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Can anybody tell me the reasons or occasions in which a veil is put on a icon? Does anybody know where I could get an icon veil?

Thank you,

Columcille

Dear Columcille,

Do you mean the "icon scarve", embroidered cloth that adorns Eastern icons?

If so, such veils or scarves represent the "Mantle of Protection" that we invoke the person represented on the icon for.

My parish and my home have icons with such veils throughout the year, especially icons of the Mother of God.

Your local Ukrainian store would have them, if there is one near you, and there are a number of them on the internet.

Alex

Dear Alex,

Thank you! Could you give me the link to any websites selling them?

Columcille

Columcille,

They are also not exactly rocket science to make.

Best,

Sharon

Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor & sinner
sharon@cmhc.com

Dear Columcille, Dove of the Church!

Yes, here is a good site:

http://www.atu1.com/Cloth/Rushnyk/Thumb/Page1.htm

This practice is also popular among other cultures, including the Tibetans who place their "kata" around their images in the same way (and around people too!).

Alex

Dear Sharon,

Yes, they are not rocket science to make, but then, I must be very, very silly indeed not to know what I'm doing since I can't make them!

As you know, the roots of the practice of the embroidered veil cloth are taken from the Hebrew Scriptures and the "Tzith-tziths" with tassels that the Hebrews wore and still wear.

They symbolize God's Protection and His flowing Grace (tassels).

Shalom!

Alex

You're speaking to somebody who is "all thumbs."

Thanks for the site, Alex.

Columcille

The Tibetians? Really? And I always thought they were very Ukrainian.

K.

Dear Kurt,

In actuality, Russian theologians have been fascinated by the Tibetans and their religious practices that do resemble those of the Orthodox Church.

For example, the Tibetans use prayer beads, make prostrations and a number of other ritual similarities.

The jury is out on the influence of the Assyrian Church of the East on Tibet, since, in the 9th century, Tibet had two Assyrian Archbishops and 20 Bishops in that area during the time of the T'ang Dynasty (to which Queen Elizabeth the Second is related, distantly, by Royal blood-line).

Later persecution destroyed the Assyrian Church and the Orthodox prince of Rus' St Theodore of Smolensk later married the Mongolian Khan's daughter and established Orthodox Churches in Mongolia and China in the 13th century, a project supported by his sons, Sts. Constantine and David, themselves half-Mongolian.

As you know, Tibetan Buddhism was a cross between Mahayana Buddhism and the native pagan Tibetan religion of the Bon.

This religion could very well have adopted a number of Assyrian Church practices including the mitres of the Tibetans that exist to this day.

Rus' itself had many ties to Tibet and China via the trade-routes. The literary word for "orange" in both Russian and Ukrainian is the adopted German "apelsina" or "Chinese apple" as oranges first appeared there via China.

Alex

Since the Great Fast is approaching (or has already hit you!), it should be noted that the veils placed over icons are often removed during this period of time. Then at Pascha, they are again draped over the icons as they were before. I don`t know where the practice comes from, but it makes sense.

Daniil

Dear Daniil,

If you could speak more to this fascinating subject, it would be greatly appreciated.

What is the practice in your parish and what is its rationale? I think your parish would serve as the best possible example in so many things!

Some parishes, following I believe a Latin Church practice, exchange the white veils for black or purple ones denoting sorrow.

The Latin Church also had (still has?) the practice of draping statues with black or purple cloths during Passion Week.

In some areas of Eastern Europe, it was considered irreverent for couples to make love in rooms where there were icons.

Some developed the practice of draping the veils over the entire icon as a sign of "respect" before so doing.

When people had an argument in the Carpathians, they would sometimes do the same in case someone used a profane word before the icons.

The veils themselves have particular usages that punctuate rites of passage.

It is still common for couples about to wed to kneel together on such an embroidered veil for a blessing from their parents and then this veil is used to cover the icons they receive in Church.

Kozaks knelt on such veils to receive the blessing from priests or their families before undergoing their crusades as well.

The veil can also be placed over pictures of e.g. Taras Shevchenko to denote a particular mark of respect for an individual, a family member. Sometimes a visiting hierarch is draped about the shoulders with such an embroidered veil.

This is where the similarity with the Tibetan practice lies.

Whenever the Dalai Lama meets the Pope, he always places one of his veils around the Pope as a sign of respect and you then get to keep the veil.

The Dalai Lama is covered in such veils on his birthday.

Alex

My dear Columcille & Alex,

Believe me, I am 'thumbody' myself as well, but cross stitch is one of those things that even a klutz can do, once ya figure out which end of the needle is which. (Ya stick the big end into the faric, and wrap the thread around the pointy end, right?? )

Of course, none of the icons at my house are veiled.... Gotta finish the stitching on the sticharion first...in my copious spare time, LOL!

A blesses Lent to all!

Sharon

Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor & sinner
sharon@cmhc.com

GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST!
GLORY TO HIM FOREVER!

Alex wrote:"...the roots of the practice of the embroidered veil cloth are taken from the Hebrew Scriptures and the "Tzith-tziths" with tassels that the Hebrews wore and still wear..."

But the patterns found on the rushnyky are ancient pre-Christian patterns that invoke the protection and blessing of the ancient fertility goddess. Many of these same patterns are found in the pysanky made during the Great Fast.

Although the pysanky now how Christian meanings, the ancient meanings were wishes for prosperity and fertility.

For example, looking at the rushnyky on the site Alex gave, the red ones all have the central theme of a diamond with cross-hatched lines and spirals. These are often shown on pysanky and called "FISHNETS" to show that Christians are the fishers of men. In ancient times, this pattern was called the Fertile Field and was a wish for prosperous Spring with bountiful crops. The spirals are ancient symbols for the sun god.

Sorry to spout but have 4 dozen pysanky done already and still working....so many eggs, so little time.....

mark

Dear Brother Mark,

Yes, absolutely!

I did not intend to suggest that our pre-Christian forefathers did not have their own meanings attached to these objects of our material culture!

The meanings have changed, as you have so wonderfully noted.

Met. Ilarion Ohienko in his "Pre-Christian Beliefs of the Ukrainian People" discusses many such items and the meanings they have undergone.

In fact, if Ukraine had never become Christian, we would still have "Kutya" and the holy supper, the pussy-willows, the pysanky et al.

In the British Museum today are large stone statues of pagan Assyrian Kings 3000 BC.

They all have one thing in common. They are all wearing a Cross around their necks as we do today!

Also, tassels were and are promoted for their deep symbolic value by other religious cultures, to be sure.

The meaning you describe is also in keeping with the meaning given them by the Hebrew Scriptures and contemporary Jewish practice as well.

The same is true of the "poyas" our forefathers religiously wore to Church with their tassels. The Old Believers have a great veneration for the poyas and it would be unthinkable for them to attend Church without wearing one.

I would put tassels on everything and certainly our Priests and Bishops make good use of them on their vestments.

Alex

Dear Sharon,

Do you know where I might get a cross stitch pattern for an icon cloth? I'd be particularly interested in a traditional Ruthenian pattern/colors.

Thanks!

Barbara (who must now cross stitch with those funny little glasses perched on the end of her nose!)