A szív felajánlása – a kun szokatlan gesztusa a Szent László-legenda falképciklusában
The Offering of the Heart. The Peculiar Gesture of the Cuman in the Legend of the Saint Ladislaus Frescoes

Summary/Abstract: The wall-paintings of the mediaeval Unitarian church from Chilieni (Covasna county) were executed at the beginning of the 15th century. Different scenes of the New Testament (The Last Supper, the Passion of Christ), as well as scenes from the legend of Saint Ladislaus are depicted on the walls of the nave in two registers. The cycles compose detailed narratives on religious themes. One can find even motifs unseen in other churches. For instance, in the scene of the Beheading of the Cuman, which here plays an outstanding role in the legend of Saint Ladislaus, the vanquished Cuman presents his heart to the maiden who is about to strike him with a sword. We can interpret this gesture as an “Offering of the Heart”. The paper attempts to trace back the origins of this motif in European mediaeval art. Scenes of the Offering of the Heart are to be found in both religious and profane art mostly in Italy, France and Germany. For instance, it appears in the Caritas scene painted by Giotto in the Scrovegni chapel in Padua, on French sculpted ivory boxes or in mediaeval depictions of Frau Minne in Germany. The author endeavours to situate the Chilieni scene of the “Offering of the Heart” within the iconography of medieval European painting.

• Details
• Contents