Eiletarion

JOHN A. MCGUCKIN

Greek term for “wrapper.” It primarily signifies a liturgical scroll that unravels vertically and which featured in ancient liturgical celebrations (before the use of the codex became widespread) but which was kept on, for archaizing reasons, in the liturgical practices of several churches in later times. Today, the practice still survives in some churches on Mount Athos. The Holy Mountain’s archives also contain several examples of liturgical eiletaria. The eiletarion also features as the unrolled scroll of the gospel carried by the Christ Emman­uel (child) or by the apostles in their iconic images, and by some other saints.