Dinsel ve Sanatsal Bir Değer Olarak Azize Agatha

Year 2021, Volume: 4 Issue: 2, 219 - 236, 20.12.2021

Necati Sümer

Abstract

Hristiyanlıkta İsa, önemli bir şahsiyettir. Çünkü o inancı uğruna çarmıhta can vermiştir. Onun gösterdiği fedakârlık, peşinden gelenler tarafından örnek alınır. Erken dönemden başlayarak günümüze kadar birçok Hristiyan, inancı için canını vermeyi kutsal bir eylem olarak görmüştür. Hristiyanlıkta şehitlik kurumu bu açıdan önemlidir. İnancı uğruna canını verenlerden biri de Azize Agatha’dır. Üçüncü yüzyılın sembol şahsiyeti hâline gelen Agatha, bakire ve iffetli bir kadın olarak Hristiyanlar için değerlidir. Azizenin bilhassa önemi, dönemin pagan otoritesine hayır demiş olmasından gelir. Baskı ve işkenceler karşısında inancı sayesinde ayakta kalan Azize, Hristiyanlara göre İsa’nın yolunu takip etmiştir. İsa gibi Agatha’nın da payına şiddet, acı ve ölüm düşmüştür. Münzevi ve sade bir hayatı tercih etmesine rağmen güzelliğinden etkilenen bir zorba pagan yöneticinin zulmüne uğramıştır. Yirmi yıllık yaşamı acıyla noktalanmıştır. Göğüsleri kesilip ateşler içine atılsa da Agatha inancından vazgeçmemiştir. Azizenin hayat öyküsünü, sanata yansımasını ve Hristiyanlık tarihindeki yerini anlamak, bu çalışmanın temel gayesini teşkil etmiştir. Bu çerçevede hakkında çok az bilgi bulunan fakat Hristiyanlık tarihinde hatırı sayılı bir yeri olan Azize Agatha, var olan literatür çerçevesinde ele alınmıştır.

Keywords

Dinler Tarihi, İnanç, Sanat, Hıristiyanlık, Azize Agatha

Sainte Agatha as a Religious and Artistic Value

Abstract

Many Christians, from the early period to the present have regarded dying for their faith as a sacred act. The institution of martyrdom in Christianity is important in this respect. One of whom lost their lives for the sake of her faith is Sainte Agatha. She, also known as Agatha of Sicily, is one of the most highly venerated virgin martyrs of the Catholic Church. It is believed that she was born into a rich and noble family around 231 A.D. in Catania, Sicily.
Her early years, notably beautiful Agatha dedicated her life to the God. She became a consecrated virgin, which was a stage in the life where young women chose to remain celibate and give themselves to wholly Jesus and the Church in a life of prayer. But, that did not stop men from desiring her and making unwanted advances towards her. However, one of the men who desired Agatha, whose name was Quintianus, and taking advantage of his high diplomatic ranking, forced her to turn away from her vow and persuaded her to get married with. His persistent proposals were consistently spurned by Agatha. So Quintianus, knew was a Christian during the persecution of Decius, had her arrested and brought to the justice.
Agatha disclosed that she was an ardent advocate of Christianity, despite pressures such as being prisoned and torture. Agatha was left hungry and thirsty. Her breasts were cut off, thrown for your fevers. When it was understood that she would not turn from her path, her life was taken. Quintianus ordered her to be tortured. He had her laid down on a rack to be torn with iron hooks, burned with torches, and whipped. Then sent her back to prison with an order of no food or medical attention. But the Lord gave her all the care she needed. He was her Sacred Physician and protector. Agatha had a vision of the apostle, St. Peter, who comforted her and healed her wounds through his prayers. After four or five days, Quintianus denied the miraculous cure of her wounds. He had her stripped and rolled her naked body over hot coals which were mixed with sharp shards. When she was returned to prison, Agatha prayed, as "Lord, my Creator, you have ever protected me from the cradle; you given me from the love of the world and given me patience to overcome suffering: take may my soul now." Agatha was believed to have passed into Heaven around the year 251.
She becomes one of the important martyrs of the period of Christians. Various ceremonies and festivals are held for Agatha in the regions where Christianity spread. Agatha has often been a common and unifying theme in different Christian cultures from past to present. The saint, who has become the symbol name of nurses, cancer patients and those who in need, and it is remembered with hymns and prayers in rituals. Her name is mentioned where blessings and healing are needed. Because the martyr Agatha has the labor she paid with her blood for the formation of today's Christianity. She also has an important place in Christian art. Many Christians put or engraved her name live on church walls, icons, paintings and in their daily lives, about this devotional character. Artists try to keep the saint's painful life story alive in the Christian consciousness by transferring them to paintings. Agatha is considered an important cornerstone of the Christian religious tradition. She, who devoted her short life to her faith, has a meaningful place in the minds and hearts of today's Christians.
She is commonly attributed in religious art with shears, tongs or breasts on a plate. Agatha, who became the symbol of the third century, is beloved to Christians as a virgin and chaste woman. The significance of the Sainte comes from the fact that she said “no” to the pagan authority of the period. According to Christians, the Sainte, who survived the oppression and torture because of to her belief, followed the path of Jesus. Violence, pain, and death fell to Agatha's share, as Jesus had once. Although she preferred a solitary and simple life, a tyrant who was impressed by his beauty and persecuted by a pagan ruler. Her twenty years of life had ended in pain. Although her breasts were cut and thrown into the fire Agatha did not give up her belief. The main purpose of this study is to understand the life story of the mentioned saint and her place in the history of Christianity.

