The
Akathist Hymn (Ἀκάθιστος Ὕμνος,
unseated hymn) is an Eastern Orthodox Christian
hymnA hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word hymn derives from Greek , "a song of praise"...
dedicated to a
saintSaints, individuals of exceptional holiness, are significant in many religions, particularly Christianity.-General characteristics :Though the term is mostly used for Christians considered holy or virtuous, many religions use similar concepts to elevate people worthy of respect, e.g. see Hindu...
, holy event, or one of the persons of the Holy Trinity. The name derives from the fact that during the chanting of the hymn, or sometimes the whole service, the congregation is expected to remain standing in reverence, not being allowed to sit down (
Ancient GreekAncient Greek is the historical stage in the development of the Greek language spanning across the Archaic , Classical , and Hellenistic periods of ancient Greece and the ancient world. It is predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
ἀ- (a), [without, not] +
κάθισις (káthisis), [sitting]). During Orthodox religious services in general, sitting or standing is set by a complicated set of rules, as well as individual discretion. Only during readings of the
GospelA gospel is a writing that describes the life of Jesus. The word is primarily used to refer to the four canonical texts: the Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Luke and Gospel of John, probably written between AD 65 and 80...
and the singing of Akathists is standing considered mandatory for all. The akathist
par excellence is that written in the 6th century to the
TheotokosTheotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...
. In its use as part of the Salutations to the Theotokos service (used in the Byzantine tradition during
Great LentGreat Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important fasting season in the church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Pascha...
), it is often known by its Greek or Arabic names,
Χαιρετισμοί/Chairetismoi and
Madayeh, respectively.
The writing of akathists (occasionally spelled
acathist) continues today as part of the general composition of an akolouthia, particularly in the Slavic tradition, although not all are widely known nor translated beyond the original language. Isaac E. Lambertsen has done a large amount of translation work, including many different akathists. Most of the newer akathists are pastiche, that is, a generic form imitating the original 6th century akathist to the Theotokos into which a particular saint's name is inserted. In the Greek, Arabic, and Russian Old Rite, the only akathist in permitted in formal liturgical use is the original 6th akathist.
Origin
Franciscus JuniusFranciscus Junius , also known as Francis Junius, Franz Junius, and François du Jon, was a Huguenot scholar and theologian, and the father of Franciscus Junius the younger....
wrongly interpreted Acathistus as one who neither sits nor rests, but journeys with child; as for instance when the Blessed Virgin was brought by
JosephSaint Joseph is known from the New Testament as the husband of Mary, mother of Jesus...
to
BethlehemBethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank, approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
. Gretser [Commentarius in Codin. Curop. (
BonnBonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990...
, 1839), 321] easily refutes the interpretation by citing from the Lesson in the
TriodionThe Triodion , also called the Lenten Triodion , is the liturgical book used by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches of Byzantine rite during Great Lent and the preparatory weeks leading up to it.Many canons in the Triodion contain only...
. The origin of the feast is assigned by the Lesson to the year 626, when
ConstantinopleConstantinople was the imperial capital of the Roman Empire , the Byzantine/Eastern Roman Empire , the Latin Empire , and the Ottoman Empire...
, in the reign of
HeracliusFlavius Heraclius was a Byzantine Emperor of Armenian origin, who ruled the Eastern Roman Empire for over thirty years, from October 5, 610 to February 11, 641...
, was
attackedThe Siege of Constantinople in 626 by the Avars, aided by large numbers of allied Slavs and the Sassanid Persians, ended in a strategy victory for the Byzantines...
by the
PersiansThe Sassanid Empire or Sasanian Empire, known to its inhabitants as Ērānshahr, was the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire, ruled by the Sasanian Dynasty who reigned from 224 to 651 CE...
and "Scythians" (Avars and Slavs) but saved through the intervention of the Most Holy
TheotokosTheotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...
