Mrtvi i njihova svakodnevica: posmatranje poznovizantijskih funerarnih programa iz groba

Abstract

„Performativni obrt“ u istoriji umetnosti postavio je plodno tle za novu vrstu studija u čijem središtu leži problematizacija odnosa posmatrača i predstave kroz kontektualizovani okvir dinamičnog susreta. Drugim rečima, percepciju uslovljava „performans“ kao zbir interaktivnih akcija koje definišu opažanje. Oslanjajući se na vizantijska verovanja o zagrobnom životu i analizom primera prikupljenih sa područja istočnog Mediterana, ovaj rad ima za cilj iznalaženje nove perspektive pri razmatranju poznovizantijskih funerarnih programa, tvrdeći da su mrtvi plananirani kao njihovi primarni posmatrači. Takva pozicija otvara mogućnost razotkrivanja postojanja doslovne svakodnevice sahranjenih pojedinaca koji su i nakon smrti ostajali aktivni učesnici svojih zajednica, sa osobenim nadama, strahovima i potrebama vrednih udovoljavanja. U radu se takođe raspravlja da je verovanje u opstanak neposredne veze duše i tela nakon smrti bilo široko rasprostranjeno na prostoru Mediterana.

Although the stories of revenants were very rare in the medieval Mediterranean, the belief that the bond between body and soul endured even in death was certainly present. In the Byzantine world, including the area of the Balkans, this notion is attested by numerous visual sources. Particularly telling examples are certain funerary chapels. The tomb canopy of the Serbian archbishop Danilo II in the Patriarchal Monastery in Peć has two openings intended to enable the late church prelate to gaze from his grave through them at specially selected images – the figure of the Virgin Mary praying for the salvation of the dead and the scene of St. John’s preaching in Hades about the forthcoming resurrection. The famous funerary chapel in the Chora Monastery was envisioned as the spatial composition of Christ’s descent into Hades, implying to the dead buried there that they will be brought out of their tombs just like Adam and Eve. The program of the crypt in the Bachkovo ossuary was conceptually conceived in a similar manner, relying on the illusionistic principles. Taking into account that bones of the monks were gathered in the floor holes, forming piles of earthly remains, the fresco of the Resurrection of Dry Bones depicted on the west wall was envisioned as the spatial extension of the ossuary, adding additional bony heap. Thus, the deceased were reassured in the future resurrection by the identification with the transparent figures of the Chosen people regaining former flesh from the vision of prophet Ezekiel. These examples suggest not only that people were thought to be truly connected to their bodies even in death, but that they also had their own fears, desires, and needs, which could have been gratified by the pictorial programs. Therefore, one can justifiably think of the “gaze from a tomb” as part of the “everyday life” of the dead.