A mother, mom, mum, momma or mama, is a woman who has raised a child (to whom she may or may not have given birth) in the role of parent. Because of the complexity and differences of a mother's social, cultural, and religious definitions and roles, it is challenging to define a mother to suit a universally accepted definition. The male equivalent is a father.

Biological mother

In the case of a mammal such as a human, a pregnant woman gestates a fertilized ovum. A fetus develops from the viable fertilized ovum or "embryo." Gestation occurs in the woman's uterus from conception until the fetus (assuming it is carried to term) is sufficiently developed to be born. The woman experiences labor and gives birth. Usually, once the baby is born, the mother produces milk via the lactation process. The mother's breast milk is the source of anti-bodies for the infant's immune system and commonly the sole source of nutrition for the first year or more of the child's life.

Non-biological mother

''Mother'' can often apply to a woman other than the biological parent, especially if she fulfills the main social role in raising the child. This is commonly either an adoptive mother or a stepmother (the biologically unrelated wife of a child's father). The term "othermother" or "other mother" is also used in some contexts for women who provide care for a child not biologically their own in addition to the child's primary mother.

Surrogate mother

A surrogate mother is, commonly, a woman who bears an embryo, that is from another woman's fertilized ovum, to term for a couple biologically unable to have children. Thus, she carries and gives birth to a child that is she not the biological mother of. Note that this is different from a woman who becomes pregnant via in vitro fertilization.

Currently, with advances in reproductive technologies, the function of biological motherhood can be split between the genetic mother (who provides the ovum) and the gestational (commonly known as a surrogate) mother (who carries the pregnancy).

Lesbian motherhood

The possibility for women in same-sex relationships to become mothers has increased over the past few decades thanks to new techniques and technology. Modern lesbian parenting originated with women who were in heterosexual relationships who later identified as lesbian as changing social conditions and attitudes provided more options and acceptance for those with homosexual orientations. Another way for lesbians to become mothers is through adopting and/or foster parenting. There is also the option of self-insemination and clinically assisted donor insemination, these are forms of artificial insemination. As fertility technology has advanced, more lesbians have become mothers through in vitro fertilization.

Social role

Mothers have historically fulfilled the primary role in raising children, but since the late 20th century, the role of the father in child care has been given greater prominence and social acceptance in some Western countries.

The social role and experience of motherhood varies greatly depending upon location. The organization Save the Children has ranked the countries of the world, and found that Scandinavian countries are the safest places to give birth, whereas countries in sub-Saharan Africa are the least safe to give birth. This study argues a mother in the bottom ten ranked countries is over 750 times more likely to die in pregnancy or childbirth, compared to a mother in the top ten ranked countries, and a mother in the bottom ten ranked countries is 28 times more likely to see her child die before reaching their first birthday.

Mothers are more likely than fathers to encourage assimilative and communion-enhancing patterns in their children. Mothers are more likely than fathers to acknowledge their children's contributions in conversation. The way mothers speak to their children is better suited to support very young children in their efforts to understand speech (in context of the reference English) than fathers.

Since the 1970s, in vitro fertilization has made pregnancy possible at ages well beyond "natural" limits, generating ethical controversy and forcing significant changes in the social meaning of motherhood. This is, however a position highly biased by Western world locality: outside the Western world, in-vitro fertilization has far less prominence, importance or currency compared to primary, basic healthcare, women's basic health, reducing infant mortality and the prevention of life-threatening diseases such as polio, typhus and malaria.

Also around the 1970s, Western attitudes towards the role of women and mothers in society began to change. Females were given more opportunities within the workforce and this resulted in more females becoming mothers for the first time at a later age. This trend peaked within the 1990s, but has since returned to a more traditional view point of fathers being the main breadwinner and mothers taking responsibility for the home and children.

US motherhood statistics

Assorted and non-inclusive statistics on motherhood from the US Census Bureau:

82.5 million women are mothers of all ages in the United States.

68% of women aged 15–44 are mothers in Mississippi, considered high in comparison to a national average for same age group of 56%.

82% of women aged 40–44 years old are mothers.

4.0 million women give birth annually, approximately 425,000 were teenage mothers (aged 15–19) and more than 100,000 were aged 40 or over.

25.1 years of age is the national average age of women for their first births, a record high an increase of 4 years since 1970.

40% of annual births are the mother's first. Another 32% are the second-born; 17%, third; and 11%, fourth or more.

35,000 births in 2002 were attended by physicians, midwives or others outside a hospital facility.

55% of mothers with infant children in 2002 were employed, down from the record 59% in 1998, the first significant decline since the Census Bureau began collating such data in 1976. In 1976, 31% of mothers with infants were employed.

63% of employed women with infant children are college-educated.

72% of employed women, between ages 15 and 44 are mothers without infants.

687,000 child day-care centers operated in the USA in 2002. Of these, 69,000 centers employed close to 750,000 workers and another 618,000 were self-employed persons or companies without paid employees. Many mothers use such centers to juggle the demands of motherhood and career.

Religious

Nearly all world religions define tasks or roles for mothers through either religious law or through the deification or glorification of mothers who served in substantial religious events. There are many examples of religious law relating to mothers and women.

Major world religions which have specific religious law or scriptural canon regarding mothers include: Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Some examples of glorification or deification include the Madonna or ''Blessed Virgin Mother Mary'' for Catholics, the Hindu Mother Goddess, or Demeter of ancient Greek pre-Christian belief.

Synonyms and translations

The proverbial "first word" of an infant often sounds like "ma" or "mama." This strong association of that sound with "mother" has persisted in nearly every language on earth, countering the natural localization of language.

Familiar or colloquial terms for ''mother'' in English are: ''Mom'' and ''mommy'' are used in the USA, Canada, South Africa, Philippines, and the West Midlands of England.

''Mum'' and ''mummy'' are used in the UK, Canada, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.

''Ma'', ''mam'', and ''mammy'' are used in Netherlands, Ireland, the Northern areas of the United Kingdom, and Wales; it is also used in some areas of the United States.

''Maa'', ''aai'', ''amma'', and ''mata'' are used in India and sometimes in neighboring countries, originating from the Sanskrit ''matrika'' and ''mata''

In many other languages, similar pronunciations apply:

''mamá'', ''ma'', and ''mami'' in Spanish language

''mama'' in Polish, German, Russian and Slovak

''māma'' (妈妈/媽媽) in Chinese

''máma'' in Czech and in Ukrainian

''maman'' in French and Persian

''ma'', ''mama'' in Indonesian

''mamma'' in Italian, Icelandic and Swedish

''mamãe'' or ''mãe'' in Portuguese

''mā̃'' (ਮਾਂ) in Punjabi

''mama'' in Swahili

''em'' (אם) in Hebrew

''ima'' (אמא) in Aramaic

''má'' or ''mẹ'' in Vietnamese

''mam'' in Welsh

''eomma'' (엄마, ) in Korean

In many south Asian cultures and the Middle East, the mother is known as ''amma'', ''oma'', ''ammi'' or "ummi", or variations thereof. Many times, these terms denote affection or a maternal role in a child's life.

Famous motherhood figures

Bachue

Bithiah

Demeter

Yashoda

Dewi Sri

Eve

Gaia

Isis

Jocasta

Juno

Kwan Yin

Mary

Parvati

Queen Maya

Sita

Venus

See also

References

Further reading

Category:Family Category:Human development Category:Mythological archetypes Category:Motherhood

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Name	Glasses Malone
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Charles Phillip Ivory Penniman
Born	December 10, 1979
Birth place	Los Angeles, California, United States
Genre	Hip hop
Occupation	Rapper
Years active	2003–present
Label	Blu Division, Hoo-Bangin', Cash Money, Universal Motown
Associated acts	Mack 10, Big Scoob, Birdman, Lil Wayne, Jay Rock, Red Cafe, The Cataracs
Website	}}

Charles Phillipivory Penniman (born December 10, 1979), better known by his stage name Glasses Malone, is an American rapper from Los Angeles, California.

