Translating Theotokos (Medical Trials of the Saints)
Theotokos means literally 'The Bearer of God,' though in religious contexts it is generally translated as 'Mother of God,' and is a common name given to iconographic paintings of the Madonna. This translation is, however, an oversimplifcation. The term tokos, translated as bearer, was, in the ancient world, used to indicate the imposition of a heavy load of debt or oppression (as in English parlance to carry a debt). The title of the Madonna, then, could just as easily be translated 'Mother of God' or 'Usury of God.' In honor of this second, invisible sense of the term, this painting discusses...