The Holy Trinity Church in Sighisoara shows just how much the Orthodox church is a descendent of Byzantine Christianity. I've only ever been in one other Eastern Orthodox church, and that was on the high school trip to France. I vividly remember walking in and feeling the beginnings of tears at the overwhelming dark shimmer. It seems I haven't changed all that much, because my response was pretty much the same during our little stop on the way out of Sighisoara.
I like feeling little in the face of the universe. (Which is odd, because I don't like to be told that I am small and insignificant.) And while the Catholics do cathedrals and the insignificant human very well, I think the Orthodox give them a run for their money. There is something about seeing the Bible stories plastered on the walls, surrounding you with a unique muted shine, that makes the concept and the emotions evoked even larger. You are face to face with Jesus, and by extension God, in a very intimate way; the faces on the wall are concerned with you and everything in the universe at the same time.
The medieval versions of this, however, are less opulent and ornate. Still impressive for the time, the churches we this weekend felt somehow smaller and closer to earth and human life. They were still monuments to God and covered with paintings, which have been preserved and recovered. My favorite was probably the first church we stepped inside on Sunday, the walls covered with paintings of the story of St. Laszlo, the knight-king Ladislaus I of Hungary.
My second favorite was absolutely Telekfalva. We heard a lot about Telekfalva at the beginning of this trip, because for the four weeks before we arrived, the osteology workshop worked with bones recovered from a salvage dig at the church before it was restored. It was really cool to be in the place we've heard so much about, and picture what it had looked like when they were digging.
Overall, the churches this past weekend left me with the impression of complete and utter faith. While the local churches are smaller and unassuming on the outside, the interior design has the same push of devotion, whether it be in glitzy mosaics or matte paintings.
The medieval versions of this, however, are less opulent and ornate. Still impressive for the time, the churches we this weekend felt somehow smaller and closer to earth and human life. They were still monuments to God and covered with paintings, which have been preserved and recovered. My favorite was probably the first church we stepped inside on Sunday, the walls covered with paintings of the story of St. Laszlo, the knight-king Ladislaus I of Hungary.
My second favorite was absolutely Telekfalva. We heard a lot about Telekfalva at the beginning of this trip, because for the four weeks before we arrived, the osteology workshop worked with bones recovered from a salvage dig at the church before it was restored. It was really cool to be in the place we've heard so much about, and picture what it had looked like when they were digging.
Overall, the churches this past weekend left me with the impression of complete and utter faith. While the local churches are smaller and unassuming on the outside, the interior design has the same push of devotion, whether it be in glitzy mosaics or matte paintings.
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