“Eternal Bodies”: images of archangels in the upper parts of Nubian buildings Cover Image

“Eternal Bodies”: images of archangels in the upper parts of Nubian buildings
“Eternal Bodies”: images of archangels in the upper parts of Nubian buildings

Author(s): Magdalena Łaptaś
Subject(s): Archaeology, Cultural history, Visual Arts, Ancient World, History of Art
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: archangels; angels; Nubia; early Christian; wall paintings;

Summary/Abstract: Images of archangels painted in the upper parts of buildings and on structural elements were popular in Christian Nubian painting, as the discoveries made recently in Church SWN.B.V on the citadel in Old Dongola have shown. These images, which derive from pre-Christian art, depict the eternal nature of the archangels and angels. Presenting a select group of images, the author traces their origins in an effort to highlight the role of archangels as intermediaries between God and mankind. As spiritual beings they move freely between the Heavens and the Earth, making air and cosmic space their natural surroundings. Moreover, archangels govern the forces of nature, the planets, and the seven skies. Therefore, their sanctuaries were located on hill summits, in the upper chapels, on structural elements of ecclesiastical buildings, etc. The Nubian tradition is therefore part of a broader Mediterranean tradition, the roots of which should be sought in the Near East.

  • Issue Year: 2/2020
  • Issue No: XXIX
  • Page Range: 715-738
  • Page Count: 24
  • Language: English