I could try and resurrect an ancient thread from the archives but I rather think that one of our resident iconographers might enjoy expounding on the subject, so I'm going to leave it alone.
Many years,
Neil
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
Am hoping one of our several iconographers will jump in and answer the query by my fellow Irishman. Especially seeing as St Patrick's Day is coming soon, it would be wrong to not reply (and also be so at odds with our welcoming nature about which I regularly brag).
Many years,
Neil
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
Sorry no one has given an answer. I have neglected my duties.
Colors Gold= The Divine. The divine light (Halos and backgrounds) Blues= Associated with heaven, mystery and the mystical life (Christ Pantocrator, Robes of Apostles and Theotokos) Reds= A lot of things as it is used most in iconography. Passion, love, beauty, the life-giving energy as well as the Blood Christ Shed for us. White= Purity and innocence and the Divine. The light which emanates from Christ in the Transfiguration. Angels in The Resurrection Green= Vegetation, fertility, where life on earth began. Brown= The Bare Earth, dust, all that is perishable. The Monastic life in poverty and humility. Purple= The Color of Royalty and Ultimate power. Black= As it is the absence of color it represents the absence of God. It is rare that pure black is used. In the Nativity the cave is black where it represents the blackness of man in the world in which Christ is born. Also shown under the cross in the crucifixion.
There are so many symbols in Icons it would really be easier if you had a specific symbol you are wondering about.
Specifically on the colors red and blue, blue represents humanity and red represents divinity or the divine.
In most icons, the Lord wears red with blue on top, the divine one covered in humanity, as the Lord God became man. Always in His halo is the cross with the Greek letters ΟΩΝ meaning "the One who Is" from when the Lord said to Moses "I Am that I Am".
The Theotokos, however wears blue representing that she is a human, with red on top representing that she is the one from whom God is conceived and became man. Three stars are also always seen on the Theotokos, representing her perpetual virginity before, during and after carrying the Lord.
In many icons, the halos have both red and white outlines symbolize the beginning and the end, that is to say the Alpha and Omega. An iconographer begins writing the icon with one color halo, typically red, and ends writing the icon with the white halo. This symbolism represents that God is with us from the beginning to the end.
There is more in this hour long video from Villanova Univeristy when Father Richard teaches symbolism of iconography while teaching it.
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