An Akathist Hymn ( el, Ἀκάθιστος Ὕμνος, "unseated hymn") is a type of

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

usually recited by

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...

Eastern Catholic The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous ('' sui iuris'') particular churches of t ...

Christians, dedicated to a

saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...

, holy event, or one of the persons of the

Holy Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...

. The name derives from the fact that during the chanting of the hymn, or sometimes the whole service, the congregation is expected to remain standing in reverence, without sitting down (ἀ-, ''a-'', "without, not" and κάθισις, ''káthisis'', "sitting"), except for the aged or infirm. During Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Christian religious services in general, sitting, standing, bowing and the making of

prostrations Prostration is the gesture of placing one's body in a reverentially or submissively prone position. Typically prostration is distinguished from the lesser acts of bowing or kneeling by involving a part of the body above the knee, especially ...

are set by an intricate set of rules, as well as individual discretion. Only during readings of the

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...

and the singing of Akathists is standing considered mandatory for all.

History

The Akathist is also known by the first three words of its ''prooimion'' (preamble), ''Têi hypermáchōi strategôi'' (Τῇ ὑπερμάχῳ στρατηγῷ, "To you, invincible champion") addressed to Holy Mary (Panagia Theotokos, "The all-holy birth-giver of God"). The akathist ''par excellence'' is the one written during the seventh century for the feast of

Annunciation The Annunciation (from Latin '), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the biblical tale of the announcement by the ange ...

of the

Theotokos ''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or ''Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are " ...

(25 March). This

kontakion The kontakion (Greek , plural , ''kontakia'') is a form of hymn performed in the Orthodox and the Eastern Catholic liturgical traditions. The kontakion originated in the Byzantine Empire around the 6th century and is closely associated with Sain ...

was traditionally attributed to

Romanos the Melodist Romanos the Melodist (; late 5th-century — after 555) was a Byzantine hymnographer and composer, who is a central early figure in the history of Byzantine music. Called "the Pindar of rhythmic poetry", he flourished during the sixth century ...

since kontakia of Romanos dominated the classical repertoire 80 kontakia sung during the cathedral rite of the

Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia ( 'Holy Wisdom'; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque ( tr, Ayasofya-i Kebir Cami-i Şerifi), is a mosque and major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The cathedral was originally built as a Greek Ortho ...

, though recent scholarship rejects this authorship like in case of many other kontakia of the core repertoire. The exceptional case of the Akathist is that the Greek original consists of 24 oikoi, each one beginning with the next letter of the alphabet. Due to the excessive length the kontakion became truncated like the others, but even the earliest chant books with musical notation (the Tipografsky Ustav, for instance) have the complete text of all 24 oikoi written out, but the last 23 oikoi without musical notation. Since the 14th century the Akathist moved from the menaion to the moveable cycle of the

triodion The Triodion ( el, Τριῴδιον, ; cu, Постнаѧ Трїωдь, ; ro, Triodul, sq, Triod/Triodi), also called the Lenten Triodion (, ), is a liturgical book used by the Eastern Orthodox Church. The book contains the propers for t ...

, and the custom established that the whole hymn was sung in four sections throughout Lent. As such it became part of the service of the Salutations to the Theotokos (used in the Byzantine tradition during

Great Lent Great Lent, or the Great Fast, (Greek: Μεγάλη Τεσσαρακοστή or Μεγάλη Νηστεία, meaning "Great 40 Days," and "Great Fast," respectively) is the most important fasting season of the church year within many denominat ...

