The article deals with the images of fish and snake in the architectural decoration of the Christian churches in Caucasus in 10 – 14 centuries. The theme of the dragon fighters is not in the focus of the research. The research is dedicated to the images of snake (without paws and fangs, in contrast to dragon-snake) when represented in heraldic position, in the scenes of the prophet Jonas devoured by the sea-monster and in isolated position. It is also dedicated to the image of the fish. The earliest representations of the snakes and dragon-snakes appear on the facades of the Christian churches in Caucasus as early as the Xth century on the territory of the Northern Caucasus and Georgia. Later they are turned in hybrid creatures, dragon-snake (with paws and fangs, sometimes covered with fish scales). Two heads of snake on the earliest representations as well as cirсles on its body underline the apotropaic meaning of the image. The appearance of the snake (not the dragon-snake) on the territory in question could be explained by the influence of the local archaeological culture (Cobano-Colchis). Being represented on the facades of the Christian churches they function as apotropaia. The appearance of the isolated images of fishes in the architectural decoration could also be influenced by the local archaeological culture. The way of the sketching the scales on its body (on the relief from Anacopia) proves its biological identification as trout (the widest spread fish in the mountains of Caucasus). The image of the fish carved on the facades of the Christian churches could also have apotropaic function.
Introduction. This article deals with the altar barrier from the medieval church in Dranda village (Abkhazia). It is not preserved in its original form. Two slabs with figurative compositions were published by countess P. S. Uvarova at the end of the 19 th century. Then they were lost. Methods. The modern researchers can analyze them only due to photo types made by the countess. Some fragments from Dranda church are now preserved in the collection of the Abkhazian State Museum in Sukhum. One new fragment (which was not known before) with the representation of the Jonas prophet (devoured by the sea monster) has been discovered in the collection of the Archaeological Museum of the Saint Metropolis of Abkhazia (New Athos). There are also four other fragments of the architectural decoration from the Dranda church. Analysis. Some of them could possibly be part of the altar barrier. The rest of the fragments were probably from the outer or inner facing of the same church. The article also deals with the problem of the date of the rare image of prophet Jonas. The fragment can be dated by the 10 th century. The researchers dispute the date for the other fragments of the altar barrier. Results. The authors of the article incline to the 10 th century for all the fragments of the shattered altar barrier. Father Dorotheos Dbar analyzed information about the history and origin of the reliefs in question. E. Yu. Endoltseva made iconographical research of the carved images.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.