Work dossier · summary and historical context
The Heirmologion with Theotokia (Dzlispirni with Theotokia) is an anonymous Old Georgian liturgical manuscript preserved in the Dzlispirni tradition. It combines a heirmologion—a collection of heirmoi (model stanzas for kanons)—with theotokia (hymns to the Theotokos). Used in Georgian monastic daily offices, it reflects local hymnographic practice. The text is undated and lacks a critical apparatus; its dating relies on paleography and liturgical structure. The edition does not address variant readings among witnesses.
This heirmologion is a key witness to the development of Georgian liturgical hymnography, showing how Byzantine heirmoi were adapted and supplemented with local theotokia. It provides insight into monastic worship practices and the transmission of hymnographic forms from Greek to Georgian. Its study helps trace the evolution of the Georgian liturgical book and its relation to other Eastern Christian traditions.
The work belongs to the Georgian manuscript tradition known as Dzlispirni, a term derived from the Greek heirmologion. It was likely compiled in a Georgian monastic center, possibly in the Holy Land, on Mount Sinai, or in Georgia itself, between the 8th and 11th centuries, when Georgian hymnography flourished under the influence of Byzantine liturgical reforms. The inclusion of theotokia indicates a devotion to the Virgin Mary, typical of Eastern Christian liturgy. The text was used for the daily office, shaping local chant and hymnody. Its anonymous authorship and lack of precise dating reflect the collective and evolving nature of liturgical books, which were often copied and adapted over centuries. The manuscript tradition shows no critical edition, and textual divergences among witnesses remain unstudied.
Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded
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