchit” inscription we see in the earlier Eucharistic icon.  And we know from that posting that this text is the excerpt from the Liturgy of St. Basil, used in the Eucharistic celebration on Holy Saturday (the Saturday before Easter Sunday) in place of the usual “Cherubic Hymn.”

Here is the remainder of the border inscription, in case you want to practice your vyaz.  It is  read from top to the right border to left border to bottom:

Right side:

Left side:

Bottom left:

Bottom right:

If we look at the right half of that last bottom part — beginning near the middle, we can see this sequence:

аЛлИЛуИяаллиЛуИяАЛлилуИя
alliluiyaalliluiyaalliluiya

It is not difficult to recognize three repetitions of ALLILUIYA — in English form Alleluia/Hallelujah.  So that just confirms that we have the right text, as we could see if we transliterate the whole thing bit by bit.

Да молчит всякая плоть человеча, и да стоит со страхом и трепетом, и ничтоже земное в себе да помышляет; Царь бо царствующих, и Господь господствующих, приходит заклатися и датися в снедь верным. Предходят же Сему лицы ангельстии со всяким Началом и Властию, многоочитии Херувими, и шестокрилатии Серафими, лица закрывающе, и вопиюще песнь: Аллилуйя, Аллилуйя, Аллилуйя.

There still remain some inscriptions we must deal with.  Of course you will easily read the ИОАНЪ/IOAN/JOHN and  ЛУКА/LUKA/LUKE inscriptions beside the symbols of the two Evangelists at lower left and right, but there are two longer inscriptions as well.

There is:

ПОЛОЖЕНИЕВОГРОБЪГОСПОДАБОГАИСПАСАНАШЕГОИСУСАХРИСТА

That is a variation on an icon title with which we are already familiar — ПОЛОЖЕНИЕ ВО ГРОБЪ/POLOZHENIE VO GROB/”[the] PLACING IN THE TOMB”

Here it is a bit longer:

ПОЛОЖЕНИЕ ВО ГРОБЪ ГОСПОДА БОГА И СПАСА НАШЕГО ИСУСА ХРИСТА
POLOZHENIE VO GROB GOSPODA BOGA I SPASA NASHEGO ISUSA KHRISTA

[The] Placing in [the] tomb [of the] Lord God and Savior of-us Jesus Christ.”

In normal English, “The Placing in the Tomb of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Having disposed of that one rather easily, we can go on to the last inscription:

СIЯ ПЛАЩАНИЦА СТРОЕНИЕ ДИМИТРИЯ АНДРЕЕВИЧА СТРОГАНОВА
SIYA PLASHCHANITSA STROENIE DIMITRIYA ANDREEVICHA STROGANOVA

It means essentially that Dmitriy Andreyevich Stroganov (Дмитрий Андреевич Строганов, died 1670) had this plashchanitsa (siya plashchantisa) made as a donation to a church.  Dmitriy was  a member of the very wealthy Stroganov family that gave its name to a school of icon painting.  In the year 1647, Dmitriy and his father Andrey owned — among other holdings — towns, villages, and 1, 488 serfs.

“HOLY WEEK” ICONS

On By DavidLeave a comment

There is a group of related icons that are associated with the liturgical texts of “Holy Week,” the annual celebration of the Passion and death of Jesus.

The first shows Jesus after his scourging, wearing a scarlet cloak over his shoulders, hands tied at the wrists, the crown of thorns on his head, and a long reed in one hand.  This image has long been known in the West by the Latin name Ecce Homo — “Behold the man,” the words of Pilate when presenting Jesus to the crowd.

Greek examples of the type often bear those same words, only in Greek as  Ίδε ο άνθρωπος — Ide ho Anthropos.  We see that Greek inscription (in upper case) at the left side of this late 19th century print from Mount Athos.  The words are run together as:
ΙΔΕΟΑΗΘΡΩΠΟC.  At right, to cater to another group of customers, is the same inscription in Church Slavic:  СЕ ЧЕЛОВЕКЪ — Se Chelovek — “Behold the Man.”

It is important to know, however, that this type is generally known in Greek Orthodoxy by a different title:  Ο Νυμφίος — Ho Nymphios — meaning “The Bridegroom,” Jesus being considered the bridegroom of the Church.  This “Bridegroom” title comes from a troparion in the Bridegroom Matins service of “Holy Week.”

«Ιδού, ο Νυμφίος έρχεται εν τω μέσω της νυκτός, και μακάριος ο δούλος, ον ευρήσει /γρηγορούντα. Ανάξιος δε πάλιν ον ευρήσει ραθυμούντα. Βλέπε ουν, ψυχή μου, μη τω ύπνω κατενεχθείς, ίνα μη τω θανάτω παραδοθείς και της βασιλείας έξω κλεισθείς. Αλλά ανάνηψον κράζουσα· Άγιος, Άγιος, Άγιος ει ο Θεός ημών, διά της Θεοτόκου ελέησον ημάς».

“Behold, the Bridegroom comes in the middle of the night, and happy is the servant whom he finds awake.  Unworthy, however, the one whom he finds indolent.  See therefore, my soul, that sleep does not overcome you, so that you be not handed over to death and be shut out of the Kingdom.  But alert, cry:  Holy Holy, Holy are you our God, through the Mother of God have mercy on us.”

That troparion, in turn, is derived from the Parable of the Virgins in Matthew 25, which begins:

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go out to meet him.”

Greek examples one commonly sees of the Nymphios/Bridegroom type are generally 19th century or later.  But here is an 18th century Greek example bearing the Ide ho Anthropos inscription:

Another Passion-related type is the image found often in older icons, called in Greek Η Ακρα Ταπεινωσις — He Akra Tapeinosis — “[the] Extreme Humility.” An alternate Greek title often found is Η ΑΠΟΚΑΘΗΛΟCΙC — He Apokathelosis —  “The Removal [from the Cross]”:

heapokathelosis18thcNatlHIstMuseumSofia
(National HIstory Museum, Sofia)

Be aware, though, that this Apokathelosis title is also used for a more complex (though related) “Removal” type (see below).

The simpler version shows the body of Jesus upright, with the spear and sponge of the Passion.   Russians call it Царь Славы — Tsar Slavui — “[the] King of Glory.”  It is sometimes simply called Христос во гробе/Khristos vo Grobe — “Christ in the Tomb:  Here is a Russian proris’ — a painter’s pattern — of that image, which would be reversed on the actual icon:

You may recall that “Tsar Slavui” is also part of the standard inscription found on Russian icons of the Crucifixion.

This title is also often found on Greek icons of the Crucifixion, sometimes on the signboard at the top of the cross as ΟΒΣΛΤΔΞ, abbreviating  Ό Βασιλεύς της Δόξης — Ho Basileus tes Doxes — “The King of Glory,”  and sometimes written in full on or near the main crossbeam.  So you may find this type either titled as “Ultimate Humility” or as “King of Glory,” or even as “The Removal [from the Cross].”

Russian iconography generally prefers adding Mary to this type; she holds the body of Jesus, upright from the waist in a stylized stone sarcophagus.  With Mary added, the preferred title in Slavic becomes  Neruiday Mene Mati — “Weep Not for Me Mother”:

(Courtesy of Jacksonsauction.com)

Russians generally classify it as a Marian image, which accounts for the title inscription on the above icon:  Neruiday Mene Mati Presvyatuiya Bogoroditsui — “The ‘Weep Not for Me’ Most Holy Mother of God.”

The “Weep Not” title is taken from the liturgy for Holy Saturday (celebrated as the day after the crucifixion):

«Не рыдай Мене, Мати, зряще во гробе, Его же во чреве без семени зачала еси Сына: возстану бо и прославлюся и вознесу со славою, непрестанно яко Бог, верою и любовию Тя величающия».

“Weep not for me, Mother, seeing in the tomb the son, conceived without seed in the womb,  For I shall arise and be glorified, as God I shall exalt with glory unceasing those who with faith and love magnify you.”

This “Weep Not for Me” type is essentially a variation on the more complex Greek Η ΑΠΟΚΑΘΗΛΟΣΙΣ — He Apokathelosis —  “The Removal [from the Cross],”  type, in which Mary grasps the body of Jesus as it is taken down.

 

heapokathelosis

In fact some Greek examples in this general form — have He Apokathelosis as the title inscription.   The Western European (Roman Catholic) equivalent of the “Weep Not for Me, Mother” is the Pietà — not quite the same, but related.  

It is not difficult to tell that the more complex form of Apokathelosis blends into the Epitaphios Threnos  — the “Weeping over the Tomb” type, as in this example bearing the Apokathelosis title inscription:

heapokathelosis1

There is another “Holy Week” type one should be aware of, because it is found not only in painted icons, but also in needlework on fabric as a liturgical object used in the Good Friday and Holy Saturday services.  Such an elaborately embroidered cloth is called an Epitaphios, or in Russia a Плащаница — Plashchanitsa.

The title of this type is Ο ΕΠΙΤΑΦΙΟΣ ΘΡΗΝΟΣ — Ho Epitaphios Threnos — “The Lament [threnos] Over [epi-] the Tomb [-taphios/taphos].”  In English it is often called simply the “Lamentation.” Here is an example by Theophanes the Cretan, found at the Stavronikita Monastery on Mt. Athos.  The Ο Επιτάφιος Θρήνος title is just above the main crossbeam:

It is interesting to compare it with the earlier Italian fresco (1305) by Giotto, of the same event:

lamentationedigiottodibondone

In spite of its much earlier date, the Giotto image seems more full of genuine emotion than the Stavronikita image, less “hieratic” — and a precursor to the Renaissance.