Saturday 30 January 2010

St Sarkis and Bakhos, and more... Happy St Sarkis Day, Armenians!! He loves you x

Although Armenian youth increasingly started marking St Valentine's Day on 14 Feb too, today many celebrate its Armenian equivalent - St Sarkis Day.

Whether you are straight or gay, whatever you sexual orientation and gender identity, this is your day too. Have a very happy one with your loved ones, or find the one, if you wish too.

Yours,

x mika

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Wikipedia: Saints Sergius and Bacchus (also Serge and Bacchus or Sergios kai Bakchos or Sarkis wa Bakhos), were third century Roman soldiers who are commemorated as martyrs by the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches. [...]

Sergius and Bacchus are noted as a classic example of paired saints; scholar John Boswell considers them to be the most influential example of such a pair, even better an example of such an archetype than Saints Peter and Paul. In his book Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe, Boswell further argues that Sergius and Bacchus's relationship can be understood as having a romantic dimension, noting that the oldest text of their martyrology describes them as erastai, which can be translated as "lovers".t He suggested controversially that the two were even united in a rite known as adelphopoiesis or (brother-making), which he argued was a type of early Christian same-sex union or blessing, reinforcing his view of tolerant early Christian attitudes toward homosexuality. However, Boswell's methodology and conclusions have been critically challenged by historians including David Woods, Robin Darling Young, and Brent Shaw.
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I like the way Gay Spirituality blog put it: "The couple was openly gay, but secretly Christian -- the opposite of today’s closeted Christians."
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And here is an extract from the Armenian church's website (in Armenian) about our legendary epic hero Sasuntsi Davit (David of Sasun) and St Sarkis kiss. I find this extract hilarious and could not resist posting it here too :)

Սասունցի Դավթի հանդիպումը սուրբ Սարգսին
(Քաղվածք «Սասնա ծռեր» էպոսից)

Դավիթ էդ տեղեն ետ դարձավ ու գնաց, կայնավ Խանդութ խանումի փանջարի առեչ, ըսեց.
-Խանդութ խանում, ես կերթամ կռիվ:
Քշեց, գնաց, շատ, քիչ` Աստված գինա, մեկ էլ տեսավ յառջեւանց թոզ ու դուման կիգա:
Էկավ, տեսավ օր սըփ Սարգիսն է:
Դավիթ գնաց, օր սըփ Սարսին համբուրեր: Սըփ Սարգիս ըսեց.
-Հանե քո Սըփ Նշան , ես համբուրեմ, նոր դու ընձի համբուրե:
Հանեց Սըփ Նշան, համբուրեց սըփ Սարգիս, էն լէ սըփ Սարգսին համբուրեց:
-Դե գնա,- ըսեց,- Աստված խըտ քըզի էղնի: Ու քշեց ձին:
Քեռի Թորոսիկ մնաց աղոթք էնելու:

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