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Axion estin (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: ????? est??, Slavonic: ????ó??? é???, Dostóino yest), or It is Truly Meet, is a theotokion
Theotokion

A Theotokion is a hymn to the Theotokos , which is read or chanted during the Divine Services of the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches churches....
 (sticheron
Sticheron

A sticheron is a particular kind of hymn used in the Divine Liturgy, acolouthia or other services of the Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite....
 composed in honor of the Theotokos
Theotokos

Theotokos is a title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches....
), which is chanted in the Divine Services of the Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church

The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian communion in the world with an estimated 225 million members worldwide. It is considered by its adherents to be the Four Marks of the Church established by Jesus Christ and his Apostles nearly 2000 years ago....
 and Greek-Catholic Churches.

One translation of the hymn goes as follows:

It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos,
ever blessed, and most pure, and the Mother of our God.

More honorable than the cherubim,
and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim.
Without corruption thou gavest birth to God the Word.
True Theotokos, we magnify thee.


The second half of the hymn, beginning with the words, "More honorable than the cherubim..." is the older part of the hymn, and is an Irmos
Irmos

The irmos is the initial verse of each individual ode in a canon , sung by the choir; from the Greek verb "to tie," meaning that it poetically connects the ode to the subject of the canon....
 attributed to St.






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Axion estin (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
: ????? est??, Slavonic: ????ó??? é???, Dostóino yest), or It is Truly Meet, is a theotokion
Theotokion

A Theotokion is a hymn to the Theotokos , which is read or chanted during the Divine Services of the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches churches....
 (sticheron
Sticheron

A sticheron is a particular kind of hymn used in the Divine Liturgy, acolouthia or other services of the Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite....
 composed in honor of the Theotokos
Theotokos

Theotokos is a title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches....
), which is chanted in the Divine Services of the Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church

The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian communion in the world with an estimated 225 million members worldwide. It is considered by its adherents to be the Four Marks of the Church established by Jesus Christ and his Apostles nearly 2000 years ago....
 and Greek-Catholic Churches.

One translation of the hymn goes as follows:

It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos,
ever blessed, and most pure, and the Mother of our God.

More honorable than the cherubim,
and beyond compare more glorious than the seraphim.
Without corruption thou gavest birth to God the Word.
True Theotokos, we magnify thee.


The second half of the hymn, beginning with the words, "More honorable than the cherubim..." is the older part of the hymn, and is an Irmos
Irmos

The irmos is the initial verse of each individual ode in a canon , sung by the choir; from the Greek verb "to tie," meaning that it poetically connects the ode to the subject of the canon....
 attributed to St. Cosmas the Hymnographer († 773
773

Events...
). The introduction, "It is truly meet..." was, according to tradition, revealed by the Archangel
Archangel

Archangels are members of the second choir of angels. Archangels are found in a number of religious traditions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism....
 Gabriel
Gabriel

In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an angel who serves as a messenger from God. He first appears in the Book of Daniel in the Hebrew Bible. In some traditions he is regarded as one of the archangels, or as the angel of death....
 to a monk
Monk

A Monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, the unconditioning of mind and body in favor of the realization of one's true nature, and does so living either alone or with any number of like-minded people, whilst always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose....
 on Mount Athos
Mount Athos

Mount Athos is a mountain on the peninsula of the same name in Macedonia , of northern Greece, called in Greek language Agion Oros , or in English, "Holy Mountain"....
.

The hymn is chanted at Matins
Matins

Matins is the early morning or night prayer service in the Roman Catholic Church, Anglicanism, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodoxy liturgy of the canonical hours....
, Compline
Compline

Compline 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....
, and other services; but its most important occurrence is at the Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy

The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine church tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholic Churches....
, where it is chanted at the conclusion of the Anaphora
Anaphora

In rhetoric, an anaphora is emphasizing words by repeating them at the beginnings of neighboring clauses. In contrast, an Epistrophe is repeating words at the clauses' ends....
. The second half of the hymn, "More honorable…" is frequently chanted before the dismissal
Dismissal

Dismissal or dismissed may refer to:Dismissal*In litigation, a dismissal the result of a successful motion to dismiss. See motion ....
 which concludes services.

