Abstract

The Domentijan's Life of Saint Sava the Serbian from 1253/1254 is the oldest known source for the cults of Athonite miracle-working icons of the Virgin. In that text we have the mentions of five famous icons of the Virgin from Mount Athos: Virgin of Vatopedi, Kariotissa, Portaïtissa, Oikonomissa and Virgin of Hilandar monastery. Three of those exist today, in Vatopedi , Iviron and mosaic icon from Hilandar monastery ; 'Axion estin' is the copy from the late thirteenth century of the former icon in Protaton, and in Great Lavra there is the mixture of two cults, of old Oikonomissa and the present day monastery 'Palladium', Koukouzelissa