Bezhan Javakhia

Ilia State University

Full Professor

Cultural Studies, Art History

Doctor of History (PhD)

Tbilisi, Georgia

bezhan.javakhia@iliauni.edu.ge

Abstract

Bezhan Javakhia
Ilia State University

The Phenomenon of the Holy King and the Legitimization of Power in the Middle Ages

The cult of saints holds particular importance for the perception of unity in the Middle Ages. It united the territories where a saint had lived and worked, and later the communities of the churches where the saint was buried. Over time, the cult of a saint became increasingly widespread and acquired the character of a national unifying force.

Medieval royal authority represented a powerful institution. If a king governed in accordance with established laws, he was expected to possess three essential qualities: he had to be a worthy warrior, a judge, and a monk. He was obliged to protect his people and preserve peace, while ensuring that his warriors received proper training and preparation. He himself was also expected to possess the martial skills characteristic of a knight. The king was regarded as the protector of the Church, and the Church, in turn, demanded his personal commitment to this mission.

The aim of this research is to present the cult of the holy king as a form of national identity based on Byzantine, Western European, and Georgian medieval sources. It is particularly interesting to examine how this cult emerged and how it developed from the pagan era into the Christian world. This issue has been extensively studied in Western historiography, both in the context of Central and Eastern European history and in broader Western historical studies.

The tradition of martyred monarchs is widely represented in the histories of medieval England, Germany, France, Scandinavia, Eastern European countries, and in Byzantine sources. Among them are such figures as Constantine the Great, Theodosius, Justinian, Charlemagne, Oswald, Æthelberht, Edmund, Canute the Great, Olaf, Eric, Boris, Gleb, Wenceslaus, and others.

The texts of Kartlis Tskhovreba (The Georgian Chronicles) and other historical materials allow us to study this issue and present the images of Georgian holy kings as martyred monarchs of their dynasties, whose portrayals were significant for dynastic legitimacy. One of the most important sources in this regard is the Lives of the early medieval Georgian kings Vakhtang and Archil.

The Life of Saint King Archil is of particular interest. King Archil sacrificed his life for his people and for the Christian faith. His words from the source represent an exemplary statement of devotion to his homeland:

"It is better to die than to once again see the churches of Christ corrupted and this land destroyed," says King Archil.

Equally impressive are the words of the author of the text:

"For he chose, following the example of Christ, to lay down his soul for the salvation of Christians, just as Christ did; and so it came to pass, for as the blood of Christ, shed for us, delivered us all from the hands of the devil, so also his blood, shed in imitation of our Savior for us, delivered us at that time from the hands of the unlawful oppressor and continues to protect our churches to this day."

This comparative research demonstrates that many significant motifs from the models of Western European holy kings are also repeated in the representations of Georgian monarchs. However, it should be emphasized that the images of Georgian kings combine several traditions and models within themselves  Iranian, Byzantine, and European.

Keywords

წმინდა მეფე , ლეგიტიმაცია, შუა საუკუნეები, დასავლეთ ევროპა, ბიზანტია, იდენტობა, არჩილ მეფე, ვახტანგ გორგასალი, მირიანი