Template:Short description {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:For Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox saint
Saint Christopher (Template:Langx, Template:Transliteration, Template:Literally;<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Template:Langx) is venerated by several Christian denominations. According to these traditions, he was a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman emperor Decius (Template:Reign), or alternatively under the emperor Maximinus Daia (Template:Reign).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Churches and monasteries were named after him by the 7th century. There is no evidence for the historicity of the saint.<ref name=brit>Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Saint Christopher". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 July 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Christopher. Accessed 25 October 2024.</ref>
The most famous legend connected to the saint recounts that after converting to Christianity, he devoted his life to carrying travelers across a river. One day he carried an unknown young boy across a river after which the boy revealed himself as Christ. Because of his help to travelers, he became the patron saint of travelers. In the iconography of the Western Church, the saint is often depicted as a giant with a staff carrying the infant Jesus across a river on his shoulders. Small images of him are often worn around the neck, on a bracelet, carried in a pocket, or placed in vehicles. He is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. The Eastern Church tradition depicts the saint as a cynocephalus ('dog-headed creature') in a literal interpretation of its legendary tradition.
LegendEdit
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Legends about the life and death of Saint Christopher first appeared in Greece in the 6th century and had spread to France by the 9th century. The 11th-century bishop and poet Walter of Speyer gave one version, but the most popular variations originated from the 13th-century Golden Legend.<ref name="mershman"/><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> According to the legendary account of his life Christopher was initially called {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was a Canaanite, 5 cubits (Template:Convert) tall<ref name=Molteni2019>Template:Cite journal</ref> and with a fearsome face. While serving the king of Canaan, he took it into his head to go and serve "the greatest king there was". He went to the king who was reputed to be the greatest, but one day he saw the king cross himself at the mention of the devil. On thus learning that the king feared the devil, he departed to look for the devil. He came across a band of marauders, one of whom declared himself to be the devil, so Christopher decided to serve him. But when he saw his new master avoid a wayside cross and found out that the devil feared Christ, he left him and enquired from people where to find Christ. He met a hermit who instructed him in the Christian faith. Christopher asked him how he could serve Christ. When the hermit suggested fasting and prayer, Christopher replied that he was unable to perform that service. The hermit then suggested that because of his size and strength Christopher could serve Christ by assisting people to cross a dangerous river, where they were perishing in the attempt. The hermit promised that this service would be pleasing to Christ.
After Christopher had performed this service for some time, a little child asked him to take him across the river. During the crossing, the river became swollen and the child seemed as heavy as lead, so much that Christopher could scarcely carry him and found himself in great difficulty. When he finally reached the other side, he said to the child: "You have put me in the greatest danger. I do not think the whole world could have been as heavy on my shoulders as you were." The child replied: "You had on your shoulders not only the whole world but Him who made it. I am Christ your king, whom you are serving by this work." The child then vanished.<ref name="Crawley">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Christopher later visited Lycia and there comforted the Christians who were being martyred. Brought before the local king, he refused to sacrifice to the pagan gods. The king tried to win him by riches and by sending two beautiful women to tempt him. Christopher converted the women to Christianity, as he had already converted thousands in the city. The king ordered him to be killed. Various attempts failed, but finally Christopher was beheaded.<ref name="Crawley" />
The name Christopher, as used in the Anglophone world, is the English version of the Greek name {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} or {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}). It is formed from the word elements {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, 'Christ'), and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, 'to bear'), together signifying, "Christ bearer". Widely dispersed into other languages and cultures from the Greek, many native forms of Christopher are used both to refer to the saint and as a personal name.<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Veneration and patronageEdit
Eastern Orthodox liturgyEdit
The Eastern Orthodox Church venerates Christopher of Lycea (or Lycia) with a Feast Day on 9 May. The liturgical reading and hymns refer to his imprisonment by Decius who tempts Christopher with prostitutes before ordering his beheading.<ref name="GOAA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Kontakion in the Fourth Tone (hymn) reads:<ref name="GOAA" />
Thou who wast terrifying both in strength and in countenance, for thy Creator's sake thou didst surrender thyself willingly to them that sought thee; for thou didst persuade both them and the women that sought to arouse in thee the fire of lust, and they followed thee in the path of martyrdom. And in torments thou didst prove to be courageous. Wherefore, we have gained thee as our great protector, O great Christopher.
