The Strength of the Soul of a Queen Unbroken by Faith

Abstract

Throughout history, every nation has produced individuals of unwavering courage who have sacrificed themselves for their homeland and faith, refusing to tolerate violence, oppression, injustice, and religious betrayal. Religious conviction has particularly inspired such dedication, driving believers to sacrifice themselves for their country and beliefs. This fate befell Queen Ketevan, a Georgian Orthodox monarch who, when offered by the treacherous Shah the opportunity to change her faith and marry him, firmly declared: „I will not sacrifice my soul for the sake of saving the body, which represents both Christianity and Georgian identity. The body is earth and will return to earth, while the law of Christ and Georgia, which has resided within me since birth, are immortal and eternal – neither your sovereign nor his false deity can destroy them.” Queen Ketevan’s steadfastness and courage profoundly impressed the 17th-century German playwright Andreas Gryphius, who immortalized her story in the tragedy „Catherine the Georgian, or Tested Fortitude.“ Significantly, The Catholic Church was the first institution to canonize Queen Ketevan, recognizing her martyrdom across denominational boundaries. More than three centuries later, Georgian Orthodox and German Catholic
communities have revived the memory of Queen Ketevan the Martyr. Georgian émigré Nikoloz Janelidze played a crucial role in fostering Georgian-German cultural relations, personally providing Andreas Gryphius’s „Ketevan the Georgian“ – a bibliographical rarity even in Germany. The photocopy of the 1663 edition, republished in Halle in 1951, enabled Germanist Akaki Gelovan to translate this tragedy, which was subsequently published by „Soviet Georgia“ in 1975. The dramatic work was first staged in Georgia under the direction of German director Hermann Wedekind, followed by productions in Germany, demonstrating the cross-cultural resonance of Queen Ketevan’s story. Thus, Queen Ketevan the Martyr, unbroken in spirit, confronted both presence and absence with equal fortitude, striking fear into her enemies through spiritual strength while inspiring her compatriots. By choosing martyrdom and death over worldly pleasures and the humiliation of her dignity, she achieved ultimate moral victory, exemplifying the triumph of faith and national identity over temporal power.