The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1905-03-28
RUSSIAN EIKoNs SACRED.
Each Regiment Bears Rude Paint
ing, Which Is Believed to Pos
sess Miraculous Power.

In Russia, to many Of the regiments
ordered to the far east for active service
have been presented on the eve of de-
parture. BY the highest officials Of the
cars government. eikons. or holy pic
lures peculiar to the eastern church,
says London Queen.
Each regiment carries the eikon with
it to the front, the troops placing conf
dence In its miraculous powers, and
trusting that through possession of il
victory may be vouchsafed to the Rus
sian arms
The eikon is regarded by members Of
the Greek church, which has 96, 900 900
Russian adherents, with especial rever-
ence and affection, and. like the crucifx
among other sects Of the Christian
community. finds place in the house
hold Of the deyout-
The word eikon is Greek and liter
ally designates an image, that IS to say,
a picture. statue. or relief, though in the
Greek Orthodox church ii is now applied
most especially to the representation
OF Christ or a saint painteS IN colors
upon a plaque, SO as to form a picture
some few inches in height
At very early date mention is made
Of the use Of images as aids to Christian
worship. The historian Irenaeus speaks
Of the disciples Of MarceIlina as possess
ing images which they were in the habit
Of crowning and placing before the sta
tues OF the philosophers. such as Aristo-
tie, Plato. etc. A life portrait Of Christ
was supposed by this sect to have been
executed by Pontius PLATE.
1t is not, however, until the year 30S
A. d. that definite mention is made Of
holy pictures In that year the synod OF
Elvira decreed that pictures should not
be placed in churches, Test that which
Is worshiped or adored be placed upon
walls"
In the year 726, Leo. the Isaurian, en-
peror Of the east, endeavored to free the
church from the idoltary of image wor-
ship. In consequence, a controversy en-
sued as to the employment of the word
idoltary," many theoIogians maintain
ing that 1t was permissible. without
'idoltary." to offer a relative worship"
20 the likeness OF Christ.
Leo issued a decree ordering the re-
moval Of efkons from churches and the
dismissal Of bishops who favored their
presence. The successor OF Leo, Con-
stantine Copronymus. ordered the dis
use of eikons in both churches and prl-
vate houses. and compelled the people
to give an oath to this effect.
However. in the year 786, during the
regency of Irene, the worship Of eikons
was reestablished, and they were or
dered to be honored with "aspasmos."
though not with "latreia," that g &c |
say, worship which is due to divine ma
ture alone.
Since the struggle. which extended |
over a period of 81 years. the worship Of |
eikons In the Greek church has suffered |
only one interruption, which occurred |
in the year 815. during the reign OF Leo
the Armenian
However. a little later. under the re-
gent Empress Theodore, the abolished |
eikons we're once more permitted by
synod at Constantinople. The day OF
their reestablishment has ever since |
been celebrated throughout the Greek |
church on the first Sunday in Lent, the
festival having received the Greek name |
Heorte
1t is a curious fact that the holy pic
lures Of the present day are still for the |
most part exceedingly lacking in artistic |
merit, the style adhered to being Of a
rude archaic type, presenting the stiff.
angular, staring figures of mosaic work |
a style which artists Of the Italian school |
overcame in the fourteenth century.
The colors employed are usually brill
liant, the eikon, at first glance, present.
ing the appearance Of a fourteenth CEN
tury illumination.
Painters Of eikons are not permitted |
to represent nude or sparsely draped |
figures, while it is ordained that por-
traits shall be only half length
Items Of Information Concerning Va
rious Articles in the Gull