ЛЕГЕНДАТА ЗА АВГАР И ПРЕСЛАВСКАТА КЕРАМИЧНА ИКОНА
THE LEGEND OF AVGAR AND THE CERAMIC ICON FROM PRESLAV

Summary/Abstract: The legend of Avgar had provoked an extreme interest for centuries in Syrian medieval literature and a number of Syrian and Greek authors focused on it from IVth until XII-XIVth century. At the end of IXth century – the beginning of Xth century Bulgaria turned into a crucial center in Christian culture and one of the numerous translated Greek texts into Slavonic is the legend of Avgar. The first ceramic icon in the capital city of Veliki Preslav during the reign of Tsar Simeon appeared in a miraculous way from a received image of Avgar - the holy Mandylion. This image could also be put down to the images which were not handmade and gained broad recognition. Two basic conclusions could be derived from the legend of Avgar: 1. the initial “sacredness” of the ceramic iconography could be explained and 2. the Tsar Simeon’s ruling ambitions became explicit, that “new Avgar”, during which reign the legend was translated into Bulgarian in the capital city of Preslav.

• Details
• Contents