"Theotokos" is Greek for "God-bearer", the title the Church gives to the Virgin Mary as the mother of Jesus Christ, who is God made man. The title was formally affirmed at the Council of Ephesus in 431 and is used across the Orthodox, Catholic and other ancient Christian traditions.
What the Eleousa icon shows
There are several traditional ways of painting the Theotokos. In the type called Eleousa, often translated "Virgin of Tenderness" or "of loving-kindness", Mary holds the Christ Child close and he presses his cheek against hers. It is one of the most human and intimate images in iconography:
- The embrace shows the love between mother and child, and through it God's closeness to humanity.
- Mary's sorrowful gaze looks beyond the child, as if she already knows the Cross that lies ahead.
- The Child's arm around her neck shows that he comforts her as much as she holds him.
- The stars on her veil and shoulders are a traditional sign of her virginity before, during and after Christ's birth.
- MP ΘY, often written beside her, means "Mother of God".
Famous Eleousa icons
The best known is Our Lady of Vladimir, painted in Constantinople in the early 12th century and taken to Kyiv and later Vladimir and Moscow, where it is now kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery. Copies of it are found in churches and homes across Eastern Europe. Other loved icons of Mary, such as Our Lady of Perpetual Help, much treasured by Catholics, belong to the closely related tradition of Byzantine Marian icons.
How the Theotokos is honoured
Orthodox and Catholic Christians do not worship Mary. They honour her as the Mother of God and ask for her prayers, much as you might ask a friend to pray for you. Many keep her icon in the home, light a candle before it, and carry a small image of her with them.
Carrying the Theotokos with you
Our Theotokos design follows the Eleousa tradition: the cheek-to-cheek embrace, the deep red and blue robes, and an aged gold background. It is available as a MagSafe case for iPhone 14 to iPhone 18 Pro Max and a tough case for Samsung Galaxy S20 to S26 Ultra, a small icon for the thing you hold most each day.