Author ORCID Identifier
Sosiashvili:
ORCID:0000-0002-2406-8662
Mgebrishvili:
ORCID: 0000-0002-4275-2417
Abstract
This study examines Geristoba, the Saint George feast historically celebrated around the Church of Saint George in Geri (Shida Kartli, Georgia) and its related sanctuary in Arbo. Drawing on the Chronicle of Geri (compiled by Deacon Iakob Lomouri), 19th–20th-century ethnographic accounts (S. Makalatia), historical notes (A. Garsevanishvili, Z. Chichinadze), and period press reports (Tsnobis Purtseli, Mtskemsi), the article reconstructs the site’s foundation traditions—attributed to King Pharsman and later royal patronage under Queen Tamar—alongside the ritual calendar and practices. It argues that Geristoba preserves a layered syncretism: Christian veneration of Saint George overlaid on earlier lunar cult symbolism, visible in the timing (three consecutive Sundays after the Dormition, keyed to moon phases), the presence of oracular figures (kadagi), vow rituals, and healing practices. The feast also functioned as a shared regional pilgrimage for Georgians and Ossetians, intertwining devotion with communal gatherings. Finally, the paper highlights the heritage risk and research lacunae created by loss of access to Geri since the 2008 occupation and notes concerns over unregulated restoration that may endanger the monument’s authenticity.
Recommended Citation
Sosiashvili, Giorgi Prof. Dr. and Mgebrishvili, Aleksandre Prof. Dr.
(2026)
"The Festival of “Geristoba” (the Feast of the Moon) in Shida Kartli, Associated with the Cult of Saint George,"
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe: Vol. 46
:
Iss.
3
, Article 10.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55221/2693-2229.2720
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ree/vol46/iss3/10