Often, the chanting of this hymn is followed by either a metania
Genuflection

Genuflection , bending at least one knee to the ground, was from early times a gesture of deep respect for a superior. In 328 BC, Alexander the Great introduced into his court etiquette some form of genuflection already in use in Persia....
 or a prostration
Prostration

Prostration is the placement of the body in a reverentially or submissively prone position. Major world religions employ prostration either as an act of submissiveness to God or gods, or as a means of embodying reverence for a noble person, persons or doctrine....
.

Icon and legend

Axion Estin is also the name given to the icon
Icon

An 'icon' is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity. More broadly the term is used in a wide number of contexts for an image, picture, or representation; it is a sign or likeness that stands for an object by signifying or representing it either concretely or by analogy, as in semiotics; by extension, ...
 of the Theotokos
Theotokos

Theotokos is a title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches....
 (Mother of God) before which, according to tradition, the hymn was revealed. It stands in the high place of the altar
Altar

An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices and votive offerings are made for religion, or some other sacred place where ceremonies take place....
 (sanctuary) of the katholikon
Katholikon

A Katholikon is the major temple of a monastery, or diocese in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The name derives from the fact that it is the largest temple where all gather together to celebrate the major feast days of the liturgical year....
 (main church) of Karyes
Karyes

Karyes , also known as Arahova, is a community in Laconia, Greece. It is located roughly midway between Tripoli, Greece and Sparti , near . Population 926 ....
 on Mount Athos
Mount Athos

Mount Athos is a mountain on the peninsula of the same name in Macedonia , of northern Greece, called in Greek language Agion Oros , or in English, "Holy Mountain"....
.

According to tradition, an Elder
Starets

A starets is an elder of a Russian Orthodox Church monastery who functions as venerated adviser and teacher. Startsy are charismatic spiritual leaders whose wisdom stems from Intuition obtained from ascetic experience....
 and his disciple
DISCiPLE

The DISCiPLE was a floppy disk Electrical connector for the Sinclair Research ZX Spectrum home computer. Designed by Miles Gordon Technology, it was marketed by Rockfort Products and launched in 1986....
 lived in a cell on Mount Athos. One Saturday night the Elder left to attend the All-Night Vigil
All-Night Vigil

The All-Night Vigil , Opus 37, is an a cappella choir composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff,written and premiered in 1915. It consists of settings of texts taken from the Russian Orthodox All-night vigil ceremony....
 in Karyes. He told his disciple to chant the service alone. That evening an unknown monk who called himself Gabriel, came to the cell, and they began the Vigil together. During the Ninth Ode
Ode

Ode is a form of stately and elaborate lyric poetry. A classic ode is structured in three parts: the strophe, the antistrophe, and the epode....
 of the Canon
Canon (hymnography)

A canon is a structured hymn used in a number of Eastern Orthodoxy services. It consists of nine odes, sometimes called canticles or songs depending on the translation, based on the Biblical canticles....
, when they began to sing the Magnificat
Magnificat

The Magnificat is a canticle frequently sung liturgy in Christian church services. The text of the canticle is taken directly from the Gospel of Luke where it is spoken by the Virgin Mary upon the occasion of her Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth....
, the disciple sang the original hymn "More honorable than the Cherubim…" and afterwards the visiting monk chanted it again, but with "It is truly meet…" preceding the original Irmos
Irmos

The irmos is the initial verse of each individual ode in a canon , sung by the choir; from the Greek verb "to tie," meaning that it poetically connects the ode to the subject of the canon....
. As he sang, the icon began to radiate with Uncreated Light
Tabor Light

In Eastern Orthodox theology, the Tabor Light is the light revealed on Mount Tabor, Israel at the Transfiguration of Jesus, identified with the light seen by Conversion of Paul....
. When the disciple asked the visiting monk to write the words of the new hymn down, he took a roof tile and wrote on it with his finger, as though the tile were made of wax. The disciple knew then that this was no ordinary monk, but the Archangel Gabriel. At that moment the Archangel disappeared, but the icon of the Mother of God continued to radiate light for some time afterward.