Early life

Glasses Malone grew up in the Watts and Compton neighborhoods in Los Angeles County. His mother passed serving a 20 year sentence in prison for selling narcotics, and Malone himself was a hustler.

Music career

Traditionally associated with The Black Wall Street Records despite the fact that most the artists on the record label were affiliated with the Bloods, Malone signed with the record label, but later signed with Cash Money Records in 2011, turning down offers from many labels like Def Jam Records, Interscope Records, J Records and Atlantic Records. Glasses Malone was found by the same record executive that found The Game. Along with his signing, he was also given his own imprint, Blu Division. G. Malone debuted with mixtapes ''The Crack Mixtape'' (2003) and ''White Lightnin...Sticks'' (2005). ''White Lightnin...Sticks'' sold 50,000 copies and included the popular street single "Two Hunned".

Glasses Malone appeared in the music video for Tha Dogg Pound's single "Cali Iz Active' and also makes a cameo appearance in the Tech N9ne video "Like Yeah". He also appeared on the soundtrack to ''Madden 2007'' with a song called "Right Now" which was produced by Scott Storch. On August 4, 2006 Glasses Malone appeared on MTV's ''You Hear It First''.

Malone's first album, ''Beach Cruiser'', was originally scheduled to come out on February 20, 2007. However, due to a change in record labels, Malone signed a new deal with Cash Money Records and Hoo-Bangin' Records and his album release scheduled tentatively for April 2008. Two singles from the album debuted in 2008: "Certified" featuring Akon and "Haterz" featuring Birdman and Lil Wayne. His album will now be release on Aug. 29th 2011. although it was leaked on the internet on Aug. 24.

In late 2009, Malone accompanied Tech N9ne and hip-hop supergroup Slaughterhouse on the K.O.D Tour. Malone was featured on former Cash Money R&B singer TQ's 7th studio album Kind of Blue in 2010.

He appeared on Big B new album Good Times & Bad Advice in a song titled "Live Your Life" http://www.myspace.com/hooliganbigb

He is currently touring with The King Tech N9ne, and E-40.

Filmography

;The Division Glasses Malone is producing and starring in his own film titled "The Division". The film was written by Malcolm Mays and is set to be directed by Max Albert in January 2011, according to The Boombox.

Discography

;Studio albums

''Beach Cruiser'' (2011)

;Collaboration albums

''Money Music'' (with Mack 10) (2011)

;Mixtapes

''The Crack Mixtape'' (2003)

''White Lighting (Sticks)'' (2005)

''DJ Skee & Dow Jones presents: The Electric Chair'' (2007)

''Fuck Glasses Malone'' (2008)

''DJ Greg Street & Glasses Malone presents 2010'' (2009)

''Nightmare on Seven Street'' (2009)

''Drive-By Muzik'' (2010)

Singles

{| class=wikitable !align=center rowspan=2|Year !align=center rowspan=2|Title !align=center colspan=2|Chart positions !align=center rowspan=2|Album |- !width=30|U.S. R&B !width=30|U.S. Rap |- |2007 |"Certified" (featuring Akon) |85 |24 |rowspan="4"|''Beach Cruiser'' |- |2008 |"Haterz" (featuring Birdman & Lil Wayne) |— |— |- |2009 |"Til Da Sun Come Up" (featuring Birdman, Rick Ross & T-Pain) |94 |— |- |2010 |"I Get Doe" (featuring The Cataracs) |— |— |- |}

Notes and references

External links

Glasses Malone Official Site

Category:1978 births Category:Living people Category:African American rappers Category:American drug traffickers Category:Cash Money Records artists Category:Crips Category:People from Compton, California Category:Rappers from Los Angeles, California Category:Pseudonymous rappers

de:Glasses Malone

name	Henrietta Lacks
birth date	August 01, 1920
birth place	Roanoke, Virginia
death date	October 04, 1951
death place	Baltimore, Maryland
birth name	Loretta Pleasant
occupation	Tobacco farmer
spouse	David Lacks (1915–2002)
parents	Eliza (1886–1924) and John Randall Pleasant I (1881–1969)
children	Lawrence LacksElsie LacksDavid "Sonny" Lacks, Jr.Deborah (Lacks) PullumZakariyya Bari Abdul Rahman (born Joseph Lacks) }}

Henrietta Lacks (August 1, 1920 – October 4, 1951) (sometimes erroneously called Henrietta Lakes, Helen Lane or Helen Larson) was an African American woman who was the unwitting source of cells from her cancerous tumor, which were cultured by George Otto Gey to create an immortal cell line for medical research. This is now known as the HeLa cell line.

Biography

Early life (1920–1940)

Henrietta Lacks, born Loretta Pleasant, on August 1, 1920 in Roanoke, Virginia, to Eliza (1886–1924) and John Randall Pleasant I (1881–1969). Her family is uncertain how her name changed from Loretta to Henrietta; with Hennie as a nickname. Eliza, her mother, died giving birth to her tenth child in 1924. Henrietta's father felt as if he couldn't handle the children, so he took them all to Clover and distributed the children between relatives. Henrietta ended up with her grandfather, Tommy Lacks.

Later life (1941–1950)

Pleasant married her first cousin, David "Day" Lacks (1915–2002), in Halifax County, Virginia. David had already been living with Henrietta's grandfather when she moved there at age 4. Their marriage on April 10, 1941, after their first two children were born, (the first when Henrietta was just 14) surprised many in the family as they had been raised like brother and sister.

At the end of 1941, their cousin Fred Garret convinced the Lacks's to leave the tobacco farm and have Day work at Bethlehem Steel's Sparrow's Point steel mill. Soon, they moved—Day first, then Henrietta and the children—to Maryland. David bought a house for the family with the money Garret gave Day when he left to go overseas. Their house was on New Pittsburgh Avenue in Turners Station, now a part of Dundalk, Baltimore County, Maryland. This community was one of the largest and one of the youngest of the approximately forty African American communities in Baltimore County.

Day and Henrietta had five children together: Lawrence (b. 1935), Elsie (1939–1955), David "Sonny" Jr. (b. 1947), Deborah (1949–2009), and Joseph (b. 1950, later changed name to Zakariyya Bari Abdul Rahman). Joseph Lacks, Henrietta's last child, was born at Johns Hopkins Hospital in November 1950, just four and a half months before Henrietta was diagnosed with cancer. Elsie was described by the family as "different", "deaf and dumb" and eventually died in the Crownsville State Hospital in 1955. Elsie had been placed there about 1950, around the same time Henrietta discovered that she had lumps and unusual bleeding. '''

Diagnosis and death (1951)

On January 29, 1951, Henrietta went to Johns Hopkins Hospital. She went there because she felt a lump inside her. It all started when she asked her cousins to feel her belly, asking if they felt the lump that she did. Her cousins assumed correctly that she was pregnant. But, after giving birth to her fifth child, Henrietta started bleeding and it wasn't menstrual. She told Day, was then taken to the local doctor, tested for syphilis, which came back negative, and then referred to Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Johns Hopkins was their only choice for a hospital, since it was the only one in a close proximity to them that treated black patients. Howard Jones, her new doctor, examined Henrietta and the lump in her cervix. It was nothing he had ever seen before. He cut off a small part of the tumor and sent it to the pathology lab. Soon after, Jones discovered she had a malignant epidermoid carcinoma of the cervix Stage 1 (cervical cancer).

