The ''Epitaphios Thrinos'' () also known as ''Encomia Epitafiou'' () is a Christian liturgical hymn sang on Holy Friday in the Orthodox churches. Full of strong emotional feelings, it is one of "the most beloved hymns of the Orthodox". Known in English as the "

Threnody A threnody is a wailing ode, song, hymn or poem of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person. The term originates from the Greek word θρηνῳδία (''threnoidia''), from θρῆνος (''threnos'', "wailing") and ᾠ� ...

at the Tomb", its other Greek name, ''Encomia Epitafiou'' (Greek: Εγκώμια επιταφίου), "Praises of the Tomb", could assimilate it with a form of ''

encomium ''Encomium'' (: ''encomia'') is a Latin word deriving from the Ancient Greek ''enkomion'' (), meaning "the praise of a person or thing." Another Latin equivalent is '' laudatio'', a speech in praise of someone or something. Originally was the ...

'' or praise rather than

lament A lament or lamentation is a passionate expression of grief, often in music, poetry, or song form. The grief is most often born of regret, or mourning. Laments can also be expressed in a verbal manner in which participants lament about something ...

. The pagan encomium is the source of the Christian panegyric, and the ''Epitaphios Thrinos'' was therefore a form of

panegyric A panegyric ( or ) is a formal public speech or written verse, delivered in high praise of a person or thing. The original panegyrics were speeches delivered at public events in ancient Athens. Etymology The word originated as a compound of - ' ...

for Christ.

History

The early manuscripts for the liturgy of Holy Saturday do not seem to mention the ''Encomia''. The first reference to ''encomia'' is found in manuscripts of the thirteenth century in connection with

Psalm 118 Psalm 118 is the 118th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in the English of the King James Version: "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever." The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Ta ...

, known as the ''Amomos''. Their number, however was undefined, and it appears that the collection grew gradually to its present form, resulting in many variations among the collections. The repertoire of the ''Encomia'' lamentations first appeared as such in the 1522 edition of the service book of the Orthodox Church ''

Triodion The Triodion (, ; , ; , ), also called the Lenten Triodion (, ), is a liturgical book used by the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches. The book contains the propers for the fasting period preceding Pascha (Easter) and for the we ...

'', printed in

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

. Subsequent editions have relied heavily on this source. According to the Lenten ''Triodion'' as well as the 1906 edition of the

Patriarchal Text The Patriarchal text, or Patriarchal Text (PT), originally officially published as ''The New Testament, Approved by the Great Church of Christ'' (Greek: Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη ἐγκρίσει τῆς Μεγάλης τοῦ Χριστο� ...

, there are 185 verses in the ''Epitaphios Thrinos'' divided into three ''stasis'' or sections. However, the Triodion and the Patriarchal text do not concur as to the placement of the ''Epitaphios:'' in all the editions of the ''Triodion'' the Encomia appear before the Canon in the order of the Orthros of Great Saturday while the same Encomia appear after the Canon for the Patriarchal Text of Great Week.

Liturgy

Orthodox_cross_procession_Corfu_Easter_2014

The verses of these Lamentations are interspersed between the verses of

(the chanting of this psalm forms a major part of the Orthodox funeral service as well as being a usual part of Saturday Matins). The Lamentations are divided into three sections called ''stáses'', which commemorate the Passion, Death and Entombment of Christ. Each ''statis'' is commonly known by its first phrase; in Greek these are: * First stasis: , ''He zoe en taphoi'', "Life in (the) tomb" or "Life in (the) grave". * Second stasis: , ''Axion esti'', "Worthy, it is" or "It is Truly Meet". * Third stasis: , ''Hai geneai pasai'', "All the generations" or "Every generation". At the beginning of each ''stasis'', the priest or deacon performs a censing of the ''epitaphios''. In the Greek tradition, at the third and final ''stasis'', the priest will sprinkle

rosewater Rose water, or rosewater, is a flavoured water created by steeping rose petals in water. It is typically made as a by-product during the distillation of rose petals to create rose oil for perfumes. Rose water is widely utilized to flavour cul ...

on the ''epitaphios'' and the congregation, symbolising the anointing of Christ's body with spices. All three of ''stasis'' end with the same eulogy they begin while the officiating priest or high priest incenses the epitaph on all four sides.

