Saint Christopher

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Saint Christopher (disambiguation).

For places named for the saint in various languages, see Saint-Christophe, San Cristóbal, and São Cristóvão.
Pre-Congregation
Feast
Island of Rab, Vilnius, Havana, epilepsy, gardeners, toothache

Saint Christopher (

Maximinus Daia (r. 308–313). There appears to be confusion due to the similarity in names "Decius" and "Daia".[4]
Churches and monasteries were named after him by the 7th century.

His most famous legend tells that he carried a child, who was unknown to him, across a river before the child revealed himself as Christ. Therefore, he is the patron saint of travelers, and small images of him are often worn around the neck, on a bracelet, carried in a pocket, or placed in vehicles by Christians.

Historicity

Probably the most important source of the historicity of Christophorus is a stone inscription published by Louis Duchesne in 1878.[5]

The copy of the stone inscription and the first publication took place on 7 April 1877 by Matthieu Paranikas in the Anatolia magazine in Constantinople. The stone of the size of 2 m × 1 m (6 ft 7 in × 3 ft 3 in) was found in the ruins of a church in the ancient Chalcedon. 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 also bears witness to the chronological dates from the laying of the foundation stone to the consecration of the church; the construction of this Christophorus church dates back exactly to the time of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, the Council of Chalcedon. 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. The inscription reads:[6]

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.

The German archaeologist

Carl Maria Kaufmann writes:[7]

The construction of this church, erected in honour of Saint Christopher, lasted from May 450 to Sept 22nd 452, where the consecration and dedication took place. The names of the mentioned personalities, the consuls, of Bishop Eulalius, are known from the history of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, which met during the construction period on the same ground to which our inscription belongs (Chalcedon, 451). Theodosius II died two months after construction began. The church inscriptions commemorate the cubicularius Euphemius, often the founder or builder as the architect or construction leader.

Not far from the Church of St Christopher, which was under construction at the time, was the Basilica of St Euphemia, in which the Council took place; the consuls Protogenes and Sporacius, mentioned in the stone inscription, are mentioned in the Council Acts.[8]

Saint Christophorus carries the Jesus child, fresco in the Augsburg Cathedral

This inscription attests to the veneration of Christophorus in the 5th century in Chalcedony and, consequently, the existence of Christophorus, who probably in the period of the

Great Persecution
in the 4th century suffered the martyrdom.

Then for the year 553 a bishop of Arkadiopolis in

nunnery in Galatia was consecrated to Saint Christopher around the year 600.[9]

Epic

Epics 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.[10] [11] According to the legendary account of his life Christopher was initially called Reprobus.[12] He was a Canaanite, 5 cubits (7.5 feet (2.3 m)) tall[13] 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.[14]

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.[14]

The name

Greek name Χριστόφορος (Christóphoros or Christóforos). It is formed from the word elements Χριστός (Christós, 'Christ'), and φέρειν (phérein, '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.[15][16]

Veneration and patronage

Eastern Orthodox liturgy

The

harlots before ordering his beheading.[17] The Kontakion in the Fourth Tone (hymn) reads:[17]

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 liturgy

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,[19] but his feast continues to be observed locally.[20]

Relics

The Museum of Sacred Art at Saint Justine's Church (Sveta Justina) in

Italo-Norman army.[21][22]

A bronze St. Christopher medallion

Saint Christopher's "gigantic tooth"

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 hippopotamus. Since then, the tooth has been removed from the altar and forbidden to be venerated.[13]

Medals

automobiles. In French a widespread phrase for such medals is Regarde St Christophe et va-t-en rassuré ("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 Si en San Cristóbal confías, de accidente no morirás ("If you trust St. Christopher, you won't die in an accident").[23]

General patronage

St. Christopher is a widely popular saint, especially revered by athletes,

bookbinders; epilepsy; floods; fruit dealers; fullers; gardeners; a holy death; mariners; market carriers; motorists and drivers; sailors; storms; surfers;[24] toothache
; mountaineering; and transportation workers.

In Eastern icons, Saint Christopher is sometimes represented with the head of a dog.

Patronage of places

Christopher is the patron saint of many places, including: Baden, Germany;[10] Barga, Italy; Brunswick, Germany;[10] Mecklenburg, Germany;[10] 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.

Toponomy

Numerous places are named for the saint, including

Lusophone
world.

Iconography

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.

