www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West The Beard in Orthodoxy

One of our most interesting and humorous posters for many, many years has been Dr. Alex Roman (Orthodox-Catholic). He recently posted this on Church News. I thought it would be suitable to post it here, and to start a thread about the topic.

Dear Friends,

In fact, the beard has a long and venerable history in Orthodox Christianity.

For example, it was a symbol for being a Christian at one time. . .

Sts Anthony, John and Eustace, Lithuanian Slavs martyred by Olgerde, were identified as being Christian SOLELY by their beards and their refusal to shave them off!

St Basil the Great once wrote that when he grabbed his beard he "knew he was not a woman." etc.

The reason the autocephalist Ukrainian Orthodox shaved their beards was to differentiate themselves from the Russian Orthodox. The Kyivan canons of 1921 of the UAOC actually decreed that beards were not to be an absolute rule for clergy. And the Antiochian Metropolitan Philip Sabiba has no beard (always wondered about that!).

The Ukrainian Catholic clergy did not wear beards as bearded clergy earned them the nasty epithet of "Katsap" (ie. Russophile clergy and among the UGCC clergy at one time their name was "legion.").

So there is a long-standing tradition in Orthodoxy about clergy wearing beards (and robes etc.) to show they are an icon of Christ. When UAOC discarded it, they were breaking with that Orthodox tradition (and they broke with it a number of times when they instituted married bishops etc.).

In the UGCC, we are like the Anglicans with "High Church Byzantine" and "Low Church Latin" sections.

I met a young UGCC Basilian priest and looked closely at his black sash. I asked him about it and he smiled as he said, "It's probably a carry-over from the Jesuits - they reformed us four times in our history you know!"

I said I did know but wasn't going to say anything out of courtesy . . .

Vladyka David's sister is a Lutheran, it just so happens, and I hope no one will suggest that means he has Protestantizing tendencies as well!

Alex

How very interesting. I would like to look this up. Where are these canons printed? If you give me the Title and place of publication I can look for it. Can I find them online anywhere?
Any help will be appreciated.

As per my previous post, in the 17th century, travellers noticed that Ukrainian Orthodox priests in Kyiv, contrast to Russian priests in Moscow did not shave their beards. No comments were made about Orthodox priests in other areas of Ukraine.

Dear Miller,

I do believe one can find the "Kyivan Canons" in the Basilian publication re: Basil Lipkyvsky that they have in their catalogue. One can readily find this at St Vlad's Institute as well.

The Kyivan Canons of 1921 decreed, among other things, that those among the clergy who refused to use modern, understandable Ukrainian in the liturgy were "sinning against the Holy Spirit." They also decreed the use in ektenias, "For our God-loving and God-protecting Mother Ukraine" etc.

The reason Russian priests began shaving their beards at one time was due to the Western influence coming from Peter the Great.

As you know, Peter the Great was against beards and considered them to be an example of Russian backwardness. The Russian Old Believers refused to shave their beards and for this had to pay a special tax that earned them a coin with a picture of a man with a beard on it. When they walked in the streets of Russian towns and cities, the police could always ask them for this coin to ensure they paid their tax - otherwise they could have been arrested.

Peter the Great also carried a bag with barber's utensils with him at times. If anyone dared to show up with a beard, he actually was known to pinion them to the chair (at table) and unceremoniously shave the beard off.

Basil Lipkyvsky's successor, Nicholas Boretsky, was against the canons, did not shave his beard and was against married bishops etc.

This was a relative to our Vladyka Isidore Boretsky and when Nicholas was taken prisoner by the Soviets he was ordered to sign a document that affirmed there was no persecution of religion in the USSR.

To this, he retorted, "If there wasn't, I wouldn't be here!"

Nicholas Boretsky died in a Soviet concentration camp after losing his mind under torture.

I, for one, honour him as a New Hieromartyr - and he is a distant relative of mine.

Alex

Dearest Moderator Alice,

I just wanted to ask you to kindly accept my spiritual kiss on your hand!

Alex

One more historical note: the question of Beards reaches back to the times of Alexander (the Great or the Demon, depending on where you live ). Given his young age, according to at least one testimony, he was unable to grow a beard and he thus decreed that no one in a leadership position in the army could grow one either. This gave rise to a cultural understanding in the West that beards are a sign of barbarism whereas an unshaven face is a sign of culture, dignity and respect.

