Towards the Reception of The Good Friday Readings in the Old Georgian Literature

Abstract

Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani was one of the first people who introduced the motif of Pieta in Georgian literature. In his Sermon on the Crucifixion of Christ, he portrayed the Virgin Mary in an inspiring, vigorous, expressive way as she mourned bitterly and cried for the crucified child. The weeping Mary in this sermon of Sulkhan-Saba is very close to Theophanes Graptos’ “Lament of the Virgin”, which is included in the Orthodox Good Friday liturgy. The elegy of Vakhtang VI echoes the same theme from afar. It expresses the concern about how bitterly the Virgin Mary suffered at the crucifixion of Jesus.

Davit Guramishvili created the masterpiece on the lamentation of Mary. In “Davitiani” we can find three lyrical samples on the theme of Pieta: “The Cry of the Virgin Mary”, “The Story of the Crucifixion” and “Grieving Out Loud” The poet emotionally depicts the whole mystery of the crucifixion and accurately conveys the bitter feelings of the Mother of Jesus, Mary. The elegies of Guramishvili reflect the spirit of the Good Friday reading, with which the poet creates an apology for outstanding virtues – patience.