Virgin Mary of the Sea – Handmade Icon – Mount Athos

Description

An exquisite icon depicting the Virgin Mary of the Sea, with gold leaf and Swarovski crystals, on a natural piece of wood, created by the hands of Monks from Mount Athos.

According to tradition, the Virgin Mary of the Sea protects those who travel by sea, along with Saint Nicholas.

One stormy evening, the icon of the Virgin Mary was seen coming from the sea towards the shore of Andros with a strange light. The people of the island followed the light, which led them to a small cave. To their astonishment, inside the cave, on seaweed, they found the icon of the Virgin Mary. They venerated it and moved it to the chapel of Saint Athanasius. However, the next day, the icon returned to its cave! So, the islanders decided to build a church over the cave. The work on the construction of the church proceeded quickly, and it was almost ready in no time. However, the roof was missing, as there was no timber. The Virgin Mary herself took care of this. A ship loaded with timber was in danger off the coast of Andros. The captain and the sailors prayed to the Virgin Mary to save them from the imminent danger. Miraculously, the captain, enlightened, threw the timber into the sea. The ship was saved. Slowly, the timber washed ashore near the cave, and the craftsmen used it to cover the uncovered church. Because the timber had been found unexpectedly and, indeed, at the right time, it was considered a divine intervention, and the church of the Virgin Mary was named “Theoskepasti” (God-covered).

The rules of iconography state that the Mother of Christ always wears a red outer robe, symbolizing her human nature, and a blue or dark green inner garment, indicating her direct association with the birth of the God-man. (This is the opposite of the depiction of Christ in Orthodox iconography, who always wears a blue outer robe due to His divine nature).

The icon is available upon request.

Dimensions: 30x40x2