Lacks was treated with radium tube inserts, which were sewn in place. After several days in place, the tubes were removed and she was released from Johns Hopkins with instructions to return for X-ray treatments as a follow up.

During her radiation treatments for the tumor, a small part of Henrietta's cervix was taken off—a healthy part and a cancerous part—without her permission. The cells from her cervix were given to Dr. George Otto Gey. These cells would eventually become the HeLa immortal cell line, a commonly used cell line in biomedical research.

Lacks returned for the X-ray treatments. However, her condition worsened and the Hopkins doctors treated her with antibiotics, thinking that her problem might be complicated by an underlying venereal disease (she had neurosyphilis and presented with acute gonorrhea at one point as well).

In significant pain and without improvement, Lacks returned to Hopkins demanding to be admitted on August 8 and remained until her death. Though she received treatment and blood transfusions, she died of uremic poisoning on October 4, 1951, at 12:30 A.M. at the age of thirty-one. A subsequent partial autopsy showed that the cancer had metastasized throughout her body.

Henrietta Lacks was buried without a tombstone in a family cemetery in Lackstown, a part of Clover in Halifax County, Virginia. Her exact burial location is not known, although the family believes it is within feet of her mother's gravesite. Lackstown is the name of the land that has been held by the (black) Lacks family since they received it from the (white) Lacks family, who had owned the ancestors of the black Lackses when slavery was legal. Many of the black Lacks family were also descendants from the white Lacks family. A row of boxwoods separates the graves of white ancestors from those of the black ancestors. For decades, Henrietta Lacks' mother has had the only tombstone of the five graves in the family cemetery in Lackstown.

Legacy

In scientific research

The cells from Henrietta's tumor were given to researcher George Gey, who "discovered that [Henrietta's] cells did something they'd never seen before: They could be kept alive and grow." Before Henrietta, the cells would only survive for a few days. Scientists spent more time trying to keep the cells alive than performing actual research on the cells. Some cells in Lacks's tissue sample behaved differently than others. George Gey was able to isolate one specific cell, multiply it, and start a cell line. Gey named the sample "HeLa", after the initial letters of Henrietta Lacks' name, to protect her identity. As the first human cells that could be grown in a lab were "immortal" (did not die after a few cell divisions), they could then be used for conducting many experiments. This represented an enormous boon to medical and biological research.

As reporter Michael Rogers stated, the growth of HeLa by a researcher at the hospital helped answer the demands of the 10,000 who marched for a cure to polio just shortly before Lacks' death. By 1954, HeLa was being used by Jonas Salk to develop a vaccine for polio. To test Salk's new vaccine, the cells were quickly put into mass production in the first-ever cell production factory.

Demand for the HeLa cells quickly grew. Since they were put into mass production, Henrietta's cells have been mailed to scientists around the globe for "research into cancer, AIDS, the effects of radiation and toxic substances, gene mapping, and countless other scientific pursuits". HeLa cells have been used to test human sensitivity to tape, glue, cosmetics, and many other products. Scientists have grown some 20 tons of her cells.

Doctors still have not discovered the reason for HeLa cells' unique vigor, but suspect that it is due to altered telomerase function. There are almost 11,000 patents involving HeLa cells.

In the early 1970s, the family started getting calls from researchers who wanted blood samples from them to learn the family's genetics (eye colours, hair colours, and genetic connections). The family wondered why and this is when they learned about the removal of Henrietta's cells. No one else in the family had the traits that made her cells unique.

Recognition

In 1996, Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, the state of Georgia and the mayor of Atlanta recognized the late Henrietta Lacks' family for her posthumous contributions.

Her life was commemorated annually by Turners Station residents for a few years after Morehouse's commemoration. A congressional resolution in her honor was presented by Robert Ehrlich following soon after the first commemoration of her, her family, and her contributions to science in Turners Station.

Events in the Turners Station's community have also commemorated the contributions of others including Mary Kubicek, the laboratory assistant who discovered that HeLa cells lived outside the body, as well as Dr. Gey and his nurse wife, Margaret Gey, who together after over 20 years of attempts were eventually able to grow human cells outside of the body.

In 2011, Morgan State University granted her a posthumous honorary degree.

In media

In 1998, ''Modern Times: The Way of All Flesh'', a one-hour BBC documentary on Lacks and HeLa directed by Adam Curtis, won the Best Science and Nature Documentary at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Immediately following the film's airing in 1997, an article on HeLa cells, Lacks, and her family was published by reporter Jacques Kelly in ''The Baltimore Sun''. In the 1990s, the ''Dundalk Eagle'' published the first article on her in a newspaper in Baltimore City and Baltimore County, and it continues to announce upcoming local commemorative activities. The Lacks family was also honored at the Smithsonian Institution. In 2001, it was announced that the National Foundation for Cancer Research would be honoring "the late Henrietta Lacks for the contributions made to cancer research and modern medicine" on September 14. Because of the events of September 11, 2001, the event was canceled.

In her 2010 book, ''The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks'', Rebecca Skloot documents the histories of both the HeLa cell line and the Lacks family. Henrietta's husband, David Lacks, was told little following her death. Suspicions fueled by racial issues prevalent in the South were compounded by issues of class and education. For their part, members of the Lacks family were kept in the dark about the existence of the tissue line. When its existence was revealed in two articles written in March 1976 by Michael Rogers, one in the ''Detroit Free Press'' and one in ''Rolling Stone,'' family members were confused about how Henrietta's cells could have been taken without consent and how they could still be alive 25 years after her death.

In May 2010, ''The Virginian-Pilot'' published two articles on Lacks, HeLa, and her family, which mentions that the Morehouse School of Medicine has donated the money for Henrietta's grave as well as her daughter Elsie, who died in 1955, to finally have headstones. Her grandchildren wrote her epitaph: "Henrietta Lacks In loving memory of a phenomenal woman, wife and mother who touched the lives of many. Here lies Henrietta Lacks (HeLa). Her immortal cells will continue to help mankind forever. Eternal Love and Admiration, From Your Family"

In May 2010, HBO announced that Oprah Winfrey and Alan Ball would develop a film project based on Skloot's book.

On May 17, 2010, NBC ran a fictionalized version of Lacks' story on ''Law & Order'', titled "Immortal". An article in ''Slate'' called the episode "shockingly close to the true story."

Notes

References

Further reading

Russell Brown and James H M Henderson, 1983, "The Mass Production and Distribution of HeLa Cells at Tuskegee Institute", 1953–1955. J Hist Med allied Sci 38(4):415–43

Michael Gold, ''A Conspiracy of Cells'', 1986, State University of New York Press

Hannah Landecker 2000 "Immortality, In Vitro. A History of the HeLa Cell Line". In Brodwin, Paul E., ed.: ''Biotechnology and Culture. Bodies, Anxieties, Ethics''. Bloomington/Indianapolis, 53–72, ISBN 0253214289

Hannah Landecker, 1999, "Between Beneficence and Chattel: The Human Biological in Law and Science," ''Science in Context'', 203–225.

Hannah Landecker, 2007, ''Culturing Life: How Cells Became Technologies''. "HeLa" is the title of the fourth chapter.

External links

The Henrietta Lacks Foundation, a foundation established to, among other things, help provide scholarship funds and health insurance to Henrietta Lacks's family.