Roman Catholic liturgyEdit
The Roman Martyrology remembers him on 25 July.<ref>Martyrologium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2001 Template:ISBN)</ref> The Tridentine calendar commemorates him on the same day only in private Masses. By 1954 his commemoration had been extended to all Masses, but it was dropped in 1970 as part of the general reorganization of the calendar of the Roman rite as mandated by the motu proprio, Mysterii Paschalis. His commemoration is of Roman tradition, in view of the relatively late date (about 1550) and limited manner in which it was accepted into the Roman calendar,<ref>Calendarium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 131</ref> but his feast continues to be observed locally.<ref name="butler">Template:Cite book</ref>
Churches and monasteries dedicated to the SaintEdit
A stone inscription of Template:Cvt was found in the ruins of a church in the ruins of the ancient city Chalcedon near present-day Istanbul. The inscription bears witness to the laying of the foundation stone, the construction and the consecration of a church in the name of "Saint Christopher's Martyrdom". The inscription states that this Church of St Christopher dates back to the time of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, the Council of Chalcedon.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The inscription also mentions the names of the state ministers of the Byzantine Empire and those church ministers who were involved in the laying of the foundation stone, the construction or the consecration of the church.<ref>Carl Maria Kaufmann: Handbook of Early Christian Epigraphy Herder, Freiburg i. 1917, page 391(Digitalisat) The inscription reads:With God was laid the cornerstone of the martyrdom of Saint Christopher in the third indiction in the month of May under the Consulate of the illustrious Protogenes and Asturius under the Emperor Theodosius II and Bishop Eulalios of Chalcedon. But it was built by the venerable chamberlain Euphemidus, and the consecration took place at the end of the fifth indiction in the month of September, on the 22nd., under the consulate of the illustrious Sporacius and Herculanus.</ref> The inscription attests to the veneration of Saint Christopher in Chalcedon in the 5th century.
A nunnery in Galatia was consecrated to Saint Christopher around the year 600.<ref>Dr. Werner Chrobak: Christophorus, Heiliger Riese, Nothelfer, Verkehrspatron | Sadifa Media Verlags GmbH | Kehl am Rhein 2004, p. 2</ref>
RelicsEdit
The Museum of Sacred Art at Saint Justine's Church (Sveta Justina) in Rab, Croatia claims a gold-plated reliquary holds the skull of St. Christopher. According to church tradition, a bishop showed the relics from the city wall in 1075 in order to end a siege of the city by an Italo-Norman army.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Portal Grada Raba: Povijest 14. ZAŠTITNIK RABA SV. KRISTOFOR Template:Webarchive Naime, Rab su 14. 4. 1075. svojim lađama opkolili italski Normani. Nemoćni da se obrane od brojnog i naoružanog neprijatelja, rabljani pozvaše u pomoć svog zaštitnika, svetog Kristofora <…> Svečeva lubanja dospjela je u Rab i čuva se u muzeju sv. Justine, kao dragocjena relikvija.</ref>
The Cathedral of St. James in Šibenik holds a relic which is claimed to be the incorrupt leg of the saint. It was brought over in 1484 from Constantinople through Corfu and originally intended to be transferred to Korčula. The feast day of Saint Christopher is celebrated on 27 July in Šibenik.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Greek Orthodox churches in Grevena, Filothei, and Siatista hold other relics of the saint.
