Byzantine Civilization - The Virgin Beyond Borders

Research on the Marian cult, which has greatly gained ground in the past two decades is essentially based on Greek sources and evidence deriving from the capital of the Empire. This research project, in availing itself of records deriving from the marginal areas of the Empire (mainly Syria and Egypt), aims to bring little-known aspects of Marian devotion to bear on the general discussion. Furthermore, it aims to explore aspects of the cult of the Virgin that have not been sufficiently researched and also record –and thereby salvage for posterity– surviving traditions of Marian devotion.

History

The project was initiated in 2017 at the Institute for Historical Research of the NHRF by Niki Tsironis, its scientific director and research coordinator in collaboration with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies of Simon Fraser University (Vancouver) under the scientific supervision of Dr Sabrina Higgins, Professor in Hellenic Studies and Archaeology in SFU, in 2017.

This study of the development of the cult of the Virgin and its associated traditions in the context of the Eastern Mediterranean will proceed to a comparative examination of the sources. The collection and study of the aforementioned material is organized in chronological order: records dating from the early, middle and late Byzantine period followed by the post-Byzantine era down to contemporary material encountered in local cults of the Virgin.

In the context of the project we study material brought to light in archaeological excavations in Egypt and Syria, but also textual evidence from Greek, Syriac, Coptic sources relevant to the Marian cult during the Late Antique and Byzantine period. The members of the project contribute towards the development of an open access database.

The functionality of the digital application will grant researchers access to material available only in situ in the area of the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East, as well as to records kept in public and private collections. In the first phase of the project priority is given to photographic material from the excavations of churches dedicated to the Virgin in Egypt, woodcarvings, metalwork, epigraphs, as well as minor arts from the specific areas.

The project involves three distinct assignments:

1. Digital Mary Project. A Digital Platform of Marian Records
   The platform will incorporate records deriving from history of art, archaeology and architecture, as well as textual records in Greek, Syriac and Coptic. The database was designed and adapted to the needs of the project by the research team of the Digital Humanities Innovation Laboratory of Simon Fraser University in cooperation with the scientific team of the NHRF.
   
   
2. Aspects of Marian Devotion
   This section includes the study by Sabrina Higgins (Professor of Aegean and Mediterranean Societies and Cultures) into the early forms of Marian devotion. Dr Higgins has been awarded a $32,598 Insight Development Grant by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for her work “The Early Cult of the Virgin and the Hegemony of the Text”. In her essay, Professor Higgins questions the primacy of the text over the material culture artefacts, and supports an eighth century turning point for the development of Marian devotion.
   
   The same section will also encompass the work of Dr Niki Tsironis on the Study of the Lament of the Virgin Mary, in her capacity as adjunct Professor of Byzantine Studies at Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre for Hellenic Studies, Simon Fraser University. The study explores the background traditions of the Eastern Mediterranean that were incorporated into the Lament of the Virgin Mary during the Byzantine era.
   
   The two studies will be independently published as monographs (2021 and 2022).
   
   
3. Local Cults of the Virgin
   Aspects of Marian cult survived during the Post-Byzantine Period and are still to be encountered to a certain extent in rural areas of Greece and the Balkans. Modern survivals are linked to historical traditions and the accompanying rituals and provide valuable material for the study of Marian cult. The surviving material is recorded in written form (manuscripts, books, pamphlets, cards etc.), as well as in photographic records, voice and video recordings of the past few decades and will be examined in cooperation with social anthropologists, folklorists and musicologists.   

Members

Niki Tsironis, FSP A (Project Director)