Akathist

An akathist is a hymn dedicated to a saint, holy event, or one of the persons of the Holy Trinity. The word akathist itself means "not sitting." The writing of akathists (occasionally spelled acathist) continues today, although not all are widely known, nor translated beyond the original language. Isaac E. Lambertsen has done a large amount of translation work, including many different akathists.

Structure

The Trisagion Prayers are often said as a prelude to the akathist hymn. The akathist hymn itself is divided into thirteen parts, each of which has a kontakion and an ikos. The kontakion usually ends with the exclamation: "Alleluia!" Within the latter part of the ikos comes an anaphoric entreaty, such as "Come!" or "Rejoice!" The thirteenth kontakion (which does not have a corresponding ikos) is usually followed by the repetition of the first ikos and kontakion. After the thirteen kontakia and ikoi, additional prayers are added, such as a troparion and another kontakion. In some akathists, psalms are also included.

Akathist to the Theotokos

When the word akathist is used alone, it most commonly refers to the Akathist to the Theotokos, attributed to St. Romanos the Melodist. This hymn is often split into four parts and sung at the "Salutations to the Theotokos" service on the first four Friday evenings in Great Lent; the entire Akathist is then sung on the fifth Friday evening.

Akathists

Relating to the Trinity

• Akathist to the Holy Trinity
• Akathist to Our Lord, the Most Sweet Jesus

[1], [2]

• Akathist to Jesus Christ for a Loved One who has Fallen Asleep
• Akathist to the Divine Passion of Christ
• Akathist (PDF) to Jesus, Light to those in Darkness (by Fr. Lawrence Farley)
• Akathist to the Holy Spirit

Relating to the Theotokos

• Akathist to the Holy Virgin Theotokos (by St. Romanus the Melodist)

[3], [4], [5], [6], PDF, with western notation, [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], with a brief outline, [13]

English/Arabic, French, German (PDF), Greek, Spanish

• Akathist of the Birth of the Theotokos
• Akathist of the Presentation of the Theotokos to the Temple
• Akathist of the Annunciation
• Akathist of the Protection (or Covering) of the Theotokos
• Akathist of the Dormition of the Theotokos
• Akathist to the Theotokos, All-Venerable Abbess to Monasteries of the Entire World
• Akathist to the Burning Bush of the Theotokos
• Akathist (PDF) to the Theotokos, Daughter of Zion (by Fr. Lawrence Farley)
• Akathist to the Theotokos, the Deliverer
• Akathist to the Theotokos, the Door-keeper
• Akathist to the Theotokos, the Enricher of the Harvest
• Akathist to the Theotokos, Inexhaustible Cup

[14]

• Akathist to the Theotokos, Joy of All Who Sorrow
• Akathist to the Theotokos, Nurturer of Children
• Akathist to the Theotokos of All Protection
• Akathist to the Theotokos, Queen of All (Pantanassa, or "Healer of Cancer")

[15]

• Akathist to the Theotokos, Spring of Healing
• Akathist to the Theotokos, Swift to Aid
• Akathist to the Theotokos, Unexpected Joy
• Akathist to the Theotokos for Reconciliation
• Akathist to the Theotokos at her Wonder-working Kursk Root Icon of the Sign

Russian

• Akathist to the Theotokos at her Icon "Stay of Our Sorrows"
• Akathist to the Theotokos at the Wonder-working Icon of Crasna
• Akathist to the Theotokos at her Weeping Icon of Boian (Bojan)
• Akathist of the Theotokos of the Portal of Iviron
• Akathist to the Theotokos at the Icon of Seven Arrows (Icon of the Prophecy of Simeon)
• Akathist to the Theotokos at her Icon of Felixstowe

Relating to the Saints

• Akathist to St. Alexis, Man of God
• Akathist to St. Anthony the Great
• Akathist to the Chinese martyr saints who died in the Boxer Rebellion (by Geoffrey Korz)
• Akathist to St. David the Prophet, King of Israel
• Akathist to St. Demetrios the Great Martyr
• Akathist to St. Dimitri Basarabov
• Akathist to St. Elijah the Prophet
• Akathist to St. Elizabeth the New Martyr (Grand Duchess)

[16], [17]

• Akathist to St. George the Trophy-bearer and Great Martyr
• Akathist to St. Gregory Palamas
• Akathist to St. Guthlac of Crowland (by Fr. Elias Jones)
• Akathist to St. Herman of Alaska
• Akathist to St. Ignaty Brianchovich
• Akathist of St. Innocent of Alaska

[18]

• Akathist to St. John the Forerunner
• Akathist to St. John the Theologian
• Akathist to St. John of Kronstadt
• Akathist to St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco

[19]

• Akathist to St. John the New (of Suceava)
• Akathist to St. Juliana of Lazarevo
• Akathist to St. Mary Magdalene
• Akathist to St. Maximus Sandovich, Protomartyr of the Lemko people
• Akathist to St. Menas the Wonder-worker
• Akathist to St. Nektarios of Pentapolis
• Akathist to St. Nicholas of Myra
• Akathist to St. Nicholas II, Tsar and Emperor of All Russia, the Passion-bearer (by Daniel Stolypin)

[20], [21]

• Akathist to St. Nilus, Wonder-worker of Sora
• Akathist to St. Panteleimon
• Akathist to St. Paraskeve
• Akathist to Ss. Peter and Paul
• Akathist to St. Philothea
• Akathist to St. Raphael of Brooklyn

[22], [23]

• Akathist to St. Seraphim of Sarov
• Akathist to St. Simon the Zealot, Apostle and Evangelist
• Akathist to St. Spyridon of Trymithous
• Akathist to St. Tikhon of Moscow
• Akathist to St. Xenia of St. Petersburg

Other Akathists

• Akathist for Holy Communion
• Akathist (PDF) of the Nativity of Christ
• Akathist of the Holy Cross
• Akathist to the Tomb and the Resurrection of the Lord
• Akathist to the Resurrection of Christ
• Akathist "Glory to God for All Things"

[24] The Akathist is often attributed to Priest Gregory Petrov who died in a Soviet prison camp in 1940, but also to Metropolitan Tryphon (Prince Boris Petrovich Turkestanov) +1934. The title is from the words of St. John Chrysostom as he was dying in exile. It is a song of praise from amidst the most terrible sufferings.

• Akathist of Thanksgiving (by Metropolitan Tryphon (Turkestanov))
• Akathist in Praise of God's Creation (by Metropolitan Tryphon (Turkestanov))
• Akathist to the Holy Archangel Michael
• Akathist to the Holy Archangels Michael and Gabriel
• Akathist to the Guardian Angel
• Akathist for the Repose of the Departed
• Akathist to Seraphim Rose

External Links

• Akathist Hymn (MOV; sound file) chanted by Eikona
• True Mother of God, Thee do we magnify: A commentary on the Akathist Hymn to the Mother of God
• Akathists For All Occasions: Praying from East to West by Alexander Roman (Greek Catholic)
• Akathists written by Alexander Roman
• Akathist Rubrics
• The order for reading canons and akathists when alone
• Akathist to the Derzhavnaya Icon of the Mother of God CD for sale with sample mp3 tracks
• The Akathist Hymn, including a brief outline of the structure of the Akathist to the Theotokos
• The Akathist Hymn by Fr. Luke Hartung