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PLACING THE MARTYRDOM OF SAINT QUEEN SHUSHANIK IN THE CHRISTIAN MARTYRDOM TRADITION: A LITERARY STUDY

Authors

Nana Mrevlishvili, Tinatin Jikurashvili, Lali Vashakmadze, Sophio Guliashvili

Rubric:History of Literature
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Annotation

This article examines The Martyrdom of Holy Queen Shushanik, one of the earliest known works of Georgian hagiographic literature, within the broader context of Byzantine and medieval studies. Composed in the 5th century by Iakob Khutsesi (Georgian: ხუცესი, which means ‘the priest’), this text holds exceptional significance as the first surviving original Georgian literary work. The study explores the historical and cultural background of the narrative, analyzing its theological, literary, and linguistic features while considering its place within the Christian martyrdom tradition. It assesses the influence of The Martyrdom of Saint Queen Shushanik on later Georgian literary traditions. The research contributes to a deeper understanding of its importance in both Georgian and broader medieval literary contexts by situating the text in a comparative framework.

Keywords

Old Georgian Literature
Georgian hagiography
Martyrdom of Saint Queen Shushanik
Iakob Khutsesi
Vakhtang Gorgasali.
Medieval Literature

Authors

Nana Mrevlishvili, Tinatin Jikurashvili, Lali Vashakmadze, Sophio Guliashvili

References:

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