There is another tradition about beards that developed during the Byzantine period. (This is mentioned by among others Isaac Asimov in his history of the Byzantine Empire.) Since it was common for the Treasurer as well as the Custodian of the Empress to be Eunuchs, they were distinguished by their inability to grow beards. As a result, a shaven face became a sign of the lack of masculinity, effeminity, etc. This is one reasons why the Byzantine Emperors began to grow beards whereas their Roman forbears did not. Can you imagine Julius Caesar in a beard? (Anyone familiar with the medieval discussions between the West and the East will remember these themes!)

This is (to me) a good reminder of the fact that words and symbols have no meaning other than that which each culture gives to them. Each symbol must therefore be interpreted within its cultural context. (Of course, the greatest example is the swaztika which is a sign of peace to pious Hindus but a sign of intolerance, bigotry and ethnic cleansing in the post-WW2 West.) Since today, in America, beards have no meaning and no cultural significance (although I do note that few, only five, presidents have had them -- can anyone remember the last president to have a beard? Although it is interesting that the only presidents with beards were Republicans! I wonder what that means :o). I have lived on the East coast, the West coast and in the Midwest. I find it interesting that beards seem (on the basis of a non-scientific anecdotal survey that has absolutely no scholarly significance) to be more common in the Midwest. Although my wife tells me that is because I hang out with priests and professors -- both of whom tend to have beards

This brings up a rather humorous personal story. I started growing a beard as soon as I could (I hate to shave). When I married, my wife's mother's side of the family was very fundamentalistic Baptist. In their Baptist tradition, beards are a definite no-no (unlike my Presbyterian relatives where beards are a definite yes-yes). So every year on my birthday, I would receive a package from my wife's Grandfather (the patriarch of the family--God rest his soul). In this package, there would be included a Birthday card and a razor (sometimes, with a can of shaving cream)! LOL

Dear PrJ,

Well, in my cultural world, beards are definitely "Orthodox" and "tending towards Orthodoxy - suspiciously"

My wife's grandfather had a school friend who became Orthodox and then an Orthodox priest. They kept in touch over the years and I always knew he was speaking to him on the phone when he said, "How is that Orthodox beard of yours?"

To which the answer was always, "Growing well!"

I personally think it is inappropriate when some Presbyteras get together and giggle about how their husband's beards tickle . . .

And it most definitely is "Alexander the Great" - he was only a "demon" in battle . . . I almost reported your post to the Moderator there, so please watch it!
Alex

Alex,

I had to read your post twice as I thought you wrote that it was inappropriate for Presbyterians to joke how their husbands' beards tickle!

Word of Explanation: In their folk-lore, the Persians refer to Alexander as "the Demon" and claim that under his long locks of hair there were two horns. This is why I referenced "depending on where you live".

PBS did a wonderful special that I often show my class about how Alexander is interpreted differently by the cultures he conquered. To the Greeks and later to the Romans, he was great. To the Egyptians, Persians and Afghanis, he was definitely not very great as he burned their cities, etc.

Perspective is a very strange thing sometimes.

OK, I have a question,.... what is it with the vast majority of American women and beards? The single most common question I am asked by women in my acquaintence is "When are you going to shave that awful thing off?" Now I trim it when it starts to get in the way, like getting tangled in the steering wheel, or falling in my soup, but I refuse to get rid of it. But I wish I had a quarter for every time I've been told to "get rid of it"!

Katsup v Pittsburghe

LOL!

You want my honest opinion?

A beard = Masculinity not Metrosexuality.

Plus, as my wife mentions (quite often), beard clippings have a tendency to go eeeevvvveeeeerrryyywwwwwheeeeere!

Gordo

Dear PrJ,

Persians do that, do they?

The Arabic name for Alexander the Great is "Al-Qurnain" or the "Two-Horned One."

The crown of two horns is that of the Egyptian high god Amun-Ra that was given him by Egypt after Megas Alexandros defeated Darios at Issus. Egypt wasn't about to wage war with "Big Al" after that one . . .

Lysymachus struck an image of Alexander with the horns and he has traditionally been depicted with them. Horns are a symbol of wisdom (in fact, in the Book of Revelation, the Lamb of God will appear with seven horns or the plenitude of wisdom).

And I thought all you Americans took everything Iranians said with a grain of salt!

Alex

Dear "Kool Kats-up,"

You should keep your beard. Just comb it frequently and avoid split ends.

If men like long flowing hair on a woman, what's the issue with beards?

Alex

Dear Gordo,

Just be careful when you have soup, especially chicken noodle . . .

Alex

Spaghetti is the worst! Spaghetti for lunch, and a hidden snack in the afternoon!

Alexandr

Amen! I fear some day I may have to declare a foreign food product at customs!

Ramen, you know, can last a few days...

Gordo