ShareThis
Gammadia at Ravenna
There is an old church in Ravenna, Italy, called the Basilica of Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo. It was built in the late fifth or early sixth century, and was originally dedicated to Christ1. One of the most singular and unique things about this church is the appearance of gammadia on many of the vestments of the religious figures in the mosaics. John Welch and Claire Foley have described the gammadia thus:
Scholars refer to these markings as gammadia some of them being shaped like the greek letter gamma (Î"). Though similar patterns have been found in several locations the significance of these markings remains unknown to archaeologists and art historians.2
Although the ultimate significance of these markings is lost, but there are some scholars who have speculated that they originally had religious meaning:
Goodenough notes that these markings often appear on significant religious paintings and figures. Admitting that his opinion has not been fully substantiated, he nevertheless believes the importance of the . . . art and textiles in which these markings are depicted substantiates the marks’ religious and symbolic significance, calling clothing that contains gammadia “ceremonial garments” with “symbolic force,” perhaps from a “ritualistic treasure” of items, the nature of which “neither the paintings nor the textiles, unfortunately, make explicit.”3
The most spectacular thing about the nave of this church is the mosaic figures which line the walls, all moving towards the figure of the throne of Christ:
The next row of mosaics are a scheme of haloed saints, prophets and evangelists, sixteen on each side. The figures are executed in a Hellenistic-Roman tradition and show a certain individuality of expression as compared to the other figures in the basilica. Each individual depicted holds a code, book or scroll and, like many of the other figures throughout the basilica, each of their robes has a mark or symbol in it . . . To the right is a similar procession of 26 Martyrs, led by Saint Martin and including Saint Apollinare, moving from the Palace of Theodoric towards a group representing Christ enthroned amid four angels.4.
You can see more photos of the basilica at this link, and this link.
- Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Sant’Apollinare_Nuovo [↩]
- John W. Welch and Claire Foley, Gammadia on Early Jewish and Christian Garments, BYU Studies 36/3, 1996-97. http://byustudies.byu.edu/shop/pdfSRC/36.3WelchFoley.pdf [↩]
- ibid. [↩]
- Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Sant’Apollinare_Nuovo [↩]
5 Comments
Interesting, too, is the idea of the “cross voided throughout” –
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross
(scroll all the way down to “cross voided”)
Related, of course, is the swastika or “crux gammata” -
From the wiki page on swastika:
Seen as a cross, the four lines emanate from the center to the four cardinal directions.
The most common association is with the Sun. Other proposed correspondences are to the visible rotation of the night sky in the Northern Hemisphere around the pole star.
Thanks for your comment! Excellent link!
The gamma symbol clearly has other temple connections throughout the world, as is also related on the wiki page for the swastika, as the swastika is a combination of four gamma symbols and is also referred to as a gammadion:
The entire article on Wikipedia about the swastika symbol is very interesting, noting that it’s current controversial significance was because of its appropriation by Nazi Germany. But before that it was used extensively in the Western world also:
Is there a connection between the Greek cross and the compass points?
Perhaps somebody can research into the origins of the Greek cross. The Greek cross was prominent in Byzantine and therefore Orthodox art. The Greek cross has four equal sides unlike the more popular Latin cross (the common Christian cross symbol as most of us know it), which was actually a later development.
I have wondered about it, since the angles of the Greek cross correspond the four cardinal/compass points, which in latter-day knowledge has much symbolism.
In the Greek Orthodox section of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, there is also the so-called omphalos, or Navel of the World stone. It is said that this stone marks the navel or very center of the world, hence Jerusalem, where all compass points, in short, all exactness, direction and wholeness begin. And isn’t Jerusalem a symbol for Zion, the celestial city of God?
Lastly, the Greek cross adorned an ancient Eastern Orthodox priestly garment, the omophorion. It is a band of brocade originally made of wool and worn around the neck and shoulders. What is interesting is that early Byzantine icons depict saints wearing omophorions decorated with Greek crosses. The cross-adorned omophorion, in particular, was a distinguishing symbol of the early Christian priesthood.
Here is a 14th century fresco of St. Gregory the Great wearing a cross-odorned omophorion and a phelonion with many gammadia markings. It is very likely they are related. The cardinal/compass points symbolism is also related.
Well that does it. I am going to have to go to Ravenna next month and visit this church.