''Axion estin'' (

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: , Slavonic: Достóйно éсть, ''Dostóino yesť''), or It is Truly Meet, is a

megalynarion The Megalynarion (Greek , "magnification", "that which magnifies";In the archaic sense of the word; see also called ''Velichaniye'' in Church Slavonic) is a special hymn used in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches th ...

and a

theotokion A Theotokion (; pl. ) is a hymn to Mary the Theotokos (), which is read or chanted ( troparion or sticheron) during the canonical hours and Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches, as well as in the praises of the Or ...

, i.e. a magnification of and a

Hymn to Mary Marian hymns are Christian songs focused on Mary, mother of Jesus. They are used in both devotional and liturgical services, particularly by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran churches. They are often used in the mont ...

used in the

Divine Services In the practice of Christianity, canonical hours mark the divisions of the day in terms of fixed times of prayer at regular intervals. A book of hours, chiefly a breviary, normally contains a version of, or selection from, such prayers. In t ...

of the

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 ...

and

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

churches. It consists of 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 a sticheron composed in honor of the Theotokos (i.e. the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

). ''Axion estin'' is also the name of type of

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 ...

of the Theotokos, also known as the ''

Eleousa The Eleusa (or ''Eleousa''; el, Ἐλεούσα – ''tenderness'' or ''showing mercy'') is a type of depiction of the Virgin Mary in icons in which the Christ Child is nestled against her cheek. In the Western Church the type is often known as t ...

'' type, after the icon of

Karyes Karyes (Greek: Καρυές, before 1930: Αράχωβα - ''Arachova'') is a village of the Peloponnese peninsula, which is located in the southern part of Greece. The Peloponnese is made up of a number of states and Karyes belongs to the state ...

( Mount Athos) in front of which, according to tradition, the hymn was revealed in the late 10th century. At Karyes, the icon is currently kept in the

Protaton The Protaton ( el, Πρωτάτο), also known as the Dormition of the Theotokos Church ( el, Ναός Κοίμησης της Θεοτόκου), is the main church of Karyes, Mount Athos. It also serves as the ecclesiastical seat of the Proto ...

Text

The second half of the hymn, beginning with the words, "More honorable than the cherubim..." is the older part of the hymn, and is an

Irmos The irmos (or heirmos from grc-x-koine, εἱρμός) in the Byzantine liturgical tradition is the initial troparion of an ode of a canon. The meter and melody of an irmos is followed by the remaining troparia of the ode; when more than one canon ...

attributed to St. Cosmas the Hymnographer (d. 773). The introduction, "It is truly meet..." was, according to tradition, revealed by the

Archangel Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other relig ...

Gabriel In Abrahamic religions ( Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ ...

to a

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

on Mount Athos, in the late 10th century.

Liturgical use

The hymn is chanted at

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 b ...

, Compline, and other services; but its most important occurrence is at the

Divine Liturgy Divine Liturgy ( grc-gre, Θεία Λειτουργία, Theia Leitourgia) or Holy Liturgy is the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine Rite, developed from the Antiochene Rite of Christian liturgy which is that of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of ...

, where it is chanted at the conclusion of the Anaphora. The second half of the hymn, "More honorable…" is frequently chanted before the dismissal which concludes services. Often, the chanting of this hymn is followed by either a

metania The different kinds of bows one could encounter at an Eastern Orthodox service are shown in the drawing below. Strict rules exist as to which type of a bow should be used at any particular time. The rules are very complicated, and are not alw ...

or a

prostration 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, especiall ...

Liturgical translations

The hymn In Church Slavonic is:

Досто́йно е́сть я́ко вои́стину блажи́ти Тя,
Богоро́дицу, Присноблаже́нную и Пренепоро́чную, и Ма́терь Бо́га на́шего.
Честне́йшую Херуви́м
и сла́внейшую без сравне́ния Серафи́м,
без истле́ния Бо́га Сло́ва ро́ждшую,
су́щую Богоро́дицу Тя велича́ем.

Dostoyno yest’ yako voistinu blazhiti Tya,
Bogoroditsu, Prisnoblazhennuyu i Preneporochnuyu, i Mater’ Boga nashego.
Chestneyshuyu Kheruvim
i slavneyshuyu bez sravneniya Serafim,
bez istleniya Boga Slova rozhdshuyu,
sushchuyu Bogoroditsu Tya velichaem.

The hymn in Romanian is:

Cuvine-se cu adevărat
să te fericim Născătoare de Dumnezeu,
cea pururea fericită și preanevinovată și maica Dumnezeului nostru. Ceea ce ești
mai cinstită decât Heruvimii
și mai mărită fără de asemănare decât Serafimii.
Care fără stricăciune, pe Dumnezeu Cuvântul ai născut.
Pe tine cea cu adevărat Născătoare de Dumnezeu, te mărim.

Hymns in place of the ''Axion Estin''

During the Divine Liturgy, ''Axion Estin'' is sometimes replaced by another hymn to the Theotokos. These hymns are referred to in the service books as "in place of ''Axion Estin''" (Slavonic: Задосто́йник, ''Zadostoynik''), or by the term "eis to Exairetos", meaning "at the Especially (petition)," from the petition that precedes them calling "especially" for the intercessions of the Theotokos. At the Liturgy of St. Basil, it has since the 14th century been replaced by the hymn: In Greek:

Translation thereof:

All of Creation rejoices in thee, O full of grace:
the angels in heaven and the race of men,
O sanctified temple and spiritual paradise,
the glory of virgins, of whom God was incarnate
and became a child, our God before the ages.
He made thy body into a throne,
and thy womb more spacious than the heavens.
All of creation rejoices in thee, O full of grace:
Glory be to thee.