Saint Christopher's "gigantic tooth"Edit
In the Late Middle Ages, a claimed large tooth of St. Christopher was delivered to the church in Vercelli. Pilgrims came from all over Europe to look at this relic until the end of 18th century when a naturalist determined it was a tooth of a hippopotamus. The tooth was then removed from the altar and its veneration prohibited.<ref name=Molteni2019/>
MedalsEdit
Devotional medals with St. Christopher's name and image are commonly worn as pendants, especially by travelers, to show devotion and as a request for his blessing. Miniature statues are frequently displayed in automobiles. In French a widespread phrase for such medals is {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("Look at St Christopher and go on reassured", sometimes translated as "Behold St Christopher and go your way in safety"); Saint Christopher medals and holy cards in Spanish have the phrase {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ("If you trust St. Christopher, you won't die in an accident").<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
General patronageEdit
St. Christopher was a widely popular saint, especially revered by people, athletes, mariners, ferrymen, and travelers.<ref name="mershman">Mershman, Francis (1908). "St. Christopher". In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.</ref> He is revered as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. He holds patronage of things related to travel and travelers—against lightning and pestilence—and patronage for archers; bachelors; boatmen; soldiers; bookbinders; epilepsy; floods; fruit dealers; fullers; gardeners; a holy death; mariners; market carriers; motorists and drivers; sailors; storms; surfers;<ref>Diocese of Orange hosts First Annual Blessing of the Waves in Surf City Template:Webarchive, Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, 15 September 2008</ref> toothache; mountaineering; and transportation workers.
Patronage of placesEdit
Christopher is the patron saint of many places, including: Baden, Germany;<ref name="mershman"/> Barga, Italy; Brunswick, Germany;<ref name="mershman"/> Mecklenburg, Germany;<ref name="mershman"/> Rab, Croatia; Roermond, the Netherlands; Saint Christopher's Island (Saint Kitts); Toses, Catalonia, Spain; Mondim de Basto, Portugal; Agrinio, Greece; Vilnius, Lithuania; Riga, Latvia; Havana, Cuba; San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic; Paete, Laguna, Philippines; and Tivim, Goa, India.
ToponomyEdit
Numerous places are named for the saint, including Saint Christopher Island, the official name of the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts, and St. Christopher Island in Antarctica. Many places are named after the saint in other languages, for example {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is a common French place name; similarly, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is a place name in many Spanish-speaking or Spanish-influenced countries, and the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is in use throughout the Lusophone world.
IconographyEdit
Because St. Christopher offered protection to travelers and against sudden death, many churches placed images or statues of him, usually opposite the south door, so he could be easily seen.<ref name="butler"/> He is usually depicted as a giant, with a child on his shoulder and a staff in one hand.<ref name="magill">Template:Cite book</ref> In England, there are more wall paintings of St. Christopher than of any other saint;<ref name="butler"/> in 1904, Mrs. Collier, writing for the British Archaeological Association, reported 183 paintings, statues, and other representations of the saint, outnumbering all others except for the Virgin Mary.<ref name="collier">Template:Cite journal</ref>
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, certain icons identify Saint Christopher with the head of a dog.<ref name="PAGEAU"/> According to Jonathan Pageau, because western stories suggest Christopher was born in Canaan and referred to as a Canaanite, it could have been confused with caninus, the latin word for "of the dog."<ref name="PAGEAU"/> Such images may echo medieval depictions of cynocephaly and refer to mythical beings with dog heads.<ref name="PAGEAU"/> Because of the association of the representation of dog-headed saint with stories of werewolves or monstrous races, the Russian Orthodox Church forbid the depiction of the saint with a dog head in the 18th century.<ref name="PAGEAU">Pageau, Jonathan. (8 July 2013)."Understanding The Dog-Headed Icon of St-Christopher", Orthodox Arts Journal</ref>
