American Councils – Georgia, CRRC and ARISC invite you to join us in celebrating the 5th anniversary of the Works-in-Progress series!
Prof. Kevin Tuite, University of Montreal
“St. George in Georgia – Politics, Gender, Mobility”
Wednesday, April 29, 2015 at 6:30pm
EPF/CRRC-Georgia, Kavsadze St. 3, Tbilisi
The immense popularity of St George in Georgia has often been commented on, and some have even surmised that the country received its Latin name from the saint. Even if this etymology is false, there is no denying that a significant proportion of Georgian Orthodox churches — somewhere between 20 and 30% — are dedicated to this warrior saint; and icons portraying him mounted on a white horse, usually spearing a dragon, seem to be everywhere.
In this talk, Prof. Tuite will discuss the spread of the cult of St George among elite circles in Georgia and neighboring areas in the Middle Ages, and the diffusion of certain features of his representation and cult into popular religious systems, such as those of Svaneti and Khevsureti. Special attention will be paid to the pairing of localized George figures with a female supernatural counterpart, and the role of this pairing in traditional beliefs about (male) mobility for the purpose of obtaining resources.
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W-i-P is an ongoing academic discussion series based in Tbilisi, Georgia, that takes place at the Eurasian Partnership Foundation at Kavsadze St. 3. It is co-organized by the Caucasus Research Resource Centers (CRRC), the American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS, and the American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC). All of the talks are free and open to the public.
The purpose of the W-i-P series is to provide support and productive criticism to those researching and developing academic projects pertaining the Caucasus region.
Would you like to present at one of the W-i-P sessions? Send an e-mail to natia@crrccenters.org.
