The Cheirograph of Adam in Armenian and Romanian Traditions

This book explores the legend of Adam's Contract with Satan that was made after the expulsion from the Garden of Eden. This legend was current in the Eastern Orthodox churches of SE Europe as well as in the Caucasus. Unknown forms of the legend have been found in two traditions, the Romanian and the Armenian, and are investigated here. Notably this legend has found its way into folk stories and sometimes into folk music, showing how widely it was accepted and distributed. This legend also inspired images in both traditions. In Romania the most striking illustration are to be found in Bukovina province, in frescos on the famous painted churches of that region, as well as in manuscript. In Armenia features of this story are incorporated into the iconography of the Baptism of Christ in the River Jordan.