Icons of the Theotokos - inscriptions

[William Thompson]

On icons of the Theotokos, one usually finds a theta-upsilon on the right. Why is that?

Thanks,

Bill

[M.C. Steenberg]

Dear William, you wrote:


On icons of the Theotokos, one usually finds a theta-upsilon on the right. Why is that?

This is the abbreviation of Theou, following the 'MP' on the left, for Mater - thus rendering the virgin's maternal title in the Church, 'Mother of God' (linked her theological title, Theotokos, 'God-bearer').

While the iconographic tradition comes a bit later, these titles hark back primarily to the Christological discussions of the fourth and fifth centuries, when they became established as confessional expressions of the faith.

INXC, Matthew