Symbolism of Christian saints has been used from the very beginnings of the religion.[1] Each saint is said to have led an exemplary life and symbols have been used to tell these stories throughout the history of the Church.[2] 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.[3] 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.[2] 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.[c] Many of the most prominent saints, like Saint Peter and Saint John the Evangelist can also be recