МАЯ ПЕТРОВА-ТАНЕВА, Помощница на царете: св. императрица Теофана в южнославянската традиция [Maja Petrova-Taneva, Supporter to the Tsars: Saint Empress Theophano in the South Slavic Tradition], Издателски център Боян Пенев, София 2018, pp. 335.

Abstract

I can say without any doubt that the appearance of Maya Petrova-Taneva’s book is an event in Bulgarian mediaeval studies, not only in literary and hagiographic fields, but also in areas related to pursuing political ideology and legitimizing power through holiness. It is a comprehensive and exhaustive study of the veneration of a saint, who not only was the wife of one of the most remarkable Roman basileis, but through the presence of her relics in Tărnovgrade has attracted the attention of probably the most remarkable figure of 14th century Bulgaria – Patriarch Euthymius – and enters the pantheon of the Second Bulgarian Empire as an “supporter to the tsars”. The book is constructed in a classical way: the study of the life of Empress Theophano preceded the presentation of her worship in the Empire, and then in Bulgaria and Serbia, after which the author proceeded to present the sources for the cult (first prologues, then Vita of the deacon Nicholas and the service of St. Patriarch Euthymius of Tărnovgrade) and even some of the later manifestations of the cult were not ignored. The conclusion presents the results of the research, followed by an appendix that is no less valuable than the study itself because presenting the sources, on which it is based. Without trying to retell the book and thus deprive the future reader of the pleasure of first contact with it, I shall present some essential elements of this research. The extensive introduction is a detailed overview of the sources and historiography. This is by no means a simple enumeration, but an analytical representation of both the texts on which the study is based and its precursors. Among other things, this section is also an important tool to use in new investigation and understanding the book itself. The first chapter is devoted to the life of the Empress and to a survey of her veneration in the Empire. The life and relations in the imperial court could always be of interest, but especially in some of the more delicate cases that have both political and religious implications. Such is our case, which presents fluctuating moments of sorrow and God’s intercession. The narration strictly follows the sources and refers to the relevant literature on the topic. The second part of the chapter presents the Byzantine sources for understanding the veneration of St. Theophano: The Anonymous Life, that of Patriarch Euthymius of Constantinople, the discourse for Empress Theophano by Nicephorus Gregoras, and the Greek service for her. The texts are examined individually and in context so that we can best understand the worship of this remarkable woman. The second chapter is devoted to the cult of St. Theophano in Bulgaria and Serbia. Here we are facing a later and completely different development. While in the 10th century’s Empire it was maintained and held by the authorities with an aim to consolidating the Macedonian dynasty, among the Orthodox southern Slavs, worship was revived on a new basis in order to acquire its own meaning and in its own way to achieve the desired result in strengthening power and society. The beginning is undoubtedly related to a translatio of Saint Theophano’s relics in Tărnovgrade, but we do not know the facts in detail. It is important to DOI: 10.18778/2084-140X.10.25