). Another particular characteristic feature of the Akathist is the extraordinary length of the refrain or ''ephymnion'' which consists of a great number of verses beginning with χαῖρε (“Rejoice”) which are called in Greek ''Chairetismoi'' (Χαιρετισμοί, "Rejoicings") or in Arabic ''Madayeh'', respectively; in the Slavic tradition these are known as ''Khayretizmy'' (Хайретизмы). The chairetismoi are only repeated in every second oikos, and from a musical point of view the ''ephymnion'' consists just of a short musical phrase, either about the last χαῖρε verse or about allelouia. The writing of akathists (occasionally spelled ''acathist'') developed within the Slavic traditions as a genre of its own as part of the general composition of an

akolouthia Acolouthia ( el, ἀκολουθία, "a following"; cu, последование, posledovanie) in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches, signifies the arrangement of the Divine Services (Canonical Hours or Divine Office), perhaps bec ...

, although not all compositions are widely known nor translated beyond the original language.

Reader A reader is a person who reads. It may also refer to: Computing and technology * Adobe Reader (now Adobe Acrobat), a PDF reader * Bible Reader for Palm, a discontinued PDA application * A card reader, for extracting data from various forms of ...

Isaac E. Lambertsen has done a large amount of translation work, including many different akathists. Most of the newer akathists are pastiche, that is, a generic form imitating the original 6th-century akathist to the Theotokos into which a particular saint's name is inserted. In the Greek, Arabic, and Russian Old Rite traditions, the only akathist permitted in formal liturgical use is the original akathist.

The origin

Apart from its usual dedication to the menaion and the early custom to celebrate kontakia during the Pannychis (festive night vigil celebrated at the Blachernae chapel), the Akathist had also the political function to celebrate military victories or to ask during wars for divine protection intermediated by prayers of the Theotokos. This function is reflected within the synaxarion. According to the synaxary the origin of the feast is assigned by the Synaxarion to the year 626, when

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

, in the reign of

Heraclius Heraclius ( grc-gre, Ἡράκλειος, Hērákleios; c. 575 – 11 February 641), was List of Byzantine emperors, Eastern Roman emperor from 610 to 641. His rise to power began in 608, when he and his father, Heraclius the Elder, the Exa ...

, was attacked by the

Persians The Persians are an Iranian ethnic group who comprise over half of the population of Iran. They share a common cultural system and are native speakers of the Persian language as well as of the languages that are closely related to Persian. ...

and Avars but saved through the intervention of the Most Holy

. A sudden hurricane dispersed the fleet of the enemy, casting the vessels on the shore near the Great church of the Theotokos at

Blachernae Blachernae ( gkm, Βλαχέρναι) was a suburb in the northwestern section of Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire. It is the site of a water source and a number of prominent churches were built there, most notably the great ...

, a quarter of Constantinople inside the

Golden Horn The Golden Horn ( tr, Altın Boynuz or ''Haliç''; grc, Χρυσόκερας, ''Chrysókeras''; la, Sinus Ceratinus) is a major urban waterway and the primary inlet of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey. As a natural estuary that connects with t ...

. The people spent the whole night, says the account, thanking her for the unexpected deliverance. "From that time, therefore, the

Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

, in memory of so great and so divine a miracle, desired this day to be a feast in honour of the Mother of God ... and called it Acathistus" (Synaxarion). This origin is disputed by

Sophocles Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or co ...

on the grounds that the hymn could not have been composed in one day, while on the other hand its twenty-four oikoi contain no allusion to such an event and therefore could scarcely have been originally composed to commemorate it. Perhaps the kontakion, which might seem to be allusive, was originally composed for the celebration on the night of the victory. However the feast may have originated, the Synaxarion commemorates two other victories, under

Leo III the Isaurian Leo III the Isaurian ( gr, Λέων ὁ Ἴσαυρος, Leōn ho Isauros; la, Leo Isaurus; 685 – 18 June 741), also known as the Syrian, was Byzantine Emperor from 717 until his death in 741 and founder of the Isaurian dynasty. He put an en ...

, and

Constantine Pogonatus Constantine IV ( la, Constantinus; grc-gre, Κωνσταντῖνος, Kōnstantînos; 650–685), called the Younger ( la, iunior; grc-gre, ὁ νέος, ho néos) and sometimes incorrectly the Bearded ( la, Pogonatus; grc-gre, Πωγων ...