Virgin Mary.[26]

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, certain icons covertly[further explanation needed] identify Saint Christopher with the head of a dog. Such images may carry echoes of the Egyptian dog-headed god, Anubis. Christopher pictured with a dog's head is not generally supported by the Orthodox Church, as the icon was proscribed in the 18th century by Moscow.[27]

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 numerus Marmaritarum[a] ('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 "Cynamolgi [cynocephali], 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.[28][29] Reprebus and the unit were later transferred to Syrian Antioch, where bishop Peter of Attalia baptised him and where he was martyred in 308.[30]

It has also been speculated that this Byzantine depiction of St. Christopher as dog-headed may have resulted from a misreading of the Latin term Cananeus, 'Canaanite' as caninus, that is, 'canine'. Scholars judge the association with cynocephaly as more likely.[31]

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."

soldier saints.[33]

Depictions in art

See also: Saint Christopher in popular culture

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Such a "Unit of the Marmaritae" suggests an otherwise-unidentified "Marmaritae", perhaps the same as the Marmaricae Berber tribe of Cyrenaica.

References

  1. ^ (in Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Χριστοφόρος ὁ Μεγαλομάρτυρας. 9 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
  2. ^ "الشهيد خريستوفوروس حامل المسيح". St-Takla.org. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  3. ISBN 978-3-030-25458-2
    .
  4. ^ T.D. Barnes, The New Empire of Diocletian and Constantine (Cambridge, MA, 1982). pp. 65–66.
  5. ^ Louis Duchesne (1878). "Inscription chrétienne de Bithynie". Bulletin de correspondence hellénique (in French). 2: 289–299 – via Digitalisat.
  6. ^ Carl Maria Kaufmann: Handbook of Early Christian Epigraphy Herder, Freiburg i. 1917, page 391(Digitalisat)
  7. ^ Carl Maria Kaufmann: Handbook of Early Christian Epigraphy Herder, Freiburg i. 1917, page 391 f
  8. ^ Louis Duchesne: Inscription chrétienne de Bithynie | In: Bulletin de correspondence hellénique, Volume 2, 1878, 289-299
  9. ^ Dr. Werner Chrobak: Christophorus, Heiliger Riese, Nothelfer, Verkehrspatron | Sadifa Media Verlags GmbH | Kehl am Rhein 2004, p. 2
  10. ^ a b c d e Mershman, Francis (1908). "St. Christopher". In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  11. S2CID 256578248
    .
  12. ^ "Weniger, Francis X., "St. Christopher, Martyr, (1876)".
  13. ^
    S2CID 71148662
    .
  14. ^ a b John J. Crawley. "Saint Christopher martyr third century". Archived from the original on 10 October 2014.
  15. ^ Brown, A.; Grim, G.; Le Get, R.; Shiel, N.; Slíz, M.; Uckelman, J.; Uckelman, S.L. (2021). "Christopher". In Uckelman, S.L. (ed.). The Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources. dmnes.org.
  16. ^ Yonge, Charlotte Mary (1884). "Names from Cristos". History of Christian Names. London: Macmillan. pp. 104–106. [Part III, Chapter V, Section 3].
  17. ^ a b "Christopher the Martyr of Lycea". Saints. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. 2013. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  18. ISBN 978-88-209-7210-3
    )
  19. ^ Calendarium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 131
  20. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8146-2383-1
    . Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  21. ^ "The legend of St. Christopher". rab-visit.com.
  22. ^ Portal Grada Raba: Povijest 14. ZAŠTITNIK RABA SV. KRISTOFOR 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.
  23. ISBN 978-1-4456-5240-5
    .
  24. ^ Dioces of Orange hosts First Annual Blessing of the Waves in Surf City Archived 16 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, 15 September 2008
  25. ISBN 978-0-89356-313-4
    . Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  26. doi:10.1080/00681288.1904.11893754
    . Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  27. ^ Pageau, Jonathan. (8 July 2013)."Understanding The Dog-Headed Icon of St-Christopher", Orthodox Arts Journal
  28. ^ Gebhart, Tim (19 May 2021). "Fantastical Humans Roamed Pliny's "Natural History"". Exploring History. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  29. ^ See Pliny:
  30. ^ 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
  31. ^ Ross, L. (1996). Medieval Art: A Topical Dictionary. Westport. p. 50.
  32. ^ "Irish Passion of St. Christopher". Archived from the original on 29 July 2013.
  33. ^ Walter of Speyer, Vita et passio sancti Christopher martyris, 75.

Further reading

External links

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