The Eleousa ("merciful") Icon of the Mother of God, before which the hymn "It Is Truly Meet" was first chanted, was transferred to the katholikon
Katholikon

A Katholikon is the major temple of a monastery, or diocese in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The name derives from the fact that it is the largest temple where all gather together to celebrate the major feast days of the liturgical year....
 (main church) at Karyes, known as the Protaton. The tile, with the hymn written on it, was taken to Constantinople
Constantinople

Constantinople was the empire capital of the Roman Empire , the Byzantine Empire , the Latin Empire , and the Ottoman Empire . Strategically located between the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara at the point where Europe meets Asia, Byzantine Constantinople had been the capital of a Christendom empire, successor to ancient ancient Greece...
 when St. Nicholas II Chrysoberges was Patriarch
Patriarch

Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised Autocracy authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy....
 (984
984

Events...
-996
996

Events...
). The hymn became integrated in the Eastern Orthodox worship books and since then it plays an important role in everyday worship, being chanted in the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and recited at the Compline
Compline

Compline 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....
.

Since that time the icon has been considered the protector
Patron saint

A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, or person. Patron saints, because they have already transcended to the metaphysical, are able to intercede effectively for the needs of their special charges....
 of the Holy Mountain
Mount Athos

Mount Athos is a mountain on the peninsula of the same name in Macedonia , of northern Greece, called in Greek language Agion Oros , or in English, "Holy Mountain"....
 and its holiest object.

Feast Day

The feast day celebrating the revelation of the hymn by the Archangel Gabriel, and the Icon
Icon

An 'icon' is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity. More broadly the term is used in a wide number of contexts for an image, picture, or representation; it is a sign or likeness that stands for an object by signifying or representing it either concretely or by analogy, as in semiotics; by extension, ...
 of the Theotokos
Theotokos

Theotokos is a title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches....
 of the same name, is celebrated on June 11.

Hymns in place of Axion Estin

During the Divine Liturgy, Axion Estin is sometimes replaced by another hymn to the Theotokos. These hymns are referred to in the service books
Canonical hours

Canonical hours are divisions of time, developed by the Christianity Christian Church, serving as increments between the prescribed prayers of the daily round....
 as "in place of Axion Estin" (Slavonic: ?????????????, Zadostoinnik).

At the Liturgy of St. Basil, it is replaced by the hymn:

All of Creation rejoices in thee, O full of grace:
the angels in heaven and the race of men,
O sanctified temple and noetic paradise,
the glory of virgins, of whom God was incarnate
and became a child, our God before the ages.
He made thy body into a throne,
and thy womb more spacious than the heavens.
All of creation rejoices in thee, O full of grace:
Glory be to thee.


On the Great Feasts, it is replaced by the Irmos
Irmos

The irmos is the initial verse of each individual ode in a canon , sung by the choir; from the Greek verb "to tie," meaning that it poetically connects the ode to the subject of the canon....
 of the ninth Ode
Canticle

A canticle is a hymn taken from the Bible. The term is often expanded to include ancient non-biblical hymns such as the Te Deum and certain psalms used liturgy....
 of the Canon
Canon (hymnography)

A canon is a structured hymn used in a number of Eastern Orthodoxy services. It consists of nine odes, sometimes called canticles or songs depending on the translation, based on the Biblical canticles....
 of the Feast.

See also

  • Agni Parthene
    Agni Parthene

    Agni Parthene is a liturgical hymn composed by Nectarios, drawn from the Theotokarion .Sometimes performed in Eastern Orthodox Church churches at the beginning of Vespers....


External links

  • the Synaxarion of the feast (note: the icon depicted here is not "Axion Estin")