Praying with the senses

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Brajović, S., & Erdeljan, J. (2015). Praying with the senses: Examples of icon devotion and the sensory experience in medieval and early modern Balkans, (39), 57-63. doi:10.2298/ZOG1539057B
Details
Title

Praying with the senses

Subtitle

Examples of icon devotion and the sensory experience in medieval and early modern Balkans

Author

Saša, Brajović, Jelena, Erdeljan

Journal

Zograf

Volume
Issue

39

Start page

57

End page

63

ISSN

0350-1361

ISBN
DOI

10.2298/ZOG1539057B

URL

http://www.doiserbia.nb.rs/Article.aspx?ID=0350-13611539057B

Date

2015-2020/03/12/12:16:21

Abstract

This paper discusses sensory experience in the practice of devotion of two highly venerated icons in medieval and Early Modern Balkans: the mosaic icon of the Virgin Hodegetria from the monastery of Chilandar and the icon of Gospa of Škrpjela (Our Lady of the Reef) from the Bay of Kotor. Although part of two different, albeit historically intertwined and perpetually connected cultural and liturgical spheres, icon veneration in both the Orthodox and the Catholic community of the broader Mediterranean world and the Balkans in medieval and Early Modern times shares the same source. It relies on the traditional Byzantine manner of icon veneration. This is particularly true of highly venerated and often miracle working images of the Mother of God, identity markers of political, social and religious entities, objects of private devotion as well as performative objects around which are centered public rituals of liturgical processions and ephemeral spectacles.

Keywords

medieval Serbia, Bay of Kotor in early modern times, Gospa od Škrpjela, Hodegetria, icon veneration, Mother of God, sensory experience