Kult św. Mamasa i jego transmisja (od późnego antyku do ok. XIV w.)
The Saint Mamas’ Cult and its Transmission (from Late Antiquity to ca. the 14th Century)

Summary/Abstract: The cult of saints played an important role in Christians’ medieval piety. Some of the saints and especially the Apostles were venerated in almost every corner of the Christainitas. The article examines the case of the transmission of cult of Saint Mamas, martyred according to accounts during the reign of Aurelian (270–275), from the Byzantine Empire to the other lands of the Christendom, including the Mediterranean and the Black Sea Basins. The author distinguishes two main aspects of this transmission. Firstly, the cult of Saint Mamas is shown in the broad geographical perspective with particular emphasis on the lands of the former Kingdom of France, where Saint Mamas’ cult seems particularly prominent, and especially considering the specifics of the centre of Mamas’ veneration in Langres and its impact on further cult’s transmission. Secondly, the author analyses the signs of worship of Saint Mamas on the territory of Kievan Rus’ since the name of this holy martyr appeared in the Rus’– Byzantine Treaties from the beginning of the 10th c. What is worth emphasized, the church or monastery venerated to Saint Mamas is considered the final step of the trade route between the Varangians and the Greeks. The article shows the reasons for the extensive spread of the worship of Saint Mamas, indicating the imperial, royal or elite patronage as the main factor in the transmission of the cult. Lastly, the article examines de facto a small impact of this cult on the process of Christianization of Kievan Rus’, a region connected with the “Byzantine Commonwealth”.

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