St George and St Demetrios: The Nationalization of the Cult of the Warrior Saints in Medieval Georgia

The cult of the Holy Warriors always occupied a special place in Medieval Georgian culture. The country's political geography – the bordering with three empires (Persian, Byzantine, and later the Arab Caliphate) undoubtedly played a significant role in the centrality of warrior saints in the Caucasus. St George is arguably one of the most popular warrior saints in Georgia. His cult, according to the Conversion of Kartli emerged with the Christianization of Iberia. The tradition escribes the building of the first churches dedicated to St George to the epoch of Apostolic saint of Georgia, St Nino (first half of the fourth century). It is noteworthy that the cult of St George manifested itself in separate kingdoms prior to the unification of the country. In addition to Kartli, the visual, textual, and liturgical traditions of the Kingdoms of Abkhazia, Tao-Klarjeti, and Kakheti also attest to his cult, thereby foreshadowing the political unification of the kingdom through his comprehensive veneration. From the eleventh century onward, he assumed the role of primary guardian for the Bagrationi family and the entire country. His dominant role is reflected in the contemporary literature and distinguished original and often unique imagery with strong theological and political contexts. Especially eloquent are his unique ‘composite’ images, caring the strong national overtones. The nationalization of his cult is reflected particularly well in the local liturgical and folk traditions connected to this saint. The rise of St Demetrius's cult emerged subsequently, in the tenth century, reflecting the intricate process of Byzantinization within Georgian culture guided by the Georgian monastery on Mt. Athos. In the twelfth century, St Demetrius was already recognized as the "protector of the Georgian people," a designation that was shared with St George. Consequently, he became increasingly associated with St George, eventually becoming one of the most significant patron saints of the Georgian royal dynasty.