Akathistos

If you haven’t noticed yet, I love icons. This is very ironic because one of the things that I struggled with most about the Orthodox Church was the icons.

Growing up, I was always under the impression that any likeness of Christ could not be correct, and, therefore, it was unbiblical/unchristian to have images of Christ at all. If you don’t know much about iconography, here is an explanation from OrthodoxWiki:

• Iconography (from Greek εικονογραφία) refers to the making and liturgical use of icons, pictorial representations of Biblical scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, historical events in the life of the Church, and portraits of the saints. Icons are usually two-dimensional images and may be made of paint, mosaic, embroidery, weaving, carving, engraving, or other methods.

  Images have always been a vital part of the Church, but their place was the subject of the Iconoclast Controversy in the 8th and 9th centuries, especially in the East. The Sunday of Orthodoxy, the first Sunday of the Lent every year celebrates the reestablishment of the Orthodox veneration of icons (The reverence and veneration shown to icons is not directed to mere paint, wood, or stones, but towards those depicted). The use of iconography is considered one of the most distinctive elements of the Byzantine rite.

• The most literal translation of the word εικονογραφία (eikonographia) is “image writing,” leading many English-speaking Orthodox Christians to insist that icons are not “painted” but rather “written.” From there, further explanations are given that icons are to be understood in a manner similar to Holy Scripture—that is, they are not simply artistic compositions but rather are witnesses to the truth the way Scripture is. Far from being imaginitive creations of the iconographer, they are more like scribal copies of the Bible.

  While the explanation of the purpose and nature of icons is certainly true and consistent with the Church’s Holy Tradition, there is a linguistic problem with the insistence on the word written rather than painted. In Greek, a painted portrait of anyone is also a ‘γραφή’ (graphi), and the art of painting itself is called ζωγραφιά (zographia). Ancient Greek literally uses the same root word to refer to the making of portraits and the making of icons, but distinguishes whether it is “painting from life” ‘ζωγραφιά’ or “painting icons” ‘εικονογραφία’. Thus, from a linguistic point of view, either all paintings—whether icons or simple portraits—are “written” or (more likely) “painted” is a perfectly usable English translation, simply making a distinction between the painting appropriate for icons and that appropriate for other kinds of painting, just as Greek does.

The Icon “O All-Hymned Mother” derives its title from the thirteenth Kontakion of the Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos. “O All-Hymned Mother who bore the Word, holiest of all the saints….”

The Mother of God wears a crown, and clasps Her child to Her breast with both hands. Christ is held in Her left arm, and rests on Her left shoulder. He is facing Her, and both of His hands are placed below Her neck.

Instead of the usual stars on Her head and shoulders, the faces of angels appear in three circles. This is similar to the Arabian Icon (September 6) and the “Stone of the Mountain not cut by Hands” Icon on the iconostasis of the cathedral of the Transfiguration at Solovki.