"He who is at the point of death": the fate of the soul in Byzantine art and liturgy

• Autores: Vasileios Marinis
• Localización: Gesta, ISSN 0016-920X, Vol. 54, Nº. 1, 2015, págs. 59-84
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • In this paper I examine the content and iconography of the Kanon eis Psychorragounta (Kanon for He Who Is at the Point of Death). This was the most important component of an akolouthia by the same name, a liturgical service meant to be read and sung on one’s behalf shortly before death. The kanon’s extensive use and impact are evident in that it was depicted at least three times, once in manuscript illumination and twice in monumental painting, unusual given the rarity of illustrations of minor services. Because of its inclusion in euchologia, the prayer books used by clergy containing all the services of the Byzantine rite, I argue that the akolouthia and its kanon provided a canonical, Church-sanctioned understanding of death and its immediate aftermath and exerted a normative influence on people’s perception of the separation of the soul from the body and subsequent events. On the most basic level, the iconography of the kanon is meant to illustrate its contents. Many extratextual elements are introduced, however, to elucidate and enhance the message of the hymns. Although the iconography of the kanon is derivative, the earlier motifs, originating from such disparate contexts as Psalters and menologia, are combined into a coherent narrative. This clarity contrasts with the sometimes muddled assertions of the kanon itself. The clarifications provided by the iconography also amplify visually the content of the kanon. Finally, I posit that the kanon and its iconography were likely used as a contemplative and penitential exercise by those still alive.