Before entering fully into the meaning of the term epiphany, we are going to proceed to know its etymological origin. In this case, it must be stated that it is a word that derives from Greek, specifically from “epiphaneia”, which is the result of the union of two clearly differentiated lexical components:
-The prefix “epi”, which can be translated as “above”.
-The verb “phaínein”, which is synonymous with “showing” or “appearing”.
Based on its composition we can establish that it means “appearance of a god” or “magical manifestation of a power that comes from a god.”
The term is used to name a vision or a revelation . For example: “Yesterday, while I was swimming in the lake, I had an epiphany” , “The shaman used to go into a trance to have epiphanies” , “I arrived at the result by following logic, it was not an epiphany” .
The concept is usually used to refer to a mystical manifestation that prophets, sorcerers, oracles or other people with supposed supernatural abilities can interpret. In colloquial language, epiphanies are revelations that individuals have at specific times.
For the Catholic religion , an epiphany is a trace of the presence of God . In this sense, epiphanies are divine manifestations: by extension, a celebration of the Epiphany was established in the 9th century . The date chosen was January 6 , commemorating the vision that the Three Wise Men had.
According to tradition, Baltasar , Melchior and Gaspar arrived from the East with the intention of worshiping what was the first manifestation of Jesus Christ ( God made man). The wise men came to meet the child with gold, frankincense and myrrh as gifts.
Within the field of art we find different works that have in their titles the noun that concerns us now. This would be the case of “Epifanía”, which is a Gothic painting by an anonymous author found in the Church of the Assumption of Navasa (Huesca). It represents the delivery of different gifts by the Three Wise Men to the newborn baby Jesus.
In the same way, we cannot ignore that the great Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch (Jheronimus van Aken 1450 – 1516) produced an important work known by the title “Epiphany Trilogy” or “Adoration of the Three Wise Men”. It dates from the period between 1485 and 1500, is made up of three tables and is considered one of his most important works. It can currently be seen in the Prado Museum in Madrid.
It should be noted that Epiphany is also a woman 's name. Epifanía de Argaiz y Munibe ( 1812 – 1889 ), to cite one case, was a prominent Spanish composer and member of the nobility. The Argentine Epifanía Ángeles Calvo , for her part, is the widow of a notorious criminal: Arquímedes Puccio . Epifanía Uveda de Robledo , lastly, was the housekeeper of the writer Jorge Luis Borges .