The roots of that iconography lie in a hagiographic narrative set during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian, which tells of a man named Reprebus, (also, Rebrebus or Reprobus; 'the reprobate' or 'scoundrel'). He was captured by Roman forces fighting against tribes dwelling to the west of Egypt in Cyrenaica and forced to join the Roman {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}Template:Efn ('Unit of the Marmaritae'). He was reported to be of enormous size, with the head of a dog instead of a man. This was in line with the cultural beliefs of the time, which held that typical Marmaritae were tall, strong, and rascally; being a cynocephalus was also consistent with this image. Roman writer Pliny the Elder reported that the "{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, of Ethiopia were men with the heads of dogs." Pliny's work, The Natural History was, during the first century A.D., a well-respected compendium of Roman science. It reports accepted "knowledge" about people from Cyrenaica. Pliny notes that these "dog-headed men" resided in "Ethiopia"—a name used to encapsulate areas of Africa West and South of Alexandrian Egypt by contemporary Romans.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>See Pliny:
- Template:Cite book
- Template:Cite book</ref> Reprebus and the unit were later transferred to Syrian Antioch, where bishop Peter of Attalia baptised him and where he was martyred in 308.<ref>David Woods, 'St. Christopher, Bishop Peter of Attalia, and the Cohors Marmaritarum: A Fresh Examination', Vigiliae Christianae, Vol. 48, No. 2 (June 1994), pp. 170-186</ref>
Scholars have suggested that the Byzantine depiction of St. Christopher as dog-headed may have resulted from his identification as a member of the tribe of the Marmaritae who were a land of cannibals and dog-headed peoples. The Greek tradition interpreted this literally, which led to Byzantine icons often depicting St. Christopher with a dog's head. The Latin tradition moved in the opposite direction away from a literal translation of the original Greek term "dog-headed" (kunokephalos). The Latin tradition may have translated the term as "dog-like" (canineus). This later evolved into a misreading as the Latin term {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, 'Canaanite', thus turning Christopher into a Canaanite.<ref name=woods>David Woods, The Origin of the Cult of St. Christopher, University College Cork, October 1999</ref>
According to the medieval Irish Passion of St. Christopher, "This Christopher was one of the Dog-heads, a race that had the heads of dogs and ate human flesh."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was commonly accepted at the time that there were several types of races, the Cynocephalus, or dog-headed people, being one of many believed to populate the world. The German bishop and poet Walter of Speyer portrayed St. Christopher as a giant of a cynocephalic species in the land of the Chananeans who ate human flesh and barked. Eventually, Christopher met the Christ child, regretted his former behavior, and received baptism. He, too, was rewarded with a human appearance, whereupon he devoted his life to Christian service and became an athlete of God, one of the soldier saints.<ref>Walter of Speyer, Vita et passio sancti Christopher martyris, 75.</ref>
Depictions in artEdit
- Westminster Psalter St Christopher.jpg
St. Christopher, from the Westminster Psalter, c. 1250
- St Botolph, Slapton - Wall painting - geograph.org.uk - 4471788 (cropped).jpg
14th century image of St Christopher, one of the Slapton Wall Paintings in Northamptonshire, England
- Saint Christopher after Jan van Eyck.jpg
Saint Christopher, c. 1460–70, after a lost painting by Jan van Eyck
- Hans Memling 033.jpg
Saint Christopher by Hans Memling, c. 1480
- Cima da conegliano, san cristoforo col bambino e san pietro.jpg
Saint Christopher with the Christ Child and St Peter by Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano, c. 1505
- Bellini, Sts Christopher, Jerome and Louis of Toulouse.jpg
- BStrozziCristof1.jpg
St. Christopher, St. Sebastian, St. Roch by Bernardo Strozzi, early 17th century; Parish of Almenno San Salvatore, Bergamo
- Jacob Jordaens - St Christopher Carrying the Christ Child.jpg
St Christopher Carrying the Christ Child by Jacob Jordaens, c. 1625–1630
- Jan van der Venne - Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child.jpg
Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child by Jan van de Venne, 163–1651
See alsoEdit
- Acts of Andrew and Bartholomew
- List of saints
- Statue of Saint Christopher, Charles Bridge
- Cedalion for a somewhat similar classical myth.Template:Relevance inline
NotesEdit
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
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- "The Life of Saint Christopher", The Golden Legend or Lives of the Saints, Temple Classics, 1931 (Compiled by Jacobus de Voragine, translated by William Caxton) at the Fordham University Medieval Sourcebook
- * St. Christopher in the Golden Legend: Latin original, English translation (Caxton)
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External linksEdit
- Saint Christopher at the Christian Iconography web site