(Mother of God). A sudden hurricane dispersed the fleet of the enemy, casting the vessels on the shore near the
great church of the TheotokosSaint Mary of Blachernae is an Eastern Orthodox church in Istanbul...
at
BlachernaeBlachernae or Blachernæ was a suburb in the northwestern section of Constantinople. It was the site of a spring and a number of churches were built there, notably by Pulcheria in the 5th century and by Justinian I in the 6th century. These were originally outside the city walls, until 627 when the...
, a quarter of Constantinople near the
Golden HornThe Golden Horn is a historic inlet of the Bosphorus dividing the city of Istanbul and forming the superb natural harbor that has sheltered Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other ships for thousands of years...
. The people spent the whole night, says the Lesson, thanking her for the unexpected deliverance. "From that time, therefore, the
ChurchChristian Church and church Christian Church and church Christian Church and church (Greek kyriakon, "thing belonging to the Lord"; also ekklesia (Latinized as ecclesia, "assembly") are used to denote both a Christian association of people and a place of worship. In the phenomenological sense there...
, in memory of so great and so divine a miracle, desired this day to be a feast in honour of the Mother of God . . . and called it Acathistus" (Lesson). This origin is disputed by
SophoclesSophocles was the second of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus and earlier than those of Euripides...
(Greek Lexicon of the
RomanAncient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea, it became one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
and Byzantine Periods, s. v.) on the ground that the hymn could not have been composed in one day, while on the other hand its twenty-four oikoi contain no allusion to such an event and therefore could scarcely have been originally composed to commemorate it. Perhaps the kontakion, which might seem to be allusive, was originally composed for the celebration on the night of the victory. However the feast may have originated, the Lesson commemorates two other victories, under
Leo III the IsaurianLeo III the Isaurian or the Syrian , was Byzantine emperor from 717 until his death in 741...
, and Constantine Pogonatus, similarly ascribed to the intervention of the Deipara.
No certain ascription of its authorship can be made. It has been attributed to
Patriarch Sergius I of ConstantinopleSergius I was the Patriarch of Constantinople from 610 to 638.During the absence of Emperor Heraclius on campaign against Sassanid Persia, the Avars laid siege to Constantinople. Along with the magister militum Bonus, he was in charge of the city's defense...
, whose pious activities the Lesson commemorates in great detail. Quercius (
PP is the sixteenth letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet. Its name in English is spelled pee.-History:The Semitic Pê , as well as the Greek Π or π , and the Etruscan and Latin letters that developed from the former alphabet, all symbolized , a voiceless bilabial plosive.-Usage:In English and...
.
GG is the seventh letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet. Its name in English is spelled gee.-History:The letter G was introduced in the Old Latin period as a variant of C to distinguish Latin voiced velar from voiceless...
., XCII, 1333 sqq.) assigns it to
George PisidaGeorge Pisida was a Byzantine poet, born in Pisidia, flourished during the 7th century AD....
, deacon, archivist, and sacristan of
Hagia SophiaHagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey...
whose poems find an echo both in style and in theme in the Akathist; the elegance, antithetic and balanced style, the vividness of the narrative, the flowers of poetic imagery being all very suggestive of his work. His position as sacristan would naturally suggest such a tribute to the
TheotokosTheotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...
, as the hymn only gives more elaborately the sentiments condensed into two epigrams of Pisida found in her church at
BlachernaeBlachernae or Blachernæ was a suburb in the northwestern section of Constantinople. It was the site of a spring and a number of churches were built there, notably by Pulcheria in the 5th century and by Justinian I in the 6th century. These were originally outside the city walls, until 627 when the...
. Quercius also argues that words, phrases, and sentences of the hymn are to be found in the poetry of Pisida.
LeclercqLeclercq or Le Clercq is a surname, and may refer to:* Auguste Bouché-Leclercq* Chrétien Le Clercq* Daniel Leclercq* Fabien Leclercq* Frédéric Leclercq* Jean Leclercq* Jean-Claude Leclercq* Jean-Marc Leclercq* Julien Leclercq* Patrick Leclercq...
(in Cabrol,
DictDICT is a dictionary network protocol created by the . It is described by RFC 2229. Its goal is to surpass the Webster protocol and to allow clients to access more dictionaries during use...