, similarly ascribed to the intervention of the Theotokos. No certain ascription of its authorship can be made. It has been attributed to

Patriarch Sergius I of Constantinople Sergius I ( el, Σέργιος Α΄, ''Sergios I'' ; d. 9 December 638 in Constantinople) was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 610 to 638. He is most famous for promoting Monothelite Christianity, especially through the ''Ecthesi ...

, whose pious activities the Synaxarion commemorates in great detail. J.M. Quercius (1777) assigns it to George Pisida, deacon, archivist, and sacristan of

whose poems find an echo both in style and in theme in the Akathist; the elegance, antithetic and balanced style, the vividness of the narrative, the flowers of poetic imagery being all very suggestive of his work. His position as sacristan would naturally suggest such a tribute to the

, as the hymn only gives more elaborately the sentiments condensed into two epigrams of Pisida found in her church at

. Quercius also argues that words, phrases, and sentences of the hymn are to be found in the poetry of Pisida. Leclercqin Cabrol, Dictionnaire d’archéologie chrétienne et de liturgie, s.v. "Acathistus" finds nothing absolutely demonstrative in such a comparison and offers a suggestion which may possibly help to a solution of the problem.

Structure

When an akathist is chanted by itself, the

Usual beginning The usual beginning is the series of prayers with which most Divine Services begin in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite. Normal form The usual beginning starts with a blessing by the pr ...

, a series of prayers which include the

Trisagion The ''Trisagion'' ( el, Τρισάγιον; 'Thrice Holy'), sometimes called by its opening line ''Agios O Theos'', is a standard hymn of the Divine Liturgy in most of the Eastern Orthodox, Western Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Cathol ...

(thrice-holy) is often said as a prelude to the akathist hymn. The akathist may also be included as a part of another service, such as

Matins Matins (also Mattins) is a canonical hour in Christian liturgy, originally sung during the darkness of early morning. The earliest use of the term was in reference to the canonical hour, also called the vigil, which was originally celebrated by ...

or a

Molieben A Paraklesis ( el, Παράκλησις, Slavonic: молебенъ) or Supplicatory Canon in the Byzantine Rite, is a service of supplication for the welfare of the living. It is addressed to a specific Saint or to the Most Holy Theotokos wh ...

. The hymn itself is divided into thirteen parts, each of which is composed of a ''

'' and an ''

oikos The ancient Greek word ''oikos'' (ancient Greek: , plural: ; English prefix: eco- for ecology and economics) refers to three related but distinct concepts: the family, the family's property, and the house. Its meaning shifts even within texts. The ...

'' (Greek: οίκος, house, possibly derived from

Syriac Syriac may refer to: *Syriac language, an ancient dialect of Middle Aramaic *Sureth, one of the modern dialects of Syriac spoken in the Nineveh Plains region * Syriac alphabet ** Syriac (Unicode block) ** Syriac Supplement * Neo-Aramaic languages a ...

terminology). The ''kontakion'' usually ends with the exclamation: Alleluia, which is repeated by a

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...

in full settings or

chant A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes ...

ed by the

reader A reader is a person who reads. It may also refer to: Computing and technology * Adobe Reader (now Adobe Acrobat), a PDF reader * Bible Reader for Palm, a discontinued PDA application * A card reader, for extracting data from various forms of ...

