ABSTRACT
The epithets associated with the Mother of God begin to appear in the 11th century and reflect either names of sanctuaries that housed an important Marian image, that is, topographical names, such as the Blachemitissa. There is evidence indicating that the epithet Aigyptia does have a Byzantine origin and ultimately a later Russian connection. Themelis’s list of epithets includes both Byzantine and post-Byzantine names, and, because he does not offer any further explanation from his inventory, it remains uncertain as to the origin and chronology of this “Russian” epithet. An earlier historical source makes direct reference to a Marian image in Attaleia of Pamphylia.