. d'archéol. chrét. et de liturgie, s.v. "Acathistus") finds nothing absolutely demonstrative in such a comparison and offers a suggestion which may possibly help to a solution of the problem.
Structure
When an akathist is chanted by itself, the
Usual beginningThe usual beginning is the series of prayers with which most Divine Services begin in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite.-Normal form:...
, a series of prayers which include the
TrisagionThe Trisagion is a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy in most of the Eastern Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Churches and Catholic Churches....
('thrice-holy') is often said as a prelude to the akathist hymn. The akathist may also be included as a part of another service, such as
MatinsMatins is the early morning or night prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. The term is also used in some Protestant denominations to describe morning services.The name "Matins" originally referred to the morning office also...
or a Molieben.
The hymn itself is divided into thirteen parts, each of which is comprised of a
kontakionKontakion is a form of hymn performed in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The word derives from the Greek word kontax , meaning pole, specifically the pole around which a scroll is wound. The term describes the way in which the words on a scroll unfurl as it is read...
and an
oikos (Greek: οίκος, 'house', possibly derived from Syriac terminology). The
kontakion usually ends with the exclamation: 'Alleluia!', which is repeated by a
choirA choir, chorale, or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together is called a choir or chorus...
in full settings, or
chantChant is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes to highly complex musical structures, often including a great deal of repetition of musical subphrases,...
ed by the reader in simple settings. Within the latter part of the
oikos comes an anaphoric entreaty, such as 'Come!' or 'Rejoice!' The thirteenth
kontakion (which, unlike the preceding twelve, does not have a corresponding
oikos) is usually followed by the repetition of the first
oikos and
kontakion. After the thirteen
kontakia and
oikoi, additional prayers are added, such as a
troparionA troparion in Byzantine music and in the religious music of Eastern Orthodoxy is a short hymn of one stanza, or one of a series of stanzas. The word probably derives from a diminutive of the Greek tropos...
and another
kontakion. The final
kontakion is the famous "
Tēi Hypermáchōi Stratēgōi" ("Unto the Defender General"), a hymn addressing
MaryMary , usually referred to by Christians as the Virgin Mary or Saint Mary, was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee, identified in the New Testament as the mother of Jesus of Nazareth. Muslims also refer to her as the Virgin Mary or Syeda Mariam which means Our Lady Mary...
as the savior of
ConstantinopleConstantinople was the imperial capital of the Roman Empire , the Byzantine/Eastern Roman Empire , the Latin Empire , and the Ottoman Empire...
in the 626 siege:
- Unto the Defender General the dues of victory,
- and for the deliverance from woes, the thanksgiving
- I, Thy city
Constantinople was the imperial capital of the Roman Empire , the Byzantine/Eastern Roman Empire , the Latin Empire , and the Ottoman Empire...
, ascribe Thee, O TheotokosTheotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...
.
- And having your might unassailable,
- deliver me from all danger
- so that I may cry unto Thee:
- Rejoice, O Bride unwedded.
Akathist to the Theotokos
When the word
akathist is used alone, it most commonly refers to the original hymn by this name, the 6th century Akathist to the
TheotokosTheotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...
, attributed to St. Romanos the Melodist. It is said the Theotokos appeared to him, gave him a scroll and commanded him to eat it. And here a miracle was performed: Romanus received a beautiful, melodic voice and, simultaneously, the gift of poesy. This hymn is often split into four parts and sung at the "Salutations to the Theotokos" service on the first four Friday evenings in
Great LentGreat Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important fasting season in the church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Pascha...
; the entire Akathist is then sung on the fifth Friday evening. Traditionally it is included in the
OrthrosOrthros may refer to:*Orthros, the Matins service of the Eastern Christian Churches.*Orthrus, the two-headed dog of Greek mythology.*Matins, the Christian morning prayer service....
of the fifth Saturday of
Great LentGreat Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important fasting season in the church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Pascha...
