Strange icons

[mike]

I like them: http://danielmitsui.tripod.com/artwork/religious.html

 

[Achronos]

The soccer icon (seriously):

http://byztex.blogspot.com/2009/10/soccer-icon.html

Wow can I buy one? 

 

[JamesRottnek]

That thing with the soccer ball is truly worse than anything the Romans have ever created - even clown masses.

 

[orthonorm]

That thing with the soccer ball is truly worse than anything the Romans have ever created - even clown masses.

Good for you!

 

[Cognomen]

Well, it's an icon and it's strange:

Cynocephalus St. Christopher.  One of several found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynocephaly

 

[biro]

Over at monachos.net, there's an entire thread on non-canonical icons. I'll post some of the pictures later. Just goes to show that Orthodox artists make mistakes, too.  :

 

[LBK]

Over at monachos.net, there's an entire thread on non-canonical icons. I'll post some of the pictures later. Just goes to show that Orthodox artists make mistakes, too.  :

There are several threads at monachos.net on non-canonical icons. They are very useful, detailed and instructive.

 

[biro]

This is somehow supposed to be the Trinity. I think.

This is 'Holy Silence.' Not exactly sure why it copies some elements of the Virgin of the Sign.

This is, somehow, the Ancient of Days and the Holy Spirit. Maybe. Er....

'Angel Countenance.' Angels are normally depicted as male.  :-\

'Angel of the Sign.' With all respect, an angel did not give birth to Jesus.  ???

There were weirder ones. I would like to see a book on unusual icons, if only to show us what is not allowed and what is.

 

[CBGardner]

The first one must have been done by MC Escher.

 

[That person]

This is, somehow, the Ancient of Days and the Holy Spirit. Maybe. Er....

It looks like God sneezed.

 

[HabteSelassie]

Greetings in that Divine and Most Precious name  of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Well, it's an icon and it's strange:

Cynocephalus St. Christopher.  One of several found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynocephaly

I like that in the way it elaborates on the truly symobolic nature of religious imagery.  I was discussing of all things the merits of Egyptian icongraphy of strange and mismatched animal-men which some folks have said are representations of the Reptilian shape-shifting aliens as part of the said conspiracy.  I had to explain that religious imagery is not meant to be taken literal, the images are symbols.  Each abnormal or different representation takes on a symbolic significance, and I especially like to see the Dog-headed Saint Christopher icons to drive the point home.

Here are some eccentric Icons from the Ethiopian tradition:

That is Saint Tekle Haimanot, and yes, that is his leg there next to him on the ground, he stood in prayer for seven consecutive years until its said his leg simply fell off in order to make it easier to continue standing in prayer!

This is Saint Gebre Menfes Kidus, who rolled around perpetually with a crew of wild animals including these pairs of big cats.  Obviously he was an intimidating presence to the local governors in that in the Grace of God he could speak with and even command the wildest and most dangerous of animals!  Of course he was in fact a very kind natured monk-saint who only used his monastic agency (in Ethiopian tradition, recluse monks have the social authority to openly and even rudely criticize secular leaders without punishment whereas commoners would be whipped or even worse for much less an offense) when extremely pressed by notoriously corrupt leaders.

These classic Cherub (Kirubel in Ge'ez) can be a bit bewildering in their abundance and repetition, signifying the continuity of the Kingdom and Will of God which the angels fulfill.

Saint Abba Aregawi conquering the Serpent before founding the Debre Damo mountain top monastery, I couldn't find an online image of the traditional mural painting like we have in my parish where Abba Aregawi is not wrestling with the serpent, but rather is actually riding it up the mountain like a rope-swing elevator!

stay blessed,
habte selassie

 

[mike]

This one:

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/40603_137807409587808_100000756494006_166137_754393_n.jpg

Kinda drastic so don't click when you are sensitive.

 

[ag_vn]

 

[Asteriktos]

^ Would be a beautiful chapel with better icons...  :angel:

 

[LBK]

^ They're horrible! The holy ones on the iconostasis look ghastly, emaciated, ravaged, with a deer-in-the-headlights look in their eyes, bordering on naked terror. Might be OK in a medieval Gothic church, but there is no place for such travesties in an Orthodox church! Whoever painted these images has NO idea of what iconography is. Where is the gravitas, stillness, dignity, reverence and spiritual power that good and proper icons possess and proclaim? What a crying shame that a beautiful iconostasis, made by skilled hands, has been spoiled by these artistic flights of fancy. Shameful.

 

[Michał]

Here is a couple of unusual icons: http://goo.gl/T05OW

 

[Asteriktos]

Here is a couple of unusual icons: http://goo.gl/T05OW

Which ones? Every once in a while I see one that is unfamiliar (such as this one), but the rest ... *shrugs*

 

[Michał]

Which ones?

Those from the section titled 'Theological Icons' (pp. 38-41).

 

[jah777]

^ They're horrible! The holy ones on the iconostasis look ghastly, emaciated, ravaged, with a deer-in-the-headlights look in their eyes, bordering on naked terror. Might be OK in a medieval Gothic church, but there is no place for such travesties in an Orthodox church! Whoever painted these images has NO idea of what iconography is. Where is the gravitas, stillness, dignity, reverence and spiritual power that good and proper icons possess and proclaim? What a crying shame that a beautiful iconostasis, made by skilled hands, has been spoiled by these artistic flights of fancy. Shameful.

