SAINT KETEVAN ‘S THEOLOGICAL AND ARTISTIC UNDERSTANDING ACCORDING TO HAGIOGRAPHIC WRITINGS BY ANTON I CATHOLICOS

Abstract

Queen Ketevan’s martyric life is reflected in hagiographic works by Anton I Catholicos - "The Praise of Queen Ketevan and Describing her Contribution and Suffering “ and "A Brief Edition of The Torture Of Queen Ketevan”. In the above mentioned hagiographic works Ketevan’s artistic face is presented in the hagiographic genre. Queen Ketevan is presented as a saint because of her martyric contribution that covers “queen’s” mission. Queen Ketevan is a saint sent by God who is a link of a sinful man with his creator. It means to renew the connection with God, to renew the faith and give divine love.
Anton I describes Ketevan who always reads prayers to the Light as she loves the life, an unhappy woman overcomes the enemy. Ketevan is described as a virtuous, sensible, wise, kind, wonderful person who believes in God.
With the help of Gospel’s wisdom, Anton I haloes St. Ketevan’s sanctity and shows her personality who like Christ has got a lot of suffering and who sacrificed all her spiritual life to be free out of sins. Saint Queen’s spiritual contribution was directed not towards the establishment of her worldly wealth well-being but for the glory of the Lord for its divine perfection. The author describes Ketevan’s torture as a person who prays for God and the prayer is one of the powerful ways towards God, a powerful way of a mortal to be connected with God.
In his works Anton I, Catholicos once again showed Ketevan Martyr’s spiritual contribution and a character of a patron of the nation and the faith in the analogy of Virgin Mary in Georgian literature.