Martyr

Lore & Background

In its original meaning, the word martyr, meaning witness, was used in the secular sphere as well as in the New Testament. The process of bearing witness was not intended to lead to death, although witnesses often died for their testimonies. During the early Christian centuries, the term acquired the extended meaning of believers who are called to witness for their religious belief and, on account of this witness, endure suffering or death. The early Christians who first began to use the term in its new sense saw Jesus as the first and greatest martyr, on account of his crucifixion, and appear to have seen him as the archetypal martyr. In contemporary Middle Eastern cultures, the term for 'martyr' (Arabic shahid) has more uses than the English word 'martyr'. While it can be narrowly used for a person killed because of their religion, it is more generally used to mean a person who died a violent death, thus arguably meaning a general 'victim'. A person is a martyr if killed because of their identity, by natural disasters, or while performing relief or health care work. Martyrdom is also tied with nationalism, as a martyr can be a person who died in the context of national struggle. In Palestine, the word 'martyr' is traditionally used to mean a person killed by Israeli forces, regardless of religion.

Reader's Guide

The concept of martyrdom is a relational figure of a society's boundary work, produced by collective memory. It plays significant roles in religions and has had notable effects in secular life, including figures such as Socrates. In Christianity, a martyr is one who brings a testimony, usually written or verbal, of the Christian Gospel or the Word of God, and a Christian witness is a biblical witness whether or not death follows. The concept of Jesus as a martyr has recently received greater attention, with many scholars concluding that the Passion narratives are martyrdom accounts in terms of genre and style, and that Paul the Apostle understood Jesus' death as a martyrdom. In Sikhism, martyrdom (shahadat) is a fundamental concept, with figures such as Guru Arjan, Guru Tegh Bahadur, and the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh being famous Sikh martyrs. In Judaism, martyrdom is one of the main examples of Kiddush Hashem, meaning 'sanctification of God's name' through public dedication to Jewish practice, with 1 Maccabees and 2 Maccabees recounting numerous martyrdoms suffered by Jews resisting Hellenizing by their Seleucid overlords. The wide usage of 'martyr' is not restricted to Arabic; Armenian culture likewise uses the term for victims of the Armenian genocide, who are called Holy Martyrs.

Did You Know?

• The word martyr originally meant 'witness' in Greek and was used in the secular sphere as well as in the New Testament.
• Early Christians saw Jesus as the first and greatest martyr, on account of his crucifixion.
• In contemporary Middle Eastern cultures, the Arabic term shahid can mean a person who died a violent death, including from natural disasters or while performing relief work.
• In Sikhism, martyrdom (shahadat) is a fundamental concept, with Guru Arjan being tortured for almost 5 days before attaining shaheedi.