February 2010 CBS Sunday Morning Segment, "The Immortal Henrietta Lacks," featuring the Lacks Family

Slate: "Immortal: Ripped From Which Headline," story about Law and Order episode based on Henrietta Lacks

RadioLab segment, "Henrietta's Tumor," featuring Deborah Lacks.

Smithsonian magazine article">January 2010 Smithsonian magazine article

Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine

Photographs from "Henrietta Lacks' 'Immortal' Cells" by Smithsonian.com

Surprising Science: “Fair” Use of our Cells by Sarah Zielinski, February 2, 2010, SmithsonianMag.com blog

Wired Magazine 2010 article with timeline of HeLa

The Way Of All Flesh — Documentary by Adam Curtis

Audio Interview with Rebecca Skloot about her book "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"

Tavis Smiley interview with Rebecca Skloot about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks book website with additional features (photo/video/audio)

New York Times review of Rebecca Skloot's book on Henrietta

Life of Henrietta Lacks

Family Talks about Dead Mother Whose Cells fight Cancer (Jet Magazine - April 1, 1976)

25 Years after Death, Black Mother's Cells Live for Cancer Study (Jet Magazine - April 1, 1976)

Category:1920 births Category:1951 deaths Category:People from Roanoke, Virginia

zh-min-nan:Henrietta Lacks cs:Henrietta Lacksová es:Henrietta Lacks fr:Henrietta Lacks id:Henrietta Lacks it:Henrietta Lacks pam:Henrietta Lacks ms:Henrietta Lacks nl:Henrietta Lacks ja:ヘンリエッタ・ラックス pt:Henrietta Lacks sv:Henrietta Lacks th:เฮนเรียตตา แล็กส์

{{infobox musical artist | name

Myles Kennedy | image MylesKennedy.jpg | caption Myles Kennedy performing with Alter Bridge in Barcelona in 2008. | background solo_singer | birth_name Myles Richard Bass | Born November 27, 1969Boston, Massachusetts,United States | origin Spokane, Washington,United States | instrument Vocals, guitar, keyboards, piano, bass, trumpet, violin | genre Alternative metal, blues rock, hard rock, heavy metal, jazz, post-grunge | occupation Musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, actor | years_active 1990–2002, 2004–present | label Epic, Wind-up, Universal Republic, Roadrunner, EMI | associated_acts Alter Bridge, Slash, The Mayfield Four, Citizen Swing, Cosmic Dust | website }}

Myles Richard Kennedy (born Myles Richard Bass; November 27, 1969) is an American musician and singer-songwriter best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Alter Bridge, and as the touring vocalist of Slash's current solo project. A former guitar instructor originally from the Spokane, Washington area, Kennedy is known for his ability as both a guitarist and a vocalist, possessing a tenor vocal range that spans four octaves. He has worked as a session musician and songwriter, making both studio and live appearances with several artists over the years and having been involved with several projects throughout his career. Most notably, Kennedy rehearsed and collaborated with former members of Led Zeppelin for an unreleased project featuring Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and Jason Bonham in 2008, and more recently, he has become known for his contributions to Slash's debut solo album, ''Slash''.

Kennedy was raised in Spokane, Washington, where he attended Spokane Falls Community College to study music theory. He began his music career in 1990 as the lead guitarist of the instrumental jazz ensemble Cosmic Dust, with which he released one studio album. His second band, Citizen Swing, released two studio albums before disbanding in 1995. He then became the lead vocalist and lead guitarist of the Spokane-based rock band The Mayfield Four in 1996, releasing two studio albums with the band, of which he was a founding member. While he was in the band, he made an appearance in the drama film ''Rock Star'' starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston. The Mayfield Four disbanded a year later in 2002. After declining an offer to audition as the lead vocalist of Velvet Revolver, he was asked to join Alter Bridge by former Creed members. He has released three studio albums with Alter Bridge: ''One Day Remains'', ''Blackbird'', and the band's most recent, ''AB III'', which debuted at #17 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Kennedy has been touring since 2010, switching between tours with his two main projects, Alter Bridge and Slash. He also has a solo album with a tentative 2012 release, as well as a collaboration album with Slash to be released also in the future.

Early life

Kennedy was born as Myles Richard Bass on November 27, 1969 in Boston, Massachusetts and subsequently lived in Northern Idaho. As a child, he moved to Spokane, Washington, where he grew up in a Christian family on a farm. His father, Richard Bass, died when he was four years old and his mother subsequently went on to marry a minister, and the family took the surname Kennedy. Kennedy attended Mead High School and, finding musical inspiration from Led Zeppelin, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder, began playing trumpet at the age of ten and guitar at fifteen, copying the playing style of Jimmy Page. He found his singing voice by listening to his parents' Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder records, and also states that he was influenced by Robert Plant. He played guitar in the school's jazz band and trumpet in the school's marching band. He also spent some time playing in a local heavy metal band called Bittersweet with some of his fellow classmates. After graduating in 1988, he enrolled in Spokane Falls Community College to study music.

Career

1990–1995: Early years and local success

Upon graduating from high school in 1988, Kennedy enrolled in a Commercial Music/Jazz Studies program at Spokane Falls Community College. Using the skills he learned from this course, in 1990 he began playing guitar for a jazz group called the Cosmic Dust Fusion Band, which was formed by keyboardist Jim Templeton in 1980. Kennedy's guitar work with Cosmic Dust was very advanced; using his knowledge of jazz theory in conjunction with his advanced technical abilities, interweaving difficult techniques such as chord changes on impulse and precise shredding with rock music, he became a well-respected guitarist among local musicians. Cosmic Dust's first album, ''Journey'', was released in 1991. The album was well-received by critics. In 1993, the song "Spiritus" was awarded the Washington State Artist Trust Grant for $5,000.

After the release of ''Journey'', Kennedy left Cosmic Dust to begin working on a new band that would become Citizen Swing, for which Kennedy provided both lead vocals and lead guitar. They were described as "a band that combined the sounds of funk, soul, R&B, blues and alternative into a unique and cohesive sound" and as "Stevie Ray Vaughn^[sic] meets Stevie Wonder and them some." They released their first album, ''Cure Me with the Groove'', in 1993. This album featured Kennedy (who helped produce the album), rhythm guitarist Craig Johnson, bassist Dave Turner (also of Cosmic Dust), drummer/percussionist Mike Tschirgi, and trumpeter Geoff Miller. Citizen Swing's second and final album was called ''Deep Down'' and was released in 1995. The band disbanded the same year. All the music and lyrics on that album were written by Kennedy. ''Journey'', ''Cure Me with the Groove'', and ''Deep Down'' are all very rare albums and are highly sought after by fans.

1996–2002: The Mayfield Four and ''Rock Star'' appearance

In 1995, Kennedy started teaching guitar in a store called Rock City Music. By August 1996, he became the lead vocalist and lead guitarist of The Mayfield Four, a rock band he formed with his childhood friends Zia Uddin, Marty Meisner, and Craig Johnson (also of Citizen Swing). They signed a contract with Epic Records thanks to a critically acclaimed demo called ''Thirty Two Point Five Hours'' that the band recorded in 1996, followed by a live extended play called ''Motion'' in 1997. The Mayfield Four's debut album, ''Fallout'', was supported with a fifteen-month tour with bands such as Creed, Big Wreck, and Stabbing Westward. The album was praised by critics, but it failed to chart, and ultimately became the only album by the band to feature rhythm guitarist Craig Johnson, who was fired from the band due to undisclosed reasons.

