The Symbols of Ancient Georgia in Modern Time


Manana Jakeli
2016


  •                                        The Land of the Golden Fleece

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  •                                             The History of Golden Fleece 

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  •                                             Golden Fleece and Other Symbols of Ancient Georgia

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  •                                         Saint George, Cross of Saint George and the Flag of Georgia

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  •                                         Cross of Saint Nino as a Symbol of Georgian Christianity

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  •                                         The Bolnisi Cross a Cross Symbol

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  •                                         Borjgali as a Georgian Symbol of Sun

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  •                                         Borjgali in Modern Time

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  •                                         Sources

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The Land of the Golden Fleece

 The two early Georgian Kingdoms of late antiquity  were known to the ancient Greeks and Romans as Iberia (Georgian: იბერია) in East Georgia and Colchis (Georgian: კოლხეთი) in West Georgia. In Greek Mythology, Colchis was home to the Golden Fleece sought by Jason and the Argonauts in Apollonius Rhodius's epic tale Argonautica.The two early Georgian Kingdoms of late antiquity were known to the ancient Greeks and Romans as Iberia (Georgian: იბერია) in East Georgia and Colchis (Georgian: კოლხეთი) in West Georgia. In Greek mythology Colchis was the home of Medea and the destination of the Argonauts, a land of fabulous wealth and the domain of sorcery. More...

 

 

 The incorporation of the Golden Fleece into the myth likely derived from the local practice of using fleeces to sift gold dust from rivers.  The fleece became flecked with specks of gold giving it a rich, glamorous appearance.

 



The Kolkhetian people flourished and developed an expertise in the smelting and casting of metals long before this skill was mastered in Europe. The Kolkhi people had developed a unique  way to prospect for gold. 

A sheep’s fleece was attached to a wooden support and left in a fast flowing mountain stream causing particles of gold to collect in the wool. The fleece would then be hung in a tree to dry before the gold was shaken or combed out. This technique for collecting gold may have given rise to the legend of Jason and his quest for the Golden Fleece. The Greek historian Strabo (44 B.C.-23 A.D.) mentioned the kingdom of Kolkheti in his Book IX of Geography: “In the mountain rivers of this country there is a lot of gold mined by these barbarians using perforated vessels and sheepskin”.

 The Georgian National Museum
 (Archaelogy)

 


            

       Golden Fleece and Other Symbols of Ancient Georgia 


Many cultures have been lured by the beauty and power that gold represents. As well as being a symbol of riches and prestige, in some cultures gold was thought to have mystical powers. In ancient Egyptian culture, gold was often used to decorate persons of royalty and architecture; cities such asEl Dorado were built out of gold. The wealth and prosperity of a land often depended upon the possession of this natural yet scarce mineral. In some cultures gold is an iconic symbol with a godly meaning. 
So the Golden Fleece was a symbol of wealth and power in ancient Colchis. Other symbols of ancient Georgia are: Cross of Saint George, Cross of Saint Nino, Cross of Bolnisi, Borjgali

                                                           

                               Cross of Saint George

 

St. George slays the dragon. Georgian Fresco

Saint George, Cross of Saint George

Saint George’s Day (Giorgoba) is celebrated on November 23 each year, commemorating the torture of Great Martyr George during the reign of Emperor Diocletian in 303. As one of Georgia’s patron saints (and according to local belief, a cousin of Saint Nino, his feast is celebrated with vigour, coming as it does a week before the Nativity Fast begins. When Christianity was adopted by the Georgian state, many of the new churches built were dedicated to Saint George: Alaverdi, Sameba, Bodbe...

The Symbols of Democratic Georgia

To date, the Georgian flag emblazons the five crosses with one central red-colored cross dividing the white background into four distinct quadrants each holding one of the four smaller versions of the red crosses. The four additional smaller crosses might have been added during the reign of George V who was known to be the brilliant and the splendid king who drove out the Mongols from Georgia. The concept of the Georgian flag is perhaps one of the few that is greatly intertwined with the country’s principal religion.

Coat of arms of the Democratic Georgia

Saint Nino with a Grapevine Cross

              Cross of Saint Nino as a Symbol of Georgian Christianity

St. Nino's tomb is shown at the Bodbe Monastery, Kakheti. St. Nino's attribute, a Grapevine cross, is a symbol of Georgian Christianity. She has become the most venerated saint of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Nino was born in the small city - Colastri, in Cappadocia. She was the only child of Zabulon, the famous Roman general. Her relatives were St. George and Houbnal I, the Patriarch of Jerusalem. The legend of Saint Nino...


The Bolnisi cross 5th-century

               The Bolnisi cross as a National Symbol of Georgia

The Bolnisi cross (Georgian: ბოლნისის ჯვარი bolnisis ǰvari) is a cross symbol, taken from a 5th-century ornament at the Bolnisi Sioni church, which came to be used as a national symbol of Georgia. It is a variant of the Cross pattée popular in Christian symbolism of late antiquity and the early medieval period. The same symbol gave rise to cross variants used during the Crusades, the Maltese cross of the Knights Hospitaller and the Iron cross used by the German military. The four small crosses used in the Georgian Flag. Bolnisi inscriptions are second oldest extant samples of the Georgian script. The "Bolnisi cross" appears in the center of the inscriptions. New discovery about Georgian Scripts in Grakliani, Georgia. 


Borjgali - Georgian Symbol of Sun

                   Borjgali as a Georgian Symbol of Sun

Borjgali (ბორჯღალი; also Borjgala or Borjgalo) is a Georgian symbol of the Sun with seven rotating wings over the Christian Tree of Life and is related to the Mesopotamian symbols of eternity.  It is usually depicted within the circle that symbolizes the Universe . The roots of the Tree go into the "past" and its palm-like branches are for the "future". The term Borjgali is believed to derive from Megrelian word ბარჩხალი ("barchkhali"), which literally means "strong shining". In old Megrelian borj means "time" and gal means "pass" or "flow". So the whole phrase would mean "the flow of time".

 


Georgian Rugby Union - Logo

                             
                           Borjgali in Modern Time

Nowadays, the symbol is used in Georgian IDs and passports, as well as on currency and by the Georgian Rugby Union. Georgian rugby team players are called ბორჯღალოსნები (borjgalosnebi), which means "Men bearing Borjgali". Borjgali on Georgian coinBorjgali on 100 Georgian lari...



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             Georgian National Museum