Iconography of mourners in Coptic art: A tangible feature of Egyptian Heritage

Document Type : Original Article

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Guidance Department - Faculty of Tourism and Hotels - Alexandria University

Abstract

Wailing women are the ones who voice the pain and whose laments serve as memory of what and who were lost. From the Dynastic Period until the Coptic Period, mourning rites are associated with public expressions of emotions. These ritualized emotional concern the feminine group of "weepers". Among this group, some distinctive expressions of affliction can be observed: attitudes of sadness supported by particular words, or noisy and clearly organized demonstrative weeps and screams.  This research deals with the mourners in Coptic Egypt throughout the study of some representational illuminations for them in the Coptic manuscripts, as well as the description of some icons. This paper will explore the gestures used to express grief in Coptic Egypt by the women. Through detailed analysis of some important examples of Coptic manuscripts, icons and murals to know more details about the various depictions of the mourners in Coptic art. The purpose for which this study is prepared is to describe and to analyze some important examples for the sake of interpreting and analyzing the physical movements and facial expressions.  

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