in simple settings. Within the latter part of the ''oikos'' comes an anaphoric entreaty, such as Come or Rejoice. For example, the Akathist to the Theotokos: :Queen of the Heavenly Host, Defender of our souls, we thy servants offer to thee songs of victory and thanksgiving, for thou, O Mother of God, hast delivered us from dangers. But as thou hast invincible power, free us from conflicts of all kinds that we may cry to thee: *Rejoice, unwedded Bride! :An Archangel was sent from Heaven to say to the Mother of God: Rejoice! And seeing Thee, O Lord, taking bodily form, he was amazed and with his bodiless voice he stood crying to her such things as these: *Rejoice, thou through whom joy will flash forth! *Rejoice, thou through whom the curse will cease! *Rejoice, revival of fallen Adam! *Rejoice, redemption of the tears of Eve! *Rejoice, height hard to climb for human thoughts! *Rejoice, depth hard to contemplate even for the eyes of Angels! *Rejoice, thou who art the King's throne! *Rejoice, thou who bearest Him Who bears all! *Rejoice, star that causest the Sun to appear! *Rejoice, womb of the divine incarnation! *Rejoice, thou through whom creation becomes new! *Rejoice, thou through whom the Creator becomes a babe! *Rejoice, unwedded bride! The thirteenth ''kontakion'' (which, unlike the preceding twelve, does not have a corresponding ''oikos'') is usually followed by the repetition of the first ''oikos'' and ''kontakion''. After the thirteen ''kontakia'' and ''oikoi'', additional prayers are added, such as a ''

troparion A troparion (Greek , plural: , ; Georgian: , ; Church Slavonic: , ) in Byzantine music and in the religious music of Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a short hymn of one stanza, or organised in more complex forms as series of stanzas. The wi ...

'' and another ''kontakion''. The final ''kontakion'' is the famous "''Tēi Hypermáchōi Stratēgōi''" ("Unto the Defender General"), a hymn addressing

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

as the savior of

in the 626 siege:

:Unto the Defender General the dues of victory, ::and for the deliverance from woes, the thanksgiving :::I, Thy
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
, ascribe Thee, O
Theotokos ''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or ''Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are " ...
. :And having your might unassailable, ::deliver me from all danger :::so that I may cry unto Thee: :Rejoice, O Bride unwedded.

Various ways of celebration

When the word ''akathist'' is used alone, it most commonly refers to the original hymn by this name, the 6th century Akathist to the

. This hymn is often split into four parts and sung at the "Salutations to the Theotokos" service on the first four Friday evenings in

; the entire Akathist is then sung on the fifth Friday evening. Traditionally it is included in the

Orthros ''Orthros'' ( Greek: , meaning "early dawn" or "daybreak") or ''Oútrenya'' ( Slavonic Оўтреня), in the Byzantine Rite of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches, is the last of the four night offices (church service ...

(Matins) of the Fifth Saturday of Great Lent, which for this reason is known as the "Saturday of the Akathist". In

monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

of Athonite tradition, the whole Akathist is usually inserted nightly at

Compline Compline ( ), also known as Complin, Night Prayer, or the Prayers at the End of the Day, is the final prayer service (or office) of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours, which are prayed at fixed prayer times. The English wo ...

. The four sections into which the Akathist is divided correspond to the themes of the

, Nativity,

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...

, and the

herself. The hymn itself forms an alphabetical acrostic—that is, each ''oikos'' begins with a letter of the Greek alphabet, in order—and it consists of twelve long and twelve short ''oikoi''. Each of the long oikoi include a seven-line stanza followed by six couplets employing rhyme, assonance and alliteration, beginning with the greeting ''Chaíre'' and ending with the refrain, "Rejoice, Bride without bridegroom!" (also translated as "Rejoice, thou Bride unwedded!") In the short oikoi, the seven-line stanza is followed by the refrain, ''

Alleluia Alleluia (derived from the Hebrew ''Hallelujah'', meaning "Praise Yahweh") is a Latin phrase in Christianity used to give praise to God. In Christian worship, Alleluia is used as a liturgical chant in which that word is combined with verses of ...

''. The Salutations to the Theotokos service, often known by its Greek name, the ''Χαιρετισμοί/Chairetismoí'' (from the ''Χαίρε/Chaíre!'' so often used in the hymn), consists of

with the Akathist hymn inserted. It is known in Arabic as the ''Madayeh''.

