Herman of Valaam
Herman of Valaam | |
|---|---|
 Early 20th-century icon depicting St. Sergius and St. Herman of Valaam. | |
| Born | 10th century / 14th century |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Major shrine | Valaam Monastery |
| Feast | 28 June |
Herman of Valaam (Russian: Герман Валаамский) was an Orthodox monk and wonderworker who is traditionally regarded, together with Sergius of Valaam, as one of the founders of Valaam Monastery and as a spiritual figure associated with the Christianization of the Karelians and Finns. The historical details of his life remain uncertain, with traditions placing him either in the 10th century or in the 14th century. His feast day is celebrated on 28 June.[1]
Life
[edit]The historical details of the life of Herman of Valaam remain uncertain due to the scarcity of early written sources. The earliest known hagiographical accounts concerning Herman and Sergius of Valaam belong to a much later period, making the reconstruction of their biographies difficult.
According to the traditional account, Herman was a monk who lived in the 10th century and, together with Sergius of Valaam, is traditionally credited with founding the monastic community that later became Valaam Monastery.[2] However, the historical dating of his life remains disputed. As with Sergius, traditions place Herman either in the 10th century or in the 14th century.
The exact circumstances of the monastery's foundation remain uncertain, as many records concerning its early history have been lost, including during the Russo-Swedish Wars. The earliest surviving written records mentioning the monastery date only from the 16th century. While earlier traditions attributed its foundation to Sergius and Herman in the 10th century, modern historians generally place the emergence of the monastery in the late 14th century.[3] John H. Lind and Michael C. Paul have suggested a foundation date between 1389 and 1393, based on sources including the Tale of the Valamo Monastery, a 16th-century manuscript which states that the monastery was founded during the archiepiscopate of Ioann II of Novgorod.[4][5][6]
The Finnish Orthodox Church venerates both founders of the monastery, Herman of Valaam and Sergius of Valaam, as saints and as Karelian enlighteners. Their feast day is celebrated annually on 28 June.[7]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Οἱ Ὅσιοι Σέργιος καὶ Γερμανός". Μέγας Συναξαριστής (in Greek). Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "Venerable Sergius and Herman, Wonderworkers of Valaam". Archived from the original on 29 December 2008. Retrieved 28 September 2009.
- ↑ Virrankoski, Pentti (2002). Suomen historia I. p. 87.
- ↑ Okhotina, Natalia (1993). "The Tale of the Valamo Monastery". Ortodoksia. 42: 89–135.
- ↑ Lind, John H. (1986). "Sources and Pseudo Sources on the Founding of the Valamo Monastery". Scandinavian Journal of History. 11 (2): 115–133.
- ↑ Paul, Michael C. (2007). "Secular Power and the Archbishops of Novgorod before the Muscovite Conquest". Kritika: Explorations in Russian and Eurasian History. 8 (2): 254–255.
- ↑ "Venerable Sergius and Herman of Valaam, Enlighteners of Karelia". Finnish Orthodox Church. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
Sources
[edit]- . Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (in Russian). 1906.
External links
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