My first thought when I saw the icons on the iconostasis was "Night of the Living Dead".  They all look like zombies, absolutely hideous to behold.  If icons reflect the spiritual state of the iconographer, this work does not reflect well on the one who panted them.

 

[mike]

@ag_vn : Where is that?

 

[Iconodule]

This is somehow supposed to be the Trinity. I think.

Are you sure that's supposed to be an Orthodox icon? Looks like an alchemical emblem.

 

[Michał]

Are you sure that's supposed to be an Orthodox icon? Looks like an alchemical emblem.

Actually, it's masonic: http://goo.gl/vZWb9

 

[LBK]

This is somehow supposed to be the Trinity. I think.

Are you sure that's supposed to be an Orthodox icon? Looks like an alchemical emblem.

It's a Freemason painting.

 

[biro]

Oops. Well, it's odd enough.

 

[AZCatholic]

I have never seen an icon like this!

 

[chris]

@ag_vn : Where is that?

Yes....I'm curious too!

 

[Alveus Lacuna]

They all look like zombies, absolutely hideous to behold.

I was thinking about how creepy they looked too. I don't think I could make it through a service there.

 

[Hiwot]

ok I am very curious , where is this Church ? and how come the icons look like they are taken from somewherelse and posted there ? they did not look like byzantine to me, but are they? I see on the top the byzantine Trinitarian icon though even that is unusualy gray, but the bottom ones i mean the grey ones they do not look like they are.

 

[Hiwot]

LOL I am glad its not me alone who got spooked by them

 

[Joseph Hazen]

ok I am very curious , where is this Church ? and how come the icons look like they are taken from somewherelse and posted there ? they did not look like byzantine to me, but are they? I see on the top the byzantine Trinitarian icon though even that is unusualy gray, but the bottom ones i mean the grey ones they do not look like they are.

It is "St. Petka" in Bulgaria, built according to the wishes of and to honor a fortune teller and psychic "Baba Vanga". As far as I can tell it's not an Orthodox Church.

 

[ag_vn]

@ag_vn : Where is that?

Yes....I'm curious too!

ok I am very curious , where is this Church ?

This is the Saint Petka (Petka is Paraskevi in Bulgarian) church in Rupite, Bulgaria. It was built with donations from Vanga. The site was chosen by her.

As far as I can tell it's not an Orthodox Church.

Well, it is an Orthodox church. It was consecrated by the local Metropolitan, but at the time of consecration these icons weren't there. As far as I know they were put later.

 

[ag_vn]

^ They're horrible! The holy ones on the iconostasis look ghastly, emaciated, ravaged, with a deer-in-the-headlights look in their eyes, bordering on naked terror. Might be OK in a medieval Gothic church, but there is no place for such travesties in an Orthodox church! Whoever painted these images has NO idea of what iconography is. Where is the gravitas, stillness, dignity, reverence and spiritual power that good and proper icons possess and proclaim? What a crying shame that a beautiful iconostasis, made by skilled hands, has been spoiled by these artistic flights of fancy. Shameful.

My first thought when I saw the icons on the iconostasis was "Night of the Living Dead".  They all look like zombies, absolutely hideous to behold.  If icons reflect the spiritual state of the iconographer, this work does not reflect well on the one who panted them.

These "icons" were painted by Svetlin Russev (Светлин Русев), a Bulgarian artist, so he is not an iconographer. He was a close friend of Vanga and is considered by many an Occultist.

Although a consecrated Orthodox church, for many it is mainly a place for veneration of Vanga. Her followers and fans regard her as a prophetess, while regular Orthodox faithful consider her an Occultist phenomenon or even witch. From what I know the existing of these "icons" is a scandalous among the faithful.

 

[Joseph Hazen]

Well, it is an Orthodox church. It was consecrated by the local Metropolitan, but at the time of consecration these icons weren't there. As far as I know they were put later.

Ah, all I could find was one website that I had to run through a translator, so the quality was very bad. Thanks for the correction.

 

[Alveus Lacuna]

It seems like there are two bishops' thrones there on either side, which is also strange.

 

[ag_vn]

^The one on the left is not exactly a bishop's throne, although it's a smaller throne with a pseudo-icon of Vanga "blessing" the people.

 

[ag_vn]

I have never seen an icon like this!

I like it. The mantle with so many stars is beautiful.

 

[Iconodule]

I have never seen an icon like this!

I think this would be a variant of "The Passion":

The difference being that Christ is carrying a big cross and spears instead of the angels carrying little ones.

 

[Michał]

I think this would be a variant of "The Passion":
[. . .]
The difference being that Christ is carrying a big cross and spears instead of the angels carrying little ones.

There are more differences. I don't think it is a variant of the Strastnaya icon. It is simply a different icon called Novonikitskaya. There is another one similar to it, known as Svyato-Krestovskaya:

 

[AZCatholic]

Icon at  the Monastery of Gelati.

 

[Cognomen]

Icon at  the Monastery of Gelati.

Doesn't Frederica Mathewes-Green use this for the cover to most of her books?  If not all, at least for the cover of her famous one: Gnashing Teeth!