Crown of Immortality

In

From the Early Christian era the phrase "crown of immortality" was widely used by the Church Fathers in writing about martyrs; the immortality was now both of reputation on earth, and of eternal life in heaven. The usual visual attribute of a martyr in art, was a palm frond, not a wreath.^{[citation needed]} The phrase may have originated in scriptural references, or from incidents such as this reported by Eusebius (Bk V of History) describing the persecution in Lyon in 177, in which he refers to literal crowns, and also brings in an athletic metaphor of the "victor's crown" at the end:

"From that time on, their martyrdoms embraced death in all its forms. From flowers of every shape and color they wove a crown to offer to the Father; and so it was fitting that the valiant champions should endure an ever-changing conflict, and having triumphed gloriously should win the mighty crown of immortality. Maturus, Sanctus, Blandina, and Attalus were taken into the amphitheater to face the wild beasts, and to furnish open proof of the inhumanity of the heathen, the day of fighting wild beasts being purposely arranged for our people. There, before the eyes of all, Maturus and Sanctus were again taken through the whole series of punishments, as if they had suffered nothing at all before, or rather as if they had already defeated their opponent in bout after bout and were now battling for the victor's crown."^[4]

The first use seems to be that attributed to the martyr Ignatius of Antioch in 107.^{[citation needed]}

Advent wreath

An Advent wreath is a ring of candles, usually made with evergreen cuttings and used for household devotion by some Christians during the season of Advent. The wreath is meant to represent God's eternity.^{[citation needed]} On Saint Lucy's Day, December 13, it is common to wear crowns of candles in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Italy, Bosnia, Iceland, and Croatia.

Before the reform of the

A small, weak, despised woman, who had put on Christ, the great invincible champion, and in bout after bout had defeated her adversary and through conflict had won the crown of immortality.

Christian martyrs, The Crown or wreath of Immortality, is a reward for those who stayed faithful until death. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27, James 1:12, and Revelation 2:10)^[10]

The crown of stars, representing immortality, may derive from the story of

In Ariadne, Venus and Bacchus, by Tintoretto (1576,

The crown was also painted by the French Neoclassical painter Louis-Jean-François Lagrenée, 1725–1805, in his Allegory on the Death of the Dauphin, where the crown was held by a young son who had pre-deceased the father (alternative titles specifically mention the crown of Immortality).^[20]

Poems, texts and writing

• Edward Grim wrote about Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury who was murdered on December 29, 1170 as the person "...promised by God to be the next to receive the crown of immortality...".^[21]
• The preface to Percy Bysshe Shelley's 1818 poem The Revolt of Islam contain: "Should the public judge that my composition is worthless, I shall indeed bow before the tribunal from which Milton received his crown of immortality...".^[22]
• A
  scripture, Doctrine and Covenants 81:6, contain: "And if thou art faithful unto the end thou shalt have a crown of immortality, and eternal life in the mansions which I have prepared in the house of my Father."^[23]

• 
  Fontainbleau
• 
  Allegory of Divine Providence and Barberini Power, by Pietro da Cortona (1633 -1639)
• 
  Christ Carrying the Cross detail, Jesus with

  Crown of Thorns by El Greco

  , 1580

• Allegory
• Halo (religious iconography)
• Circle of stars
• Astral crown
• Celestial crown
• Five Crowns
• Iconography

References