All About that Grace: King Tamar and Biblical Beauty Standards

The Bible was not just the guide to political rulership in medieval Europe, but also served as the medieval version of Elle Magazine. Following Christian values was the only way to ensure the protection of your soul and obtain entrance into heaven, making straying from biblical recommendations a perilous endeavor. The Bible and the church influenced all aspects of medieval life including the beauty standards for medieval women. The Bible encourages “women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly” (1 Timothy 2:9). Biblical women who followed this model of modesty and simplicity were seen as idealized models of femininity, and many queens were depicted in iconography in a manner that paralleled that of biblical figures. Beauty was often considered in a biblical context and the women that were seen as beautiful were those that most closely followed the example of biblical women in their physical appearance and dress.

For medieval queens, who were constantly defined by their physical appearance, the Bible guided the way that they should physically look. For powerful women such as King Tamar of Georgia, the first woman to rule Georgia independently, there was a strong need to follow biblical standards of beauty in order to maintain the heavenly and public approval upon which their power depended. In “The Life of Tamar”, King Tamar is described as having a “comely figure, dark eyes, pale cheeks flushed with rose, modest demeanor and proud glance, gentle visage, and the happy and innocent charm and purity of her discourse”(56). Based on this description, King Tamar’s physical beauty was clear to her contemporaries. King Tamar’s appearance represented more than earthly beauty, but a physical blessing from God that signified heavenly support and helped to legitimize her rule. This further contributed to her exceptionalism in Georgian history as a woman hand-picked by God to rule: “Not for nothing did God graciously clothe Tamar in such raiment” (56). This further established her as a fair, honest, and legitimate ruler who acted in accordance with biblical values and, despite her gender, was deserving of a position of power. 

Comparing the iconography of King Tamar above with the iconographic depictions of Mary below, there are clear parallels between the two. Every medieval woman wanted to embody the same moral and physical traits as Mary since she was the pinnacle of medieval womanhood and femininity. The ways in which King Tamar was depicted in various iconography were vital to demonstrating her alignment with biblical beauty standards and her connection to god. She is often pictured in modest clothing where her hair is covered as well as most of her body.  King Tamar chose to display her great beauty in a modest and godly manner, rather than brazenly through revealing clothing. This demonstrates her commitment to ruling through sincere methods instead of using her charms to manipulate others as many feared female medieval rulers did.   

King Tamar and Mary are shown with blue clothing, hair coverings, halos, crowns, gold details, and cross-shaped scepters. Both women's pale skin, dark hair, and rosy cheeks accentuate their features and are pleasing to the eye. None of King Tamar’s features were particularly distinctive, and the simplicity of her beauty highlighted her purity and sincerity. These traits are heavily emphasized in the Bible and allow King Tamar to seem like a trustworthy and well-intentioned leader who would not use her beauty as a means of improper influence over others. Instead of using her feminine beauty as a way to gain control over others, King Tamar used more traditional, intellectual, and masculine methods of rule which helped prevent negative stereotypes of female rulers (as petty, scheming, and deceitful) from being applied to her. Further drawing on this connection to Mary, is the similar expressions on their faces; deliberately controlled yet soft. Anyone who views these images of King Tamar is captivated by her lovely image, and subconsciously associates her with the power, composure, and beauty of a godly figure like Mary. Additionally, having simple features allowed people to focus on other aspects of King Tamar such as her political skills, military power, and charitable works. While King Tamar may appear plain by today’s beauty standards focused on over-the-top features, it is precisely this simplicity that allowed her to be seen as a godly, pure, and just ruler by her people, allowing her to maintain her unprecedented rule and usher in a Golden Age of growth, renewal, and expansion in Georgia.