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Dec 29th, 2019
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 108
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 108 |
Dear Forum Menbers,
Glory be to Jesus Christ!
I know I should know this already, but, the use of "batiushka"-little father- by the Russian/Ukrainian Churches-is it only used when addressing Russian/Ukrainian priests, or is it also used when addressing monks?
Thank You!
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 648
Orthodox domilsean Member
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Orthodox domilsean Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 648 |
No one replied, and it's been over 2 years! I've been wondering the same thing myself.
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Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 16 Likes: 1
Junior Member
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Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 16 Likes: 1 |
I believe it is customary in the Slavic tradition to address a monk as "Otche". Batiushka is normally used only for married priests.
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 26,402 Likes: 37
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 26,402 Likes: 37 |
The term "Batiushka" actually comes from the pre-Christian/pagan era of the Eastern Slavs.
"Batiushka" originally referred to the father/head of the family who performed the rites in honour of the pagan gods in the home and over the hearth.
The pagan gods "Tsur" and "Pek" were the home guardians - quite nasty and dangerous deities.
This is the origin for the contemporary word for danger "Nebezpeka" or "Not without Pek."
The term has tended to be used exclusively for the Russian clergy and among the Ukrainians the use of this term would indicate that one is Russified.
Alex
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,953
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,953 |
How one addresses a priest in 'Slavic' languages is FAR from uniform - even within the same 'language' (like all of the regional dialects of say Ukrainian or Rusyn) one will find variances by region, by faith (Orthodox or Greek Catholic and sometimes overlapping...) and by generation. But, I agree with Orthodox Catholic that 'Batiushka' would normally NOT be heard among Ukrainians or Rusyns except when referencing a Russian Orthodox clergyman or a heavily Russified member of one's own jurisdiction. For example, in Slovakized Rusyn areas one would have heard 'Pan Otec', 'Otec Duchovny' and even 'Pip'when speaking in general terms.
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