Lyrics

While some musical settings have famous authors or interpreters, the author of the ''Encomia'' remains unknown. Famous hymnographers of the Holy Week hymns, including

Andrew of Crete Andrew of Crete (, c. 650 – July 4, 712 or 726 or 740), also known as Andrew of Jerusalem, was an 8th-century bishop, theologian, homilist,A list of forty of his discourses, together with twenty-one edited sermons, is given in ''Patrologia Gr ...

Cosmas of Maiuma Cosmas of Maiuma, also called Cosmas Hagiopolites ("of the Holy City"), Cosmas of Jerusalem, Cosmas the Melodist, or Cosmas the Poet (d. 773 or 794), was a bishop and an important hymnographer in the East. He is venerated as a saint by the East ...

John of Damascus John of Damascus or John Damascene, born Yūḥana ibn Manṣūr ibn Sarjūn, was an Arab Christian monk, priest, hymnographer, and apologist. He was born and raised in Damascus or AD 676; the precise date and place of his death is not know ...

Theophanes the Confessor Theophanes the Confessor (; 759 – 817 or 818) was a member of the Byzantine aristocracy who became a monk and chronicler. He served in the court of Emperor Leo IV the Khazar before taking up the religious life. Theophanes attended the Second C ...

Theodore the Studite Theodore the Studite (; 759–826), also known as Theodorus Studita and Saint Theodore of Stoudios/Studium, was a Byzantine Greek monk and abbot of the Stoudios Monastery in Constantinople. He played a major role in the revivals both of Byzantin ...

Joseph the Hymnographer Joseph the Hymnographer () was a Greek monk of the ninth century. He is regarded as one of the greatest liturgical poets and hymnographers of the Eastern Orthodox Church. He is also known for his confession of the Orthodox Faith in opposition to I ...

, and Mark the Monk could be associated with the ''Encomia'' but no strong evidence for any of the above has been given to confirm their authorship. The lyrics of the ''Encomia'' would be particularly long to quote in full, but the emotions they convey can be seen from this short abstract of the third ''stasis'' on the entombment of Christ: These lyrics served as models for the creation of similar ones for the

Dormition of the Virgin The Dormition of the Mother of God is a Great Feast of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches (except the East Syriac churches). It celebrates the "falling asleep" (death) of Mary the ''Theotokos'' ("Mother of G ...

, for

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...

and others.

Performance

In addition to the cantors of Byzantine music, the eulogies have been performed and recorded by various contemporary Greek and international artists, such as

Maria Farantouri Maria Farantouri or Farandouri (; born 28 November 1947 in Athens) is a Greek singer and also a political and cultural activist. She has collaborated with Greek composers such as Mikis Theodorakis, who wrote the score for Pablo Neruda's ''Canto G ...

Glykeria Glykeria (born Glykeria Kotsoula, ; born 16 November 1953 in Agio Pnevma, Serres) is a Greek singer active in Greece and Cyprus, while also gaining fame in Israel, France, Turkey, Spain, and England. Her career has spanned over 30 years and is m ...

Haris Alexiou Haris Alexiou (, ; born 27 December 1950 in Thebes, Greece as Hariklia Roupaka, , ) is a Greek singer whose career has spanned over 5 decades. She is one of the most popular singers in Greece. She has worked with important Greek songwriters and c ...

Petros Gaitanos Petros Gaitanos ( born October 31, 1967) is a Greek singer. He was born and raised in the village of Kokkinogeia located in Drama, Greece. Gaitanos has always enjoyed singing since childhood, and was singing professionally by the time he was 17. ...

Fairuz Nouhad Wadie Haddad (, ; born November 20, 1934 or November 21, 1935), known as Fairuz (, ), is a Lebanese singer. She is widely considered an iconic vocalist and one of the most celebrated singers in the history of the Arab world. She is pop ...

and others.

References

Bibliography