On the

Great Feasts In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the feast of the Resurrection of Jesus, called Pascha (Easter), is the greatest of all holy days and as such it is called the "feast of feasts". Immediately below it in importance, there is a group of Twelve Great F ...

, it is replaced by the

of the ninth

Ode An ode (from grc, ᾠδή, ōdḗ) is a type of lyric poetry. Odes are elaborately structured poems praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. A classic ode is structured in three majo ...

of the

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 ...

of the Feast. During

Paschaltide Eastertide (also known as Eastertime or the Easter season) or Paschaltide (also known as Paschaltime or the Paschal season) is a festal season in the liturgical year of Christianity that focuses on celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ ...

(''

Pentecostarion The Pentecostarion ( el, Πεντηκοστάριον, ; cu, Цвѣтнаѧ Трїωдь, , literally "Flowery Triodon"; ro, Penticostar) is the liturgical book used by the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches during the Paschal ...

'') ''Axion estin'' is replaced in Anaphora by ''The Angel Cried''-hymn: In Greek:

Translation:

The angel cried to the Lady Full of Grace:
Rejoice, O Pure Virgin! Again I say: Rejoice!
Your Son is risen from His three days in the tomb!
With Himself He has raised all the dead!
Rejoice, all you people!

Shine! Shine! O New Jerusalem!
The Glory of the Lord has shone on you!
Exalt now and be glad, O Zion!
Be radiant, O Pure Theotokos,
in the Resurrection of your Son!

Icon

''Axion Estin'' is also the name given to the

of the Theotokos (

Mother of God ''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 ar ...

) before which, according to tradition, the hymn was revealed. It stands in the high place of the

altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...

(sanctuary) of the katholikon (main church) of

on Mount Athos. According to tradition, an Elder and his

disciple A disciple is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure. It can refer to: Religion * Disciple (Christianity), a student of Jesus Christ * Twelve Apostles of Jesus, sometimes called the Twelve Disciples * Seventy disciples in t ...

lived in a cellhttp://www.keliaxionestin.com/eng on Mount Athos. One Saturday night the Elder left to attend the

All-Night Vigil The All-night vigil is a service of the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches consisting of an aggregation of the canonical hours of Compline (in Greek usage only), Vespers (or, on a few occasions, Great Compline), Matins, and the F ...

in Karyes. He told his disciple to chant the service alone. That evening an unknown monk who called himself Gabriel, came to the cell, and they began the Vigil together. During the Ninth

of the

, when they began to sing the

Magnificat The Magnificat (Latin for " y soulmagnifies he Lord) is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary, the Canticle of Mary and, in the Byzantine tradition, the Ode of the Theotokos (). It is traditionally incorporated into the liturgical servic ...

, the disciple sang the original hymn "More honorable than the Cherubim…" and afterwards the visiting monk chanted it again, but with "It is truly meet…" preceding the original

. As he sang, the icon began to radiate with

Uncreated Light In Eastern Orthodox Christian theology, the Tabor Light ( grc, Φῶς τοῦ Θαβώρ "Light of Tabor", or "Uncreated Light", "Divine Light"; russian: Фаворский свет "Taboric Light"; Georgian: თაბორის ნათე ...

. When the disciple asked the visiting monk to write the words of the new hymn down, he took a roof tile and wrote on it with his finger, as though the tile were made of wax. The disciple knew then that this was no ordinary monk, but the

Archangel Gabriel In Abrahamic religions ( Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ ...

. At that moment the Archangel disappeared, but the icon of the Mother of God continued to radiate light for some time afterward. The ''

'' ("merciful") Icon of the Mother of God, before which the hymn "It Is Truly Meet" was first chanted, was transferred to the '' katholikon'' (main church) at Karyes, known as the ''Protaton''. The tile, with the hymn written on it, was taken to

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 ( ...

when St. Nicholas II Chrysoberges was

Patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in certai ...

(984-996). Since that time the icon has been considered the

protector Protector(s) or The Protector(s) may refer to: Roles and titles * Protector (title), a title or part of various historical titles of heads of state and others in authority ** Lord Protector, a title that has been used in British constitutional l ...

of the Holy Mountain and its holiest object.

Feast Day

The feast day celebrating the revelation of the hymn by the Archangel Gabriel, and the

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 ...

of the Theotokos of the same name, is celebrated on June 13.

References

External links

The Official site of the Holy Cell ''Axion Estin'', on Mt. Athos

The Revelation of ''Axion Estin''

''It is Truly Meet''
the Synaxarion of the feast (note: the icon depicted here is not "Axion Estin")
Miraculous Icon of ''Axion Esti''
{{Mount Athos Genres of Byzantine music Eastern Christian liturgy Catholic liturgy Liturgy of the Hours Eastern Orthodox icons of the Virgin Mary Marian hymns Mount Athos

Text

Liturgical use

Liturgical translations

Hymns in place of the ''Axion Estin''

Icon

Feast Day

See also

References

External links