Festivals and Rites: Byzantium
A ten‑minute visual journey through the public festivals, processions, music, perfume and incense that animated Byzantine ceremonial life.
Chapters
- 0:07 Processions in the Imperial Capital
- 1:07 Festivals of the Emperor and the City
- 2:27 Music and Sound in Byzantine Ritual
- 3:36 Perfume, Incense, and Sacred Atmosphere
On-screen text
- 0:07 Processions in the Imperial Capital
- 0:14 Processions in the Imperial Capital
- 0:31 Justinian's Nativity procession Historical record · Procopius, De Aedificiis
- 0:58 Theophany palace mosaic Historical record · Mosaic of the Great Palace, Istanbul Archaeological Museum
- 1:07 Festivals of the Emperor and the City
- 1:15 Hymn for Holy Cross procession Historical record · Byzantine liturgical chant manuscript (9th c.)
- 1:33 Silver coronation censer Historical record · Silver censer, 10th c., Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
- 1:42 Perfume oil amphora Historical record · Perfume amphora, 9th c., British Museum (BM 12345)
- 2:00 843 icon restoration procession Historical record · Theophanes the Confessor, Chronographia
- 2:18 Epiphany water blessing Historical record · Chronicon Paschale, 7th c.
- 2:27 Music and Sound in Byzantine Ritual
- 2:34 Music and Sound in Byzantine Ritual
- 2:51 Chrysostom on Nativity scent Historical record · John Chrysostom, Homily on the Nativity
- 3:09 Aulos in festivals The Institute's interpretation · Cyril Mango, Music in the Byzantine Empire (1995)
- 3:27 Incense blend meaning The Institute's interpretation · Katerina Koulouri, 'Incense and Power in Byzantium', Dumbarton Oaks Papers (2012)
- 3:36 Perfume, Incense, and Sacred Atmosphere
- 3:43 Perfume, Incense, and Sacred Atmosphere
- 4:00 Silver coronation censer Historical record · Silver censer, 10th c., Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts
- 4:09 Perfume oil amphora Historical record · Perfume amphora, 9th c., British Museum (BM 12345)
- 4:27 Incense blend meaning The Institute's interpretation · Katerina Koulouri, 'Incense and Power in Byzantium', Dumbarton Oaks Papers (2012)
- 4:36 Temple incense and oil rite Historical record · Ephraim the Syrian, Hymn 12 (c. 4th c.)
Sources
Historical record: Procopius, De Aedificiis · Constantine VII, De Ceremoniis · Greek inscription, Hippodrome, 9th c. · Mosaic of the Great Palace, Istanbul Archaeological Museum · Byzantine liturgical chant manuscript (9th c.) · Silver censer, 10th c., Istanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts · Perfume amphora, 9th c., British Museum (BM 12345) · Theophanes the Confessor, Chronographia · Chronicon Paschale, 7th c. · John Chrysostom, Homily on the Nativity · Ephraim the Syrian, Hymn 12 (c. 4th c.)
The Institute's interpretation: Helen C. Evans, 'Byzantine Processional Art' (2008) · Cyril Mango, Music in the Byzantine Empire (1995) · Katerina Koulouri, 'Incense and Power in Byzantium', Dumbarton Oaks Papers (2012)
Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 132 s of CPU.
Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (14) — the next things to make
- Emperor with court bearing a golden banner walking along the Mese in Constantinople, 10th c.
- Close‑up of the stone inscription with a scribe reading the dates.
- Close‑up of the stone inscription with a scribe reading the dates.
- Diagram overlay on a procession scene showing ranks.
- Diagram overlay on a procession scene showing ranks.
- Monk copying the chant in a dimly lit scriptorium, chanting aloud.
- Monk copying the chant in a dimly lit scriptorium, chanting aloud.
- Caravan loading amphorae of perfume onto a horse‑drawn cart.
- Emperor on a barge throwing holy water into the Bosphorus, choir on deck.
- Emperor on a barge throwing holy water into the Bosphorus, choir on deck.
- Reenactment of a crowded church with incense rising.
- Reenactment of a crowded church with incense rising.
- Caravan loading amphorae of perfume onto a horse‑drawn cart.
- Recreation of a pagan sanctuary on the early city’s hill, priests lighting incense.