Giorgi Merchule
Encyclopedia
Giorgi Merchule was a 10th-century Georgian
monk and writer who authored "The Vita of Grigol Khandzteli", a hagiographic
novel dealing with the life of the prominent Georgian churchman St.
Grigol Khandzteli (Gregory of Khandzta) (759-861).
Giorgi was a monk at the Georgian Orthodox monastery of Khandzta in Tao
in what is now north-east Turkey
. "Merchule" is not the surname of the author but rather an epithet loosely translated as "specialist in canon law
" or perhaps "theologian" as posited by the Georgian literary scholar Pavle Ingoroqva. Giorgi's wide knowledge of contemporary canon and patristic literature is indeed evidenced by his work.
"The Vita of Grigol Khandzteli" was composed by Merchule in 951, ninety years after the death of its subject, and was somewhat expanded by the Bagratid prince Bagrat
between 958 and 966. The work fell into oblivion until 1845 when the Georgian scholar Niko Chubinashvili came across an 11th-century copy of Merchule’s text at the library of the Jerusalem Patriarchate. Nicholas Marr examined the manuscript in 1902 and published a scholarly edition in 1911 (Тексты и разыскания по армяно-грузинской филологии, VII, СПб., 1911). Since then, "The Vita" has undergone several critical editions, and in abridged and annotated form, it has become an essential component of the Old Georgian literature course taught in schools. Paul Peeters translated the work in Latin in 1923 and David Marshall Lang
published a paraphrased English
version in 1956.
Merchule's eloquent and imaginative prose is unsurpassed in Georgian hagiography. His work is not a traditionally formal account of the saint’s life, but rather shows a characteristic interest in the surrounding world. Merchule widened the range of patristic Georgian narrative to cover intimate details, rhetorical pleas and historical facts. Yet, the popularity of "The Vita" does not stem from its literary merits alone. Written in the crucial period when the resurgent Bagratid dynasty, in close alliance with the church, mounted a struggle, ultimately successful, for the unification of Georgian lands, the work articulates the idea of all-Georgian unity and autocephaly
of the Georgian church. In one of the most-quoted passages of medieval Georgian literature, Merchule advances a definition of Kartli
(a core ethnic and political unit that formed a basis for Georgian unification) based upon religious and linguistic considerations:
"The Vita" is also notable for its allusion to the Bagratids' Davidic origin. This is the first reference to the Bagratid familial legend of the descent from the biblical David
found in Georgian literary sources. Merchule himself, like the subject of his hagiography, energetically supports the cooperation between the monarchy and the church, asserting that "where there is the honor of power, there is the likeness of God" (სადა არს პატივი მთავრობისაჲ, მუნ არს მსგავსებაჲ ღმრთეებისაჲ).
Merchule might also have been engaged in hymn
ography as indicated by a postscript in the manuscript of collection by the 10th-century hymnist Michel Modrekili.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
monk and writer who authored "The Vita of Grigol Khandzteli", a hagiographic
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
novel dealing with the life of the prominent Georgian churchman St.
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
Grigol Khandzteli (Gregory of Khandzta) (759-861).
Giorgi was a monk at the Georgian Orthodox monastery of Khandzta in Tao
Tao-Klarjeti
Tao-Klarjeti is the term conventionally used in modern history writing to describe the historic south-western Georgian principalities, now forming part of north-eastern Turkey and divided among the provinces of Erzurum, Artvin, Ardahan and Kars...
in what is now north-east Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. "Merchule" is not the surname of the author but rather an epithet loosely translated as "specialist in canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
" or perhaps "theologian" as posited by the Georgian literary scholar Pavle Ingoroqva. Giorgi's wide knowledge of contemporary canon and patristic literature is indeed evidenced by his work.
"The Vita of Grigol Khandzteli" was composed by Merchule in 951, ninety years after the death of its subject, and was somewhat expanded by the Bagratid prince Bagrat
Bagrat II of Tao
Bagrat II was a Georgian prince of the Bagratid dynasty of Tao-Klarjeti and hereditary ruler of Upper Tao, with the title of eristavt-eristavi, "duke of dukes", from 961 to 966....
between 958 and 966. The work fell into oblivion until 1845 when the Georgian scholar Niko Chubinashvili came across an 11th-century copy of Merchule’s text at the library of the Jerusalem Patriarchate. Nicholas Marr examined the manuscript in 1902 and published a scholarly edition in 1911 (Тексты и разыскания по армяно-грузинской филологии, VII, СПб., 1911). Since then, "The Vita" has undergone several critical editions, and in abridged and annotated form, it has become an essential component of the Old Georgian literature course taught in schools. Paul Peeters translated the work in Latin in 1923 and David Marshall Lang
David Marshall Lang
David Marshall Lang , was a Professor of Caucasian Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He was one of the most productive British scholars who specialized in Georgian, Armenian and ancient Bulgarian history.David M...
published a paraphrased English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
version in 1956.
Merchule's eloquent and imaginative prose is unsurpassed in Georgian hagiography. His work is not a traditionally formal account of the saint’s life, but rather shows a characteristic interest in the surrounding world. Merchule widened the range of patristic Georgian narrative to cover intimate details, rhetorical pleas and historical facts. Yet, the popularity of "The Vita" does not stem from its literary merits alone. Written in the crucial period when the resurgent Bagratid dynasty, in close alliance with the church, mounted a struggle, ultimately successful, for the unification of Georgian lands, the work articulates the idea of all-Georgian unity and autocephaly
Autocephaly
Autocephaly , in hierarchical Christian churches and especially Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, is the status of a hierarchical church whose head bishop does not report to any higher-ranking bishop...
of the Georgian church. In one of the most-quoted passages of medieval Georgian literature, Merchule advances a definition of Kartli
Kartli
Kartli is a historical region in central-to-eastern Georgia traversed by the river Mtkvari , on which Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, is situated. Known to the Classical authors as Iberia, Kartli played a crucial role in ethnic and political consolidation of the Georgians in the Middle Ages...
(a core ethnic and political unit that formed a basis for Georgian unification) based upon religious and linguistic considerations:
"The Vita" is also notable for its allusion to the Bagratids' Davidic origin. This is the first reference to the Bagratid familial legend of the descent from the biblical David
David
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
found in Georgian literary sources. Merchule himself, like the subject of his hagiography, energetically supports the cooperation between the monarchy and the church, asserting that "where there is the honor of power, there is the likeness of God" (სადა არს პატივი მთავრობისაჲ, მუნ არს მსგავსებაჲ ღმრთეებისაჲ).
Merchule might also have been engaged in hymn
Hymn
A 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...
ography as indicated by a postscript in the manuscript of collection by the 10th-century hymnist Michel Modrekili.