Salutations of the Theotokos

On the First Four Fridays of Lent

Usual Beginning The usual beginning is the series of prayers with which most Divine Services begin in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite. Normal form The usual beginning starts with a blessing by the pr ...

* Psalms 50, 69 and

142 142 may refer to: * 142 (number), an integer * AD 142 Year 142 ( CXLII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known in the Roman Empire as the Year of the Consul ...

* Small Doxology *

Nicene Creed The original Nicene Creed (; grc-gre, Σύμβολον τῆς Νικαίας; la, Symbolum Nicaenum) was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople. The amended form is a ...

* '' It is truly meet'' *

Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

to the Mother of God * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Portion of the Akathist: ** First Friday: Ikos 1-Kontakion 4 ** Second Friday: Ikos 4-Kontakion 7 ** Third Friday: Ikos 7-Kontakion 10 ** Fourth Friday: Ikos 10-Kontakion 13 (+ Ikos 1) * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Trisagion Prayers * Kontakion: ** First Friday: St Theodore the Recruit ** Other Fridays: Martyrs * Prayers to the Theotokos, Christ and the Holy Trinity * First Friday only: Gospel: * Dismissal * Mutual forgiveness * Litany: "Let us pray for the peace of the world" * Sessional Hymn: "Gabriel stood amazed"

On the Fifth Friday of Lent (Greek parish use)

* Usual Beginning * Psalms 50, 69 and 142 * Small Doxology * Nicene Creed * ''It is truly meet'' * Troparion: "Taking knowledge of the secret command" (thrice) * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Ikos 1-Kontakion 4 * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Canon to the Theotokos Odes 1 & 3 * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Ikos 4-Kontakion 7 * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Canon to the Theotokos Odes 4-6 * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Ikos 7-Kontakion 10 * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Canon to the Theotokos Odes 7-9 * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Ikos 10-Kontakion 13 (+ Ikos 1) * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Trisagion Prayers * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Prayers to the Theotokos, Christ and the Holy Trinity * Dismissal * Mutual forgiveness * Litany: "Let us pray for the peace of the world" * Sessional Hymn: "Gabriel stood amazed"

Matins of the Akathist (Slavic and Greek monastery use)

* Usual beginning * Psalms 19 and 20 * Trisagion Prayers * Troparia: "O Lord, save Thy people" Glory... "Lifted up willingly" Both now... "O protectress of Christians" * Short Litany * Blessing: "Glory to the holy, consubstantial, life-giving and undivided Trinity" * Six Psalms: Psalms 3, 37, 62, 87,

102 102 may refer to: * 102 (number), the number * AD 102, a year in the 2nd century AD * 102 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 102 (ambulance service), an emergency medical transport service in Uttar Pradesh, India * 102 (Clyde) Field Squadron, Royal ...

and 142 * Great Litany * "God is the Lord" in Tone 8 ** Troparion: "Taking knowledge of the secret command" (thrice) * Psalter Reading: Sixteenth

Kathisma A kathisma (Greek: κάθισμα; Slavonic: каѳисма, ''kai-isma''), literally, "seat", is a division of the Psalter, used in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Rite Catholic churches. The word may also describe a hymn sung at Matins, a ...

* Little Litany * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Ikos 1-Kontakion 4 * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Psalter Reading: Seventeenth Kathisma * Little Litany * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Ikos 4-Kontakion 7 * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Psalm 50 * Canons to the Patron Saint and the Theotokos Odes 1 & 3 * Little Litany * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Ikos 7-Kontakion 10 * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Sessional Hymn: "Coming to the city of Nazareth" * Canons to the Patron Saint and the Theotokos Odes 4 & 5 * Canon to the Theotokos and Four-Ode Canons Ode 6 * Little Litany * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Ikos 10-Kontakion 13 (+ Ikos 1) * Kontakion: "To Thee the Champion Leader" * Canon to the Theotokos and Four-Ode Canons Odes 7 & 8 *

Magnificat The Magnificat (Latin for "

y soul Y, or y, is the twenty-fifth and penultimate letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. According to some authorities, it is the sixth (or sevent ...

magnifies

he Lord He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

) is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary, the Canticle of Mary and, in the Eastern Christianity, Byzantine tradition, the Ode of the Theotokos (). It is traditionally incorporated ...