. In
monasteriesMonastery , a term derived from the Greek word μοναστήριον, neut. of μοναστήριος - monasterios denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer Monastery (plural: monasteries), a term derived from the Greek word μοναστήριον, neut. of μοναστήριος - monasterios...
of
AthoniteMount Athos is a mountain on the peninsula of the same name in Macedonia, of northern Greece, called in Greek Agion Oros , or in English, "Holy Mountain". In Classical times, the peninsula was called Aktí...
tradition, the whole Akathist is usually inserted nightly at
ComplineCompline is the final church service of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours. The English word Compline is derived from the Latin completorium, as Compline is the completion of the working day...
.
The four sections into which the Akathist is divided correspond to the themes of the
AnnunciationThe Annunciation is, in Christianity, the revelation to Mary, the mother of Jesus by the angel Gabriel that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God...
,
NativityThe Nativity of Jesus has been a major subject of Christian art since the 4th century. The artistic depictions of the Nativity or birth of Jesus, celebrated at Christmas, are based on the narratives in the Bible, in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and further elaborated by written, oral and...
,
ChristChrist is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed". It is a translation of the Hebrew . The term "Christ" was a title rather than a proper name. In the four gospels in the New Testament, the word "Christ" is nearly always preceded by the definite article...
, and the
TheotokosTheotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...
herself.
The hymn itself forms an alphabetical acrostic—that is, each
oikos begins with a letter of the Greek alphabet, in order—and it consists of twelve long and twelve short oikoi. Each of the long
oikoi include a seven-line stanza followed by six couplets employing rhyme, assonance, and alliteration, beginning with the greeting
Chaíre (translated as either "Hail!" or "Rejoice!";
Ave in
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
) and ending with the refrain, "Hail, Bride without bridegroom!" (also translated as "Rejoice, thou Bride unwedded!") In the short
oikoi, the seven-line stanza is followed by the refrain, "
AlleluiaThe Alleluia is chanted before the Gospel is proclaimed in the liturgies of the various Christian liturgical rites. Alleluia will be solemnly chanted at other times also, usually in conjunction with Psalm verses.-History:...
!"
The Salutations to the Theotokos service, often known by its Greek name, the
Χαιρετισμοί/Chairetismoí (from the
Χαίρε/Chaíre! so often used in the hymn), consists of
ComplineCompline is the final church service of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours. The English word Compline is derived from the Latin completorium, as Compline is the completion of the working day...
with the Akathist hymn inserted. It is known in Arabic as the
Madayeh.
Icons
There are also several
iconAn icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Catholicism...
s of the Theotokos which are known by the title of "Akathist":
Hilandar
The Icon of the Theotokos "Of the Akathist" is on the
iconostasisIn Eastern Christianity an iconostasis , also called the templon, is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a church. Iconostasis also refers to a portable icon stand that can be placed anywhere within a church...
of
HilandarHilandar is a Serbian Orthodox monastery on Mount Athos in Greece. It was founded in 1198 by the Serbian Saint Sava and his father, Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja of Raška...
Monastery on
Mount AthosMount Athos is a mountain on the peninsula of the same name in Macedonia, of northern Greece, called in Greek Agion Oros , or in English, "Holy Mountain". In Classical times, the peninsula was called Aktí...
. In 1837 a fire occurred at this monastery, and the monks were chanting the Akathist Hymn in front of this icon. Though the fire caused great destruction around it the icon itself remained untouched by the flames.
The feast day of the Icon of the Theotokos "Akathist-Hilandar" is celebrated on January 12 (for those churches which follow the
Julian CalendarThe Julian calendar, a reform of the Roman calendar, was introduced by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, and came into force in 45 BC . It was chosen after consultation with the astronomer Sosigenes of Alexandria and was probably designed to approximate the tropical year, known at least since Hipparchus...
January 12 falls on January 25 of the modern
Gregorian CalendarThe Gregorian calendar is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was first proposed by the Calabrian doctor Aloysius Lilius, and decreed by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, on 24 February 1582 by the papal bull Inter gravissimas...
).
Zographou
A similar icon is venerated in the Monastery of Zographou, also on Mount Athos. The feast day of the Icon of the Theotokos "Akathist-Zographou" is celebrated on October 10 (October 23).
External links