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Christianity has used symbolism from its very beginnings.[1] Each saint has a story and a reason why he or she led an exemplary life. Symbols have been used to tell these stories throughout the history of the Church. A number of Christian saints are traditionally represented by a symbol or iconic motif associated with their life, termed an attribute or emblem, in order to identify them. The study of these forms part of iconography in Art history. They were particularly used so that the illiterate could recognize a scene, and to give each of the saints something of a personality in art. They are often carried in the hand by the saint. Attributes often vary with either time or geography, especially between Eastern Christianity and the West. Orthodox images more often contained inscriptions with the names of saints, so the Eastern repertoire of attributes is generally smaller than the Western. Many of the most prominent saints, like Saint Peter and Saint John the Evangelist can also be recognised by a distinctive facial type - as of course can Christ. In the case of later saints their actual historical appearance can also be used. Some attributes are general, like the palm frond carried by martyrs.
The use of a symbol in a work of art depicting a saint reminds people who is being shown and of their story. The following is a list of some of these attributes.
[edit] The list
| Saint |
Symbol |
| Acathius of Melitene |
Crown of Thorns |
| Agatha of Sicily |
tongs or shears, veil, bells, two breasts on a plate |
| Agnes |
lamb |
| Ambrose |
bees, beehive, dove, ox, pen |
| Andrew |
transverse cross |
| Anne, grandmother of Jesus |
door, book, red robe and green mantle |
| Anthony the Great |
monk's habit, bell, pig |
| Anthony of Padua |
Child Jesus, bread, book, lily |
| Augustine of Hippo |
dove, child, shell, pen, book |
| Saint |
Symbol |
| Barbara |
tower, ciborium, cannon |
| Bartholomew the Apostle |
knife |
| Benedict |
broken cup, raven, bell, crosier, bush |
| Bernard of Clairvaux |
pen, bees, instruments of the Passion |
| Bernardino of Siena |
tablet or sun inscribed with IHS, three mitres |
| Blaise |
wax, taper (candle), iron comb |
| Bonaventure |
communion, ciborium, cardinal's hat |
| Boniface |
oak, axe, book, fox, scourge,fountain, raven, sword |
| Bridget of Sweden |
book, pilgrim's staff |
| Brigid of Kildare |
cow, crosier, Brigid's cross |
| Saint |
Symbol |
| Catherine of Alexandria |
wheel, a crown |
| Catherine of Ricci |
ring, crown, crucifix |
| Catherine of Siena |
stigmata, cross, ring, lily |
| Cecilia |
organ |
| Cerbonius |
geese |
| Charles Borromeo |
cardinal's robes, communion |
| Christopher |
giant crudely dressed, torrent, tree, branch or large staff, Carrying the Child Jesus on shoulder |
| Clare of Assisi |
monstrance |
| Clement |
anchor, fish, Mariner's Cross |
| Corbinian |
saddled bear |
| Saints Cosmas and Damian |
a phial, box of ointment |
| Cyriacus |
deacon's vestments |
| Saint |
Symbol |
| Edmund the Martyr |
quiver of arrows |
| Saint Eligius |
bishop portrayed with a crosier in his right hand, on the open palm of his left a miniature church of chased gold; with a hammer,anvil, and horseshoe; or with a horse |
| Elijah |
cave |
| Elisabeth of Hungary |
alms, flowers, bread, the poor, pitcher |
| Emilianus |
monk on horseback |
| Elizabeth of Portugal |
crown |
| Erasmus of Formiae |
windlass |
| Eustace |
hunting clothes, stag, bull, crucifix, horn, oven |
Symbol of the martyrdom of Judas Thaddeus
| Saint |
Symbol |
| Gabriel |
is archangel, trumpet, armour, wings, scroll stating “Ave Maria Gratia Plena” |
| Genevieve |
lit candle, bread, keys, herd, cattle |
| George |
dragon,soldier or knight in armour, often on white horse, especially in the East |
| Gertrude of Nivelles |
crown, tapir, lily,mouse |
| Giles |
Benedictine habit, hind |
| Gregory the Great |
Papal Tiara, crosier, dove (often portrayed at his ear) |
| Saint |
Symbol |
| James, son of Zebedee |
pilgrim's staff, scallop shell, key, sword |
| James, son of Alphaeus / James the Just |
square rule, halberd, club, saw |
| Jerome |
lion, cardinal clothing, cross, skull, books and writing material |
| Joan of Arc |
shield, Cross of Lorraine |
| Saint Joanna |
lamb |
| John Berchmans |
Rule of Saint Ignatius, cross, rosary |
| John Chrysostom |
bees, dove, pen |
| John of God |
alms, heart, Crown of Thorns |
| John the Baptist |
lamb, head on a platter, animal skin (the camel-skin coat of the Gospels), often portrayed carryiing a long crudely made cross |
| John the Evangelist |
eagle, chalice sometimes with a snake in it, kettle, book |
| Joseph, spouse of Mary |
Child Jesus, lily, rod, plane,carpentry square, purple robe and brown mantle |
| Juan Diego |
tilma |
| Jude the Apostle |
sword, square rule, club, ship |
| Justin Martyr |
axe, sword |
| Juthwara |
round soft cheese |
| Saint |
Symbol |
| Lawrence of Rome |
cross, Gospel Book, gridiron, palm frond, purse of money |
| Leander of Seville |
pen |
| Leonard of Noblac |
lock, chain, manacles or fetters |
| Liborius of Le Mans |
pebbles, peacock |
| Louis IX of France |
Crown of Thorns, nails |
| Lucy |
cord, eyes on a dish, lamp |
| Luke the Evangelist |
ox, book, brush, palette |
| Saint |
Symbol |
| Margaret the Virgin |
dragon in chains |
| Mark the Evangelist |
winged lion, book |
| Martha |
holy water sprinkler, dragon |
| Martin of Tours |
goose |
| Mary Magdalene |
jar of ointment |
| Matilda of Ringelheim |
purse, alms |
| Matthew the Evangelist |
winged man, purse, lance |
| Maurus |
scales, spade, crutch |
| Michael |
scales, banner, sword, dragon |
| Monica |
girdle, tears |
| Saint |
Symbol |
| Oda of Scotland |
depicted wearing a long blue gown with one shoulder bare; usually carries a staff or a book; always shown with a magpie on her hand and a crown under her feet |
| Saint |
Symbol |
| Pantaleon |
nailed hands |
| Paraskevi |
eyeballs on a plate |
| Patrick |
cross, harp, serpent, baptismal font, demons, shamrock |
| Paul the Apostle |
sword, book or scroll, horse |
| Peter |
keys, boat, rooster, short silver hair |
| Saint Peter of Verona |
bloodied head (either left bleeding, or partially penetrated) |
| Petronilla |
set of keys, dolphin |
| Philip the Apostle |
column |
| Philip Neri |
lily |
| Philomena |
anchor |
Angel holding the sun at the Bordeaux cathedral
Pastoral Crook of arcbishop Heinrich of Finstingen, 1260-1286
| Saint |
Symbol |
| Xystus |
martyr's palm |
Mitre of Bishop Sztojkovics, Hungary, ca. 1860, stolen in 1989
[edit] Further reading
- Walsh, Michael (2007). A New Dictionary of Saints: East and West. Liturgical Press. ISBN 9780814631867.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
