Holy Mother of God Troyeruchica

Iconography

The icon of the Most Holy Mother of God Troyeruchica (with three hands) belongs to the iconography of the Mother of God Hodegetria or the Mother of God a guide on the way. Mother of God Hodigitria is an iconographic representation of the Holy Mother of God holding the Child Jesus by her side, showing him as the source of salvation for humanity. The Virgin’s head is turned towards the baby Jesus, who raises his hand in a gesture of blessing.

A characteristic of the icon of the Holy Mother of God Troyeruchica from other icons of this type is the third hand, which is why the icon got its name.

About the Motive

According to the tradition of the church, the icon of the Most Holy Mother of God of Three Arms was a family icon of Saint John of Damascus, who lived in the 7th century in Syria, during the period of iconoclasm when icons were banned. He was a great supporter and supporter of the veneration of holy icons, for which he was condemned and punished by cutting off his right hand. According to the tradition of the church, after he wholeheartedly prayed to the Mother of God in front of the icon, in the morning when he woke up he saw that his hand was healthy. As a sign of gratitude to the Mother of God, he ordered a silver hand to be made and placed on the lower left side of the icon. From then on, the icon got its name Troyeruchica. After this event, St. John became a monk in a monastery in Palestine, where he took the holy icon with him. After 5 centuries, in 1217, the monastery was visited by Saint Sava, who at that time was a monk in the Hilendar Monastery in Sveta Gora. Saint Sava took the holy icon to the Hilendar Monastery where the icon was placed for more than 100 years. In 1347, Hilendar visited the Serbian king Dushan, to whom the monks gave the holy icon. Until the 15th century, the icon was in Serbia, but after the attacks of the Turks on Serbia, the icon was returned to the Hilendar Monastery, where it remains to this day.

The icon of the Holy Mother of God Troyeruchica is one of the most sacred icons for the Serbian people.

About the Product

A suitable gift for family patron’s day, name day, baptism, moving into a new home…