The transformation of the cult of Saint Luke in Late Medieval Serbian lands

Abstract

The paper investigates the nature of the commemoration of saints using the cult of the evangelist Luke in late medieval Serbian lands as a case study. It analyses St. Luke’s veneration starting from the middle of the 14th century, focusing on the changes that occurred after the translation of the saint’s relics to Smederevo on January 12, 1453. The research showed that the cult was transformed with the frequency of commemoration and the importance attributed to Luke’s feast days. In addition, the content of the cult is related to the Serbian environment, especially the capital of the Serbian Despotate, in two ways: by translating Constantinopolitan texts associated with his cult and by compiling new writings. Thus, the veneration of all-Christian saints with stable and lasting cults also proves to be a very dynamic process, in which the focus on the saint’s relics has a vital role.

Keywords

• cult of а saint
• translation of relics
• saint luke
• smederevo
• despot đurađ branković