* Canon to the Theotokos and Four-Ode Canons Ode 9 * Little Litany * Exapostilarion: "The mystery hidden from all ages" * Lauds in Tone 4 with 4 stichera: ** "A mystery hidden" (twice); "A pavilion full of light is prepared for Thee"; "Gabriel the Archangel shall come to thee openly" ** Glory... Both now... "The Theotokos heard a voice she knew not" * Great Doxology * Troparion: "Taking knowledge of the secret command" * Litany of Fervent Intercession * Morning Litany with Bowing of Heads * Dismissal

Icons

There are also several

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

s of the Theotokos which are known by the title of "Akathist":

Hilandar

The Icon of the Theotokos "Of the Akathist" is on the

iconostasis In Eastern Christianity, an iconostasis ( gr, εἰκονοστάσιον) is a wall of icons and religious paintings, separating the nave from the sanctuary in a Church (building), church. ''Iconostasis'' also refers to a portable icon stand t ...

Hilandar The Hilandar Monastery ( sr-cyr, Манастир Хиландар, Manastir Hilandar, , el, Μονή Χιλανδαρίου) is one of the twenty Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Mount Athos in Greece and the only Serbian monastery there. It wa ...

Monastery on

Mount Athos Mount Athos (; el, Ἄθως, ) is a mountain in the distal part of the eponymous Athos peninsula and site of an important centre of Eastern Orthodox monasticism in northeastern Greece. The mountain along with the respective part of the penins ...

. In 1837 a fire occurred at this monastery, and the monks were chanting the Akathist Hymn in front of this icon. Though the fire caused great destruction around it the icon itself remained untouched by the flames. The

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...

of the Icon of the Theotokos "Akathist-Hilandar" is celebrated on January 12 (for those churches which follow the

Julian Calendar The Julian calendar, proposed by Roman consul Julius Caesar in 46 BC, was a reform of the Roman calendar. It took effect on , by edict. It was designed with the aid of Greek mathematicians and astronomers such as Sosigenes of Alexandr ...

January 12 falls on January 25 of the modern

Gregorian Calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...

Zographou

A similar icon is venerated in the Monastery of Zographou, also on Mount Athos. The feast day of the Icon of the Theotokos "Akathist-Zographou" is celebrated on October 10 (October 23).

References

Sources

* * * * * * *

Editions

*Papagiannis, Gregorios (2006). Ακάθιστος Ύμνος. Άγνωστες πτυχές ενός πολύ γνωστού κειμένου. Κριτικές και μετρικές παρατηρήσεις, σχολιασμένη βιβλιογραφία. Thessaloniki. * *

Studies

*Churkin, Aleksandr (2007). �
Русский акафист середины XIX – начала XX века, как жанр массовой литературы. Доклад
he Russian Akathist in the middle of 19th – beginning 20th century as a mass literature genre. Report��. In Bolsheva, A. O. (ed.). ''Материалы XXXVI Международной филологической конференции 12 – 17 марта 2007 г''. St. Petersburg. pp. 23–33. * *

External links

*Some material for this article taken fro
Akathist
an OrthodoxWiki article.

article from ''

The Catholic Encyclopedia The ''Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church'' (also referred to as the ''Old Catholic Encyclopedia'' and the ''Original Catholic Encyclopedia'') i ...

''
Saturday of the Akathist
Orthodox icon and synaxarion
Icon of the Theotokos of the Akathist-Hilandar

Icon of the Theotokos of the Akathist-ZographouArticle with akathists to different saints
{{Authority control Genres of Byzantine music Eastern Christian hymns Marian hymns