Keywords

History of Religions, Belief, Art, Christianity, Sainte Agatha

References

• “Agatha of Sicily Cured by Saint Peter in her Prison, Alessandro Turchi”. Erişim 18 Nisan 2021. https://christianiconography.info/Wikimedia%20Commons/agathaTurchi.html
• Adnan Turani. Sanat Tarihi. İstanbul: Remzi kitabevi, 2010.
• Alfred Alvarez. İntihar Kan Dökücü Tanrı. Çev. Zuhal Çil Sarıkaya. Ankara: Öteki Yayınları, 1994.
• Anna Jameson. The Writings on Art. C. 2. New York: Houghton Mifflin and Company, 1892.
• Antonio Tannaja. The life of St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Bishop of St. Agatha of the Goths and founder of the Congregation of the Holy Redeemer. London: John Murphy and Company, 1855.
• Arnold Angenent. “Sacrifice, Gifts and Prayers in Latin Christianity”. The Cambridge History of Christianity, Early Mediavala Christianities, C. 3. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008.
• Brown Stephen-Anatolios Khaled. World Religions, Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 2009.
• Delaney John J. Dictionary of Saints. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1980.
• https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2020-02-05
• Gallery Katakombe. “The Martyrdom of St Agatha, by Giovanni Baglione”. Erişim 17 Nisan 2021. https://katakombe.org/gallery/image/martyrdom-st-agatha-giovanni-baglione.9ThJM
• Giovanni Baglione , Erişim 14 Ekim 2021, https://www.wga.hu/index1.html.
• Govanni Lanfranco, Erişim 14 Ekim 2021, https://www.wga.hu/index1.html.
• Jameson “Agatha of Sicily Cured by Saint Peter in her Prison, Alessandro Turchi”. Erişim 18 Nisan 2021. https://christianiconography.info/Wikimedia%20Commons/agathaTurchi.html.
• Francis Lasance. The Catholic Girl’s Guide. New York: Benziger Brothers, 1905.
• Hans Küng. Woman İn Christianity. New York: Continuum Press, 2005.
• James J. O’dea MD. Suicide, Studies on Its Philosophy, Causes and Prevention. New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons Press, 1882.
• Jan Willem Van Henten-Friedrich Avemasie. Martrydom and Noble Death. New York: Routledge Press, 2005.
• Jennifer Speake. Encyclopedia of The Renaissance and Reformation. New York: Facts on File, 2004.
• John J. Delaney. Dictionary of Saints. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1980.
• J.C. O’Neill. Did Jesus Teach that this Death Would be Vicarious as well as Typically? Suffering and Martrydom in the New Testament, Ed. William Harburg-Brian Mc. Neil. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008.
• Kitabı Mukaddes. 2. bs. İstanbul: Kitabı Mukaddes Şirketi, 2003.
• Margaret E. Tabor. The Saints in Art. New York: Dutton and Company, 1913.
• “Memorial of St. Agatha, virgin and martyr - February 05, 2020 - Liturgical Calendar”. Erişim 18 Nisan 2021. https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2020-02-05.
• Online, Catholic. “St. Agatha - Saints & Angels”. Catholic Online. Erişim 18 Nisan 2021. https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=14.
• ———. “St. Agatha - Saints & Angels”. Catholic Online. Erişim 19 Nisan 2021. https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=14.
• Pierre Roche. “St. Agatha”. İçinde New Catholic Encyclopedia. C. 1. New York: Thomson Gale, 2003.
• Roger Back. “The Religious Market of the Roman Empire”, Religious Rivalries in the Early Roman Empire and the Rise of Christianity. Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2006.
• Salime Leyla Gürkan, “Şehid”, TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi. 38/431. İstanbul: TDV Yayınları, 2000.
• “St Agatha”. Erişim 19 Nisan 2021. https://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/st-agatha.html.
• “St. Agatha, Virgin and Mother - Information on the Saint of the Day - Vatican News”. Erişim 18 Nisan 2021. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/02/05/st--agata--virgin-and-martyr.html.
• “St Agatha, ZURBARÁN, Francisco de”. Erişim 17 Nisan 2021. https://www.wga.hu/html_m/z/zurbaran/1/agatha.html.
• “St. Peter Heals St. Agatha, Giovanni Lanfranco”. Erişim 18 Nisan 2021. https://www.christianiconography.info/Wikimedia%20Commons/agathaLanfranco.html.
• Stephen Brown-Kahaled Anatolios. World Religions, Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 2009.
• Sicily Day By Day. “The Feast of Saint Agatha”, 21 Ocak 2019. https://www.sicilydaybyday.com/festa-di-santagata/.
• Gallery Katakombe. “The Martyrdom of St Agatha, by Giovanni Baglione”. Erişim 17 Nisan 2021. https://katakombe.org/gallery/image/martyrdom-st-agatha-giovanni-baglione.9ThJM.
• Walter Farquhar Hook. Church Dictionary. 10. bs. London: Yale University Library, 1867.