What is the icon of the Virgin Mary?
The Icon of Our Lady of the Sign (Greek: Panagia or Παναγία Ορωμένη or Παναγία Πλατυτέρα; Church Slavonic: Ikona Bozhey Materi “Znamenie”; Polish: Ikona Bogurodzicy “Znak”) is the term for a particular type of icon of the Theotokos (Virgin Mary), facing the viewer directly, depicted either full length or half, with her …
What do the three stars on Mary’s garment symbolize on the icons )?
Wearing a veil with three stars, on her forehead and each shoulder to signify that she is ever-Virgin, Mary’s attitude is one of majesty. The Greek letters are an abbreviation referring to the Mother of God and Jesus Christ.
What makes an icon an icon Orthodox?
Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event.
What were Byzantine icons?
The word “icon” comes from the Greek eikо̄n, so “icon” simply means image. In the Eastern Roman “Byzantine” Empire and other lands that shared Byzantium’s Orthodox Christian faith, “holy icons” were images of sacred figures and events. , or of honorable angels, or of any saint or holy man.”
What are Russian Orthodox icons?
An icon is a sacred image of the Eastern Orthodox Church that was often painted on wood with tempera by monks in monasteries. Most people think of an icon as something that, clicked on their computer’s desktop, opens a program.
What are icons in Eastern Orthodox?
Orthodox Christians view icons as visual representations of the people and stories of the Bible. Webster’s Dictionary defines this type of icon as, “a conventional religious image typically painted on a small wooden panel and used in the devotions of Eastern Christians”.
What is the meaning of the Panagia Platytera?
Panagia Platytera (Greek: Πλατυτέρα; “wider” or “more spacious”) is an icon of the Theotokos, facing the viewer directly, usually depicted full length with her hands in the ” orans ” position, and with the image of Christ as a child in front of her chest, also facing the viewer directly.
Why is Our Lady of the sign called Platytera?
This type of icon is also sometimes called the Platytéra (Greek: Πλατυτέρα, literally wider or more spacious ); poetically, by containing the Creator of the Universe in her womb, Mary has become Platytera ton ouranon (Πλατυτέρα των Ουρανών): “More spacious than the heavens”.
Where is the Platytera in a Catholic Church?
The Platytéra is traditionally depicted on the half-dome that stands above the altar. It is visible high above the iconostasis, and facing down the length of the nave of the church. This particular depiction is usually on a dark blue background, often adorned by golden stars.
What does Platytera ton ouranon mean in Greek?
Sometimes the image of Christ is contained within a medallion. Poetically, by containing the Creator of the Universe in her womb, Mary has become Platytera ton ouranon, which means: “More spacious than the heavens.”