mandylion means often Mandylion: the Image of Edessa, a holy relic consisting of a piece of cloth upon which an image of the face of Jesus Christ had been miraculously imprinted without human intervention (that is, an acheiropoieton); an artistic depiction of this relic. It carries an Arena rating of 1358, earned across 60 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, mandylion ranks #446 of 17,149 for Most Exacting Words, #490 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #974 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #1,004 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words.
mandylion is pronounced /mɑnˈdɪlɪən/.
Why “mandylion” is a great word
MANDYLION — [Noun] Often Mandylion: the Image of Edessa, a holy relic consisting of a piece of cloth upon which an image of the face of Jesus Christ had been miraculously imprinted without human intervention, or an artistic depiction of this relic. From Byzantine Greek μανδύλιον (mandúlion, "cloth, towel, handkerchief"), especially in the phrase τὸ ἄγιον μανδήλιον (tò ágion mandḗlion, "the holy towel"), from Latin mantēlium, a variation of mantēle or mantēlum ("hand towel, napkin"), probably from manus ("hand") + tergō ("to wipe, cleanse"). Unlike an "icon," a crafted religious panel, or a "shroud," a burial cloth for a full body, the Mandylion is the acheiropoietos—the face not made by hands. It is the ghostly visage bleeding onto linen sent to heal a king, the blurred and sorrowful prototype for every Pantocrator gazing from a dome, the sacred image borne into battle like a secret standard. In its singular, fixed gaze from a simple cloth, it speaks of a faith so desperate for presence it finds the divine in the act of wiping clean.
Etymology
From Byzantine Greek μανδύλιον (mandúlion), μανδίλιον (mandílion), μαντίλιον (mantílion), or μανδήλη (mandḗlē, “cloth, hand towel, handkerchief, tablecloth”) (the last word dating to the 5th century), especially in the term τὸ ἄγιον μανδήλιον (tò ágion mandḗlion, “the holy towel”); from Latin mantēlium, a variation of mantēle or mantēlum (“hand towel, napkin”) (probably misconstructed as a singular form from the plural mantēlia); probably from manus (“hand”) + tergō (“to rub, wipe, wipe off, clean, cleanse”). Probably cognate with Umbrian mantrahklu.
noun
- often Mandylion: the Image of Edessa, a holy relic consisting of a piece of cloth upon which an image of the face of Jesus Christ had been miraculously imprinted without human intervention (that is, an acheiropoieton); an artistic depiction of this relic.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- antimins 57% match — A rectangular piece of linen or silk, usually decorated with religious emblems and inscriptions, and containing a small relic of a martyr. vs mandylion →
- veronica 56% match — The image of Jesus's face believed to have been made on the cloth with which St Veronica wiped his face as he went to be crucified; or the cloth used for this. vs mandylion →
- acheiropoieton 55% match — A religion icon (chiefly of Christ or the Virgin Mary) believed not to have been created by human hands; a miraculous image. vs mandylion →
- martyrion 51% match — A church that contains relics of martyrs or marks the site of the grave of a martyr; a martyry. vs mandylion →
- epitaphion 50% match — An embroidered veil showing the dead body of Jesus Christ. vs mandylion →
- myroblyte 48% match — A saint whose relics or place of burial are said to have produced the Oil of Saints ("an aromatic liquid with healing properties" or "holy water (very much like myrrh)") or the odour of sanctity. vs mandylion →
- encolpium 46% match — A reliquary that is worn suspended from the neck like a medallion. vs mandylion →
- epimanikion 46% match — A cuff worn over the sticharion by clergy in the Greek Orthodox Church, corresponding to a maniple in other Catholic churches. vs mandylion →