14/11/2006
Ripidia – cherubim

Triantaphyllos Sioulis © Prefecture of Ioannina

print preview

Nowadays they hold the place of banners and they carried at processions and litanies and «the six winged Seraphim appeared resembling the many eyed Cherubim».
It is possible that because the use of wood in the decoration of the churches became more general, we see it also being used in the construction of the cherubim, as also happened with the construction of the monstrances, etc. We see those types of cherubim for example at the church of the Repose of the Virgin Mary at Palaiochorion.
In some circumstances they take up their old place on the Sacred Altar, bundled with the monstrance (such as at Tsepelovo) or were simply adapted somewhere on the Altar, whilst in other cases they were positioned somewhere in the sanctuary or the church. They have however terminally lost their old use and role, which has resulted in being simply decorative.
However, Despite all this their use has continued in the litanies where the Cross leads and is followed by the cherubim.