Abstract:
„Conversion of Kartli“ is the most important work in terms of
its religious, cultural-historical content, story and artistic-aesthetic
point of view.
„Conversion of Kartli“ is sharply distinguished from other hagiographic
works by a very remarkable phenomenon – the cult of
women. This is based not only on the fact that the enlightener of
Kartli is a woman, but also on the number of mothers participating
in the history of Christianity in Kartli, and, above all, the mission
(starting from Cappadocia and ending with Kartli) far exceeds that
of male characters. Numerous episodes of the works are narrated by
Sts. About the women associated with Nino, these are the robe-laden
Sidonia (Georgia’s fi rst saint), her mother (Georgia’s first martyr),
Queen Helen, the Dvinian niaphorus (messenger of the Lord’s robe),
Ripsime and Guyane, Nana and Soji queens, Sidonia and many others.
Mothers participating in the conversion of Kartli have a certain
mission: part of St. Related to Nino’s healings, some are involved in
the erection of the pillar-animal, others – the fi ghter for the spread
and establishment of Christianity, St. Descriptor of Nino’s life, St. Nino’s
companions, all together “daughters of the faith”, as their St.
Nino calls.
The cult of woman in the works is also conditioned by the fact
that she is an enlightened woman, as well as – the structure of mother
nature, deep spirituality, multiplicity of vision, access to novelty,
readiness for charity. Here, most notably, are the precepts of the female
phenomenon that originate from paganism (the female deity of
the sun – “the sun is my mother ...”, the deities – the mother of the
place, Barbale, Dali, the head, etc.), who are crowned with the cult of
the Virgin in Christianity. (Georgia – the country of the Virgin Mary, St.
Nino – the ordained of the Virgin).
As is well known, language is the soul of a nation, the mind of
a nation. The Georgian linguistic worldview reflects the importance
and significance of women (their effectiveness) in the culture and
life of Georgians, in particular, the peculiarities related to the phenomenon of women (unlike other languages). There are two aspects
to distinguish, one – increasing the meaning of words by adding
“mother” to lexical items, transforming them from the general to the
main word (eg, earth, mother tongue, mother tongue, capital, etc.)
and another – in composites represented by two sexes (unlike other
languages). Name of the woman in the first place (e.g., sister-brother,
mother-father, wife-son, etc.). Thus, the Georgian linguistic world
fixes the role of women in the cultural-historical life of Georgians.
We think that the leading role of women in the Christianization of
Kartli once again proves the above. Based on „St. Nino’s Life“, it can
be boldly said that the conversion of Kartli stands on the shoulders
of women.