Following the ''Fallout'' tour, Kennedy made an appearance in the 2001 drama film ''Rock Star'' starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston. He said that he got a call from his manager telling him that the filmmakers needed someone who could sing high and that his name was suggested. On the set of the film, he met Wahlberg along with Zakk Wylde and Jason Bonham, who also appeared in the movie alongside several other notable musicians. Kennedy was the only actor in the movie whose actual singing voice was used. In the movie, directly paralleling a scene at the beginning of the film, Kennedy's character (Mike, also known as "Thor") is noticed by Wahlberg's character, Chris "Izzy" Cole, the lead singer of Thor's favorite band, Steel Dragon. Izzy pulls Thor onstage and sings the rest of the song with him, eventually telling him to finish the rest of the band's concert. The film was met with mostly mixed reviews, garnering a 52% "Rotten" score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Mayfield Four's second and final album, ''Second Skin'', was released in June 2001. Kennedy has since said that it is one of the most personal records he has made. The album has been critically acclaimed and Kennedy has commented on how it and ''Fallout'' are much more popular now than when they were released.

Though popular, The Mayfield Four never garnered enough exposure to break into the mainstream. In 2002, the future of the band began to look unlikely, and Kennedy began recording new music, which he described as "Daniel Lanois meets Massive Attack." The band went on hiatus that year, and would ultimately disband. In an interview with ''Pulse Weekly'' in 2004, Kennedy said that it was because he was "burned out with the whole rock industry at that point." However, three previously unreleased songs appeared on a fan-run Myspace page dedicated to and approved by The Mayfield Four in early 2010, causing rumors of a possible reunion to begin circulating. However, when asked about this during an interview, Kennedy replied that he does not see it happening for the time being.

2002–2003: Hiatus and Velvet Revolver audition offer

After The Mayfield Four's unforeseen breakup, and due to a hearing disorder called tinnitus that he developed because of listening to music that he was recording at earsplitting volumes, Kennedy fell into depression in 2002. He said about music, "I can't do it any more. My ears won't let me." He said that he had grown "disillusioned with music and the music business," so he took a musical hiatus and went back to teaching guitar. However, in 2002, he was contacted by former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash, who was looking for a vocalist for a band he was forming (Velvet Revolver), but Kennedy declined the offer. Other sources state that Kennedy had sent in a demo tape but still ultimately declined an invitation to audition after being approached by Matt Sorum. Kennedy recalls, "They had reached out to me in 2002 when they were just getting together. They had sent me a demo tape, and I kind of sat on it for a month, and I didn't really follow up on it." ''One Day Remains'' was released in 2004 on Wind-up Records. It received generally mixed to negative reviews and was certified Gold by the RIAA. Two other singles were released: "Find the Real" and "Broken Wings." ''One Day Remains'' is the only album by a band with Kennedy as an official member that does not feature his guitar playing.

Following a successful tour in support of the album, Alter Bridge announced plans for a second release. The album, ''Blackbird'', was released in 2007 on Universal Republic. Unlike ''One Day Remains'', which was largely written by Tremonti, ''Blackbird'' featured Kennedy's guitar playing as well as more of his songwriting contributions. It received positive reviews and is generally considered the band's best album. Alter Bridge toured in support of ''Blackbird'' throughout 2007 and 2008, recording a concert film titled ''Live from Amsterdam'' and releasing it via Amazon.com. It would later be released in stores in early 2011 after several delays.

Alter Bridge took a temporary break in early 2009 with its members began working on other projects but continued writing music throughout the year. The band regrouped later that year to begin work on their third album, ''AB III'', which was released in 2010 on Roadrunner Records worldwide, except for North America where the album was self-released on Alter Bridge Recordings via EMI. For the album, Kennedy chose to write lyrics based on his own personal experiences with faith and believing. As such, it is lyrically the band's darkest album, with Kennedy calling it the most personal album he had made since The Mayfield Four's ''Second Skin''. ''AB III'' has been met with critical acclaim.

Having joined Alter Bridge primarily as lead vocalist, Kennedy began to play rhythm guitar during live performances following the release of ''One Day Remains''. He has since played rhythm guitar on the band's subsequent studio releases, and also played lead tracks on a number of songs and during live performances.

2008–2009: Reports of joining Led Zeppelin

Kennedy's name received a great amount of press coverage in late 2008 regarding a rumor that he was going to be joining Led Zeppelin, although it later turned out to be an audition for a different project featuring members of Led Zeppelin. After Led Zeppelin's one-off reunion in 2007, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones reportedly felt as if Led Zeppelin "still had something to offer." As reported by BBC News, Page and Jones were in the studio with Jason Bonham writing and recording new material that was reportedly going to be used for a new Led Zeppelin album. However, according to Bonham, singer Robert Plant was not involved in the recording sessions. Page, Jones, and Bonham were auditioning new singers to replace Plant on tour as a result, and according to several sources, Myles Kennedy was the leading candidate for Plant's replacement. Plant responded to this by confirming that he would not be involved with the reunion and that if Page, Jones, and Bonham find another singer, the resulting band would not be Led Zeppelin.

The rumors continued when it was reported that Page, Jones, and Bonham had attended an Alter Bridge concert. It was also supposedly confirmed by Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, who said that Page, Jones, and Bonham were offering Kennedy to join Led Zeppelin in order to persuade Plant to reconsider. Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti also addressed the rumors, saying that Kennedy "deserves" to play with Led Zeppelin. Kennedy remained silent about the rumors for the most part until January 2009. He denied that he would be performing with or fronting a group with them, saying, "I am not singing in Led Zeppelin or any offshoot of Led Zeppelin, but I did have a great opportunity and it was something that I'm very grateful for. But Alter Bridge will go on, and that's that." He later confirmed, however, that he had actually written songs and rehearsed with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and Jason Bonham. He also said that it was Bonham who "got the ball rolling" since the two had met on the set of the 2001 film ''Rock Star''. It is unconfirmed if the songs he wrote with Page, Jones, and Bonham will ever be released.

2009–present: Solo career

In early 2009, Kennedy announced a solo side project. He described the material as "dreamy" and "[not] aggressive," saving those songs for Alter Bridge. He also said, "It's more singer/songwriter based. I will say it's going to be interesting." He later posted on his Myspace page that he is working with some "great people" and that he has details coming at a future date. Slash announced via Facebook on February 1, 2010 that he would be appearing on Kennedy's solo record, and Kennedy confirmed this via Myspace. Kennedy had originally hoped that his album would be released in early 2010, digitally first and then on CD, but he has since put its release on hold. However, he recently said that he is still too busy to release the album as he states that he would like to tour to promote it, but he wants to release it on December 21, 2012 as a joke, although a firm release date has not yet been announced.

When asked if the record would be a departure from his previous work, he replied that it is different and again referred to the singer-songwriter approach that would be featured on it and that it would not be a hard rock album. He also said that "it was maybe the most difficult thing I've ever done in the sense that I didn't have a band." He also said that the music is very intimate and that it features piano as well. In an interview with ''Guitarist'' UK magazine, he said that some of the songs will feature jazz, blues, and R&B influences, while others still "get quite atmospheric and ethereal," comparing the sound to Daniel Lanois and Massive Attack, while assuring fans that the rock style will still be present. In the same ''Guitarist'' interview, he confirmed the titles of three songs that will appear on his record: "The Light of Day," "Complicated Man," and "The Bar Fly." Most recently, he confirmed that another song will be titled "Love Rain Down." He said in an interview with CraveOnline that "Love Rain Down" differs from anything else he has ever written. It is unknown if this album has anything to do with the project he was working on in 2002.

Kennedy has performed two solo benefit concerts: one hosted by Paul Reed Smith and PRS Guitars to benefit cancer patients, and another to benefit abused children. The latter was called Bofest 2009 and was headlined by Kennedy on October 17, 2009.

2009–present: Collaborations with Slash

thumb|250px|right|Kennedy with [[Slash (musician)|Slash in 2011.]]Kennedy has become very well known for his collaborations with current Velvet Revolver and former Guns N' Roses lead guitarist Slash. In late 2009, it was reported that they would be working together on Slash's solo album, ''Slash''. Slash later confirmed that Kennedy was chosen to sing the final song, "Starlight," on his album. According to MusicRadar, Slash asked him to record another song, "Back from Cali," which was added to the album at the last minute. The album was released in April 2010. Recently announced was Slash's second solo album, which will again feature Myles Kennedy, this time as the sole vocalist. In an interview with MusicRadar, Slash confirmed that it will be less of an actual solo album and more of a collaboration album with Kennedy, and that he is not sure if the album will be billed as Slash or a new name entirely.

On February 3, 2010, Slash announced that Kennedy would be the lead vocalist for his band on tour. On tour, Kennedy performs a number of songs found throughout Slash's catalog. Slash and Kennedy are the supporting act on Ozzy Osbourne's current tour. The other members of Slash's band, in addition Slash himself, are rhythm guitarist Bobby Schneck, bassist Todd Kerns (formerly of Age of Electric), and drummer Brent Fitz (formerly of Theory of a Deadman).

In late 2010, Kennedy and Slash appeared on ''That Metal Show'', a talk show on VH1 Classic.

Other session work

Kennedy is well further known for his work as a session musician and songwriter, having collaborated with several artists. In 2001, he appeared on the album ''Striped Suit: Lo-Fi'' by the jazz-rock band Mulligan, playing guitar solos on the songs "Faron" and "Make It Three." In that same year, he provided backing vocals to the song "Breakthrough" by Big Wreck from ''The Pleasure and the Greed''. He also worked with the Spokane based nu-metal band Five Foot Thick on their 2003 album ''Blood Puddle'', providing backing vocals to the song "Ducked Out." In 2005, he sang the chorus of "Nameless Faceless" by Fozzy with Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho from their album ''All That Remains''. In 2008, he sang a duet with Sevendust lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon on Sevendust's song "Sorrow" from ''Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow''. Also in 2008, Kennedy made a guest appearance on Mark Tremonti's guitar instructional DVD ''The Sound & the Story'', to which Kennedy provided an in-depth lesson on how to play his guitar solo on the Alter Bridge song "Blackbird." In 2009, he appeared on Slash's self-titled album, co-writing and singing lead vocals on the songs "Back from Cali" and "Starlight." In addition, he has made live appearances with Sevendust and Gov't Mule. He will also be appearing on a tribute album to Tommy Bolin in 2011.

Style and influences

Kennedy is influenced by a wide range of artists of several genres. His earliest influence was Led Zeppelin, although he drew his singing influences from jazz, blues, rhythm and blues, and soul artists when he discovered Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye albums in his parents' record collection. He said about jazz music, "A lot of people kind of equate that with elevator music. I think they're missing the point. [...] It's just incredible music. So, I definitely tried to absorb as much of that as I could at one point." He also stated that he owned Stevie Wonder's 1982 compilation album ''Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium I'', which was one of his earliest inspirations as a singer. From there, he discovered ''Songs in the Key of Life'', which he has since stated is one of his favorite albums, and today cites Stevie Wonder as a major influence on his singing. In a 2004 interview with MTV, he said that while he started off as a rock guitar player, he began listening to R&B exclusively when grunge became popular in his home state of Washington in the early 1990s. He said that he gravitated back towards ''Songs in the Key of Life''. In addition to that record, "I had a friend who turned me on to Marvin Gaye's ''What's Going On'', and that's where I really cut my teeth," he said. "I just listened to them constantly and absorbed them as best I could. I didn't listen to rock for a few years. I was basically just an R&B guy." He has also cited John Coltrane, Al Green, Mike Stern, Miles Davis, Otis Redding, Frank Gambale, Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, and Curtis Mayfield, as early influences. He has also said that he loves blues music: "I’ve always been a big fan of Robert Johnson, Sunhouse, a lot of the Delta blues, pre-World War II blues when it was just a guy and a guitar. I love that. I’m very intrigued by that." Additional influences include Guns N' Roses, U2, Blue Murder, Mastodon, and Radiohead.

Kennedy's favorite singers also include Jeff Buckley, Robert Plant, Bon Scott, Chris Whitley, and k.d. lang. He has stated on several occasions that Jeff Buckley was, and is, a major influence on him as a singer. When asked to describe his vocal style, he said, "I wanted to fuse together my favorite elements of rock and soul singers into something I could call my own. The inflections of Stevie Wonder with the soaring qualities of someone like Buckley." He states that Buckley's "emotional intensity" was one of the most inspirational things for him when it came to singing, and that it made him accept and embrace the fact that he is a tenor. He often performs Buckley's famous cover of "Hallelujah" (originally by Leonard Cohen) during acoustic performances. At one point, he received lessons from Ron Anderson, a bel canto vocal coach who has worked with a wide range of singers, including Axl Rose, Shania Twain, Enrique Iglesias, Chris Cornell, Ozzy Osbourne, Eddie Vedder, Kelly Clarkson, and several others. When asked about his number one secret when it came to singing, Kennedy replied, "Dig deep into your soul and sing as if your life depends on it. Leave your mark. People react to emotion more than technique." Kennedy, who possesses a four-octave vocal range, has been praised for his ability as a singer. Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash, whose touring band consists of Kennedy, has called him "fucking amazing," calling his style "surreal." About Kennedy's ability to recreate Guns N' Roses songs on tour, Slash said, "Myles is fucking amazing. It's very surreal how he handles the stuff he sings. I'm doing GN'R songs I've never done solo before, and Myles manages to own them without changing the style or trajectory of the song. Which is a fantastic fucking ability." He was also listed as the 86th greatest male rock vocalist of all time by Digital Dream Door.

Kennedy, a former guitar instructor, is also recognized as an accomplished guitarist. He began learning how to play the guitar by listening to Led Zeppelin records and mimicking Jimmy Page's guitar parts. He said in an interview, "I started off strictly as a lead guitar player. When I first started playing 25 years ago, that was all I’d do is sit in my room and learn solos." He also recalled being inspired by Eddie Van Halen: "When I was in my early teens, I heard 'Eruption' one day and was like, 'That is the most incredible thing I’ve ever heard,' and I begged my mother to give me an advance on my allowance for the next month and go buy that record." Over the next few years, and throughout the 1990s, Kennedy played primarily lead guitar. His early work with Cosmic Dust and Citizen Swing featured a jazz-influenced rock flavor, combining several advanced techniques used in jazz. He would later join Alter Bridge primarily as a lead vocalist, but began playing rhythm guitar on the band's first tour. Mark Tremonti said, "We knew Myles was an amazing singer, that’s why we hired him. What we found out when we toured the first record was that he’s also an incredibly gifted guitar player and songwriter, as well as a vocalist." In an interview with Ultimate Guitar Archive, Tremonti said:

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Kennedy played rhythm guitar on ''Blackbird'' and has since played co-lead on several Alter Bridge tracks. Doug Clark, a writer for ''The Spokesman-Review'' and one of Kennedy's former guitar students, wrote that "his six-string skills are pyrotechnically brilliant." Kennedy notes that his job as a guitar player, especially recently with Alter Bridge, is to add texture and colors to the music. ''Second Skin'' is also the only album to feature lyrics written by Kennedy that contain profanity.

Personal life

Kennedy currently resides in Spokane, Washington with his wife, Selena, whom he married on May 27, 2003. He is diagnosed with tinnitus.

