THE IMAGE OF THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD AS A MEDIATOR OF THE ALIENATED IN 'WORD OF THOMAS THE APOSTLE ON THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN' ( Obraz Bogurodzicy ... w Slowie swietego Tomasza Apostola o wyniesieniu Przenajswietszej)

The paper discusses the problem of alienation due to the threat of the radical evil presented in the Slavic apocryphal compilation 'Slovo kako vuzdvizese Presvetie Bogorodica' ascribed to St. Thomas the Apostle. The authoress' purpose is to show the text containing motives from the Orthodox tradition which emphasizes the 'Intercession of the Holy Mother of God', creates her as a mediator between 'the fellow' and 'the alien'; not only in earthly (external) order but also in heavenly (internal) order. This image refers to the intense apocalyptic and eschatological atmosphere that indicates the circumstances of the origins of the narration; the appearance of the Ottoman Turks in the Balkans.