The topic of Kennedy's spiritual beliefs has become common in discussions amongst fans as it served as the inspiration for the general theme of Alter Bridge's 2010 album, ''AB III''. According to Alter Bridge's lead guitarist, Mark Tremonti, Kennedy does not believe in a God, although in an article titled ''Losing My Religion'' from a November 2010 issue of ''Kerrang!'' magazine, Kennedy said that he is agnostic, placing himself "somewhere in the middle" between being a Christian and an atheist. In an interview on the ''Blairing Out with Eric Blair Show'' at NAMM 2009, Kennedy mentioned that despite being raised in a Christian household, he is not a religious person and he does not believe in any organized religion. In an interview with CraveOnline, he said: "I would consider myself a part of the growing segment of people who question authority and scrutinize concepts that no longer seem as logical as they once did. [...] I don't find peace in the same concepts that many hold as truth. Believe me, I tried. It's not like I didn't spend most of my life submersed in the bosom of doctrine or dogma."

Kennedy has been identified as an avid reader and he says that he especially enjoys the work of John Irving, describing Irving's ''A Prayer for Owen Meany'' as one of his favorite novels. When asked about his hobbies, he replied: "I guess I have been pretty fortunate since I have turned what was a hobby into a living. Music pretty much consumes me. If I’m not writing, performing or listening I am probably trying to learn more about its history. I’m kind of a geek at the end of the day." He also joked, "Oh, I also like Curious George."

Discography

rowspan="2"

style="background:#dde; width:50px;"	Year	Artist	Album
1991	Cosmic Dust (band)>Cosmic Dust	''Journey''
1993	Citizen Swing
1995		''Deep Down''
1998	The Mayfield Four ||''Fallout''
2001	Second Skin (album)>Second Skin''
2004	Alter Bridge
2007		Blackbird (album)>Blackbird''
2010		''AB III''

Filmography

Films
Year	Film	Role	! Notes
2001		Mike	Minor role
Television appearances
! Year	! Title	! Role	! Notes
2005	''WWE Raw''	Himself	1 episode; guest appearance

References

External links

;Official

Official Alter Bridge website

;Unofficial

Myles-Kennedy.com

The Alter Bridge Nation

Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:People from Spokane, Washington Category:American musicians of Irish descent Category:Singers with a four octave vocal range Category:Rhythm guitarists Category:Musicians from Washington (state) Category:American heavy metal singers Category:American heavy metal guitarists Category:Roadrunner Records artists Category:American agnostics

cs:Myles Kennedy de:Myles Kennedy es:Myles Kennedy fr:Myles Kennedy gl:Myles Kennedy ko:마일즈 케네디 it:Myles Kennedy hu:Myles Kennedy nl:Myles Kennedy pl:Myles Kennedy pt:Myles Kennedy ru:Кеннеди, Майлз fi:Myles Kennedy sv:Myles Kennedy

Theotokos (, transliterated Theotókos) is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include ''God-bearer'' and ''the one who gives birth to God''. Less literal translations include Mother of God. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and some Protestants use the title Mother of God more often than Theotokos. The Council of Ephesus decreed in 431 that Mary is Theotokos because her son Jesus is one person who is both God and man, divine and human.

Etymology and translation

Theotokos is a compound of two Greek words, Θεός ''God'' and τόκος ''parturition, childbirth''. Literally, this translates as ''God-bearer'' or ''the one who gives birth to God''; historian Jaroslav Pelikan translated it more precisely as "the one who gives birth to the one who is God". However, since many English-speaking Orthodox find this literal translation awkward, in liturgical use, ''Theotokos'' is often left untranslated, or paraphrased as ''Mother of God''. The latter title is the literal translation of a distinct title in Greek, Μήτηρ του Θεού (translit. ''Mētēr tou Theou''). ''Mother of God'' also accurately translates the Greek words Θεομήτωρ (translit. ''Theomētor''; also spelled Θεομήτηρ, translit. ''Theomētēr'') and Μητρόθεος (translit. ''Mētrotheos''), which are found in patristic and liturgical texts, e.g.

Λαβομένη η Θεοτόκος των εκ του αχράντου και παναμώμου αυτής θυσιαστηρίου σαρκωθέντα ζωοποιόν και ανέκφραστον άνθρακα ως λαβίδι ... επί τούτοις παρουσιασάμενος ο δίκαιος και τη προτροπή είξας της διακονησαμένης Θεώ προς ανθρώπους Θεομήτορος ... περιφανώς ιερά θεομήτωρ εξετέλει.

In many traditions, ''Theotokos'' was translated from the Greek into the local liturgical language:

! Language	! Translation(s)	! Transliteration
	والدة الاله	''Wālidat Alelah''
	Աստուածածին	''Astvadzatzin''
Bulgarian, Church Slavonic, Macedonian, Russian	Богородица	''Bogoroditsa''
		''Ti.Theotokós''
	ღვთისმშობელი	''Ghvtismshobeli''
Latin	''Deipara'' ''Dei genetrix'' ''Mater Dei''
	''Născătoare de Dumnezeu'' ''Maica Domnului''
	Богородица / Bogorodica Мајка Божија / Majka Božija	''Bogoroditza'' ''Mayka Bozhia''
	ܝܳܠܕܰܬ ܐܰܠܳܗܳܐ	''Yoldath Aloho''
	Богородиця Мати Божа	''Bohorodytsia'' ''Maty Bozha''
	Bogurodzica Matka Boska	''Bogurodsitsa'' ''Matka Boska''
	Bohorodička Matka Božia	''Bohorodichka'' ''Matka Bozhia''

Translation of the phrase ''mother of God''

Mother of God

The English term ''Mother of God'' is mostly used as an imprecise translation of ''Theotokos'', and frequently requires explanation. The other principal use of ''Mother of God'' has been as the precise and literal translation of Μήτηρ Θεού, a Greek term which has an established usage of its own in traditional Christian theological writing, hymnography, and iconography. In an abbreviated form ΜΡ ΘΥ it often is found on Eastern icons (see illustration above), where it is used to identify Mary.

A hymn normally sung as part of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom includes both titles in close proximity, in both cases referring to Mary, showing that the titles are not synonymous: "It is truly fitting to call you blessed, the ''Theotokos,'' ever-blessed and wholly pure and the ''Mother of our God'' (...", emphasis added.) The difference between the two terms is that the former, ''Theotokos'' explicitly refers to physical childbearing, while the latter, ''Mother of God'', describes a family relationship but not necessarily physical childbearing.

Within the Christian tradition, ''Mother of God'' has not been understood, nor been intended to be understood, as referring to Mary as Mother of God ''from eternity'' — that is, as Mother of God the Father — but only with reference to the birth of Jesus, that is, the Incarnation. This limitation in the meaning of ''Mother of God'' must be understood by the person employing the term. To make it explicit, it is sometimes translated ''Mother of God Incarnate''.

However, those reading or hearing the English phrase ''Mother of God'' as a translation of a Greek text cannot — unless they know the Greek text in question, or obtain additional information — know whether the phrase is a literal translation of Μήτηρ Θεού or an imprecise rendering of Θεοτόκος or one its Latin equivalents or equivalents in other languages.

Theology

Theotokos specifically excludes the understanding of Mary as Mother of God in the eternal sense. Christians believe that God is the cause of all, with neither origin nor source, and is therefore without a mother or father, or any relation except for what is homoousian to Him: only the persons of the Holy Trinity. He is ontologically separate from all other beings, as Creator to creation. This stands in contrast to classical Greco-Roman religion in particular, where a number of goddesses appear as the physical mothers of other divinities which were considered gods in their own right (cf. polytheism).

On the other hand, most Christians believe God the Son is begotten of God the Father "from all eternity" (see Trinity and Nicene Creed), but is born "in time" of Mary. ''Theotokos'' thus refers to the Incarnation, when the Second Person of the Holy Trinity took on human nature in addition to his pre-existing divine nature, this being made possible through the cooperation of Mary.

Since mainstream Christians understand Jesus Christ as both fully God and fully human, they call Mary ''Theotokos'' to affirm the fullness of God's incarnation. The Council of Ephesus decreed, in opposition to those who denied Mary the title ''Theotokos'' ("the one who gives birth to God") but called her ''Christotokos'' ("the one who gives birth to Christ"), that Mary ''is'' ''Theotokos'' because her son Jesus is one person who is both God and man, divine and human. (Some Protestants still insist that Mary cannot be truly ''Theotokos'', but only ''Christotokos''.) Cyril of Alexandria wrote, "I am amazed that there are some who are entirely in doubt as to whether the holy Virgin should be called ''Theotokos'' or not. For if our Lord Jesus Christ is God, how is the holy Virgin who gave [Him] birth, not [''Theotokos'']?" (Epistle 1, to the monks of Egypt; PG 77:13B). Thus the significance of ''Theotokos'' lies more in what it says about Jesus than any declaration about Mary.

Within the Orthodox doctrinal teaching on the economy of salvation, Mary's identity, role, and status as ''Theotokos'' is acknowledged as indispensable, and is for this reason formally defined as official dogma. The only other Mariological teaching so defined is that of her virginity. Both of these teachings have a bearing on the identity of Jesus Christ. By contrast, certain other Marian beliefs which do not bear directly on the doctrine concerning the person of Jesus (for example, her sinlessness, the circumstances surrounding her conception and birth, her Presentation in the Temple, her continuing virginity following the birth of Jesus, and her death), which are taught and believed by the Orthodox Church (being expressed in the Church's liturgy and patristic writings), are nonetheless not formally defined by the Church, and belief in them is not a precondition for baptism.

Use of Theotokos in the early Christian Church

Many Fathers of the early Christian Church used the title ''Theotokos'' for Mary since at least the third century AD.

Origen (d. 254) is often cited as the earliest author to use ''Theotokos'' for Mary (Socrates, Ecclesiastical History 7.32 citing Origen's Commentary on Romans) but the text upon which this assertion is based may not be genuine.

Dionysius of Alexandria used ''Theotokos'' in about 250, in an epistle to Paul of Samosata.

Athanasius of Alexandria in 330, Gregory the Theologian in 370, John Chrysostom in 400, and Augustine all used ''Theotokos''.

Theodoret wrote in 436 that calling the Virgin Mary ''Theotokos'' is an apostolic tradition.

Third Ecumenical Council

The use of ''Theotokos'' was formally affirmed at the Third Ecumenical Council held at Ephesus in 431. The competing view, advocated by Patriarch Nestorius of Constantinople, was that Mary should be called ''Christotokos'', meaning "Birth-giver of Christ," to restrict her role to the mother of Christ's humanity only and not his divine nature.

Nestorius' opponents, led by Cyril of Alexandria, viewed this as dividing Jesus into two distinct persons, the human who was Son of Mary, and the divine who was not. To them, this was unacceptable since by destroying the perfect union of the divine and human natures in Christ, it sabotaged the fullness of the Incarnation and, by extension, the salvation of humanity. The council accepted Cyril's reasoning, affirmed the title ''Theotokos'' for Mary, and anathematised Nestorius' view as heresy. (See Nestorianism)

In letters to Nestorius which were afterwards included among the council documents, Cyril explained his doctrine. He noted that "the holy fathers... have ventured to call the holy Virgin ''[T]heotokos'', not as though the nature of the [W]ord or his divinity received the beginning of their existence from the holy Virgin, but because from her was born his holy body, rationally endowed with a soul, with which [body] the [W]ord was united according to the hypostasis, and is said to have been begotten according to the flesh" (Cyril's second letter to Nestorius).

Explaining his rejection of Nestorius' preferred title for Mary (''Christotokos''), Cyril wrote: "Confessing the Word to be united with the flesh according to the hypostasis, we worship one Son and Lord, Jesus Christ. We do not divide him into parts and separate man and God as though they were united with each other [only] through a unity of dignity and authority... nor do we name separately Christ the Word from God, and in similar fashion, separately, another Christ from the woman, but we know only one Christ, the Word from God the Father with his own flesh... But we do not say that the Word from God dwelt as in an ordinary human born of the holy virgin... we understand that, when he became flesh, not in the same way as he is said to dwell among the saints do we distinguish the manner of the indwelling; but he was united by nature and not turned into flesh... There is, then, one Christ and Son and Lord, not with the sort of conjunction that a human being might have with God as in a unity of dignity or authority; for equality of honor does not unite natures. For Peter and John were equal to each other in honor, both of them being apostles and holy disciples, but the two were not one. Nor do we understand the manner of conjunction to be one of juxtaposition, for this is insufficient in regard to natural union.... Rather we reject the term 'conjunction' as being inadequate to express the union... [T]he holy virgin gave birth in the flesh to God united with the flesh according to hypostasis, for that reason we call her ''Theotokos''... If anyone does not confess that Emmanuel is, in truth, God, and therefore that the holy virgin is ''Theotokos'' (for she bore in a fleshly manner the Word from God become flesh), let him be anathema." (Cyril's third letter to Nestorius)

Hymns

''Theotokos'' in often used in hymns to Mary in the Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholic and Oriental Orthodox churches. The most common is ''Axion Estin'' (''It is truly meet''), which is used in nearly every service.

Other examples include ''Beneath thy compassion'' dating from the third century, the ''Hail Mary'' in its Eastern form, and ''All creation rejoices'', which replaces ''Axion Estin'' at the Divine Liturgy on the Sundays of Great Lent.

Solemnity

In the Roman Catholic Church, the solemnity of Mary as Mother of God (Theotokos) is celebrated on 1 January, on the same day as the Octave of Christmas. Her maternity was celebrated on 11 October in pre-1970 versions of the General Roman Calendar, which some traditional Catholics still observe.

This solemnity comes from around 500 AD and was originally celebrated in the Eastern Churches.

Icons

See also

Eleusa icon

Hymns to Mary

List of Theotokos of St. Theodore icons

Notes

References

Cyril of Alexandria, ''On the Unity of Christ'', John Anthony McGuckin, trans. ISBN 0-88141-133-7

McGuckin, John Anthony, ''St. Cyril of Alexandria: The Christological Controversy'' (1994, and reprinted 2004) ISBN 0-88141-259-7 A full description of the events of Third Ecumenical Council and the people and issues involved.

Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco,""The Orthodox Veneration of Mary, The Birth Giver of God"(2004, Sixth Printing, Third Edition). ISBN 0-938635-68-9

Ware, Bishop Kallistos, "The Orthodox Way" (1979, Revised Edition, 1995, and reprinted 1999). ISBN 0-913836-58-3

External links

Theotokos article on the ''Orthodox Wiki''

Resources on the Theotokos

Study of the Mother of the Lord the All-Holly Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary by St. Nectarios (in Greek)

Category:Marian dogmas Category:Titles of Mary Category:Eastern Orthodoxy Category:Eastern Orthodox theology Category:Eastern Catholicism Category:Oriental Orthodoxy Category:Eastern Orthodox icons Category:Christology Category:Feminist theology Category:Greek loanwords Category:Ancient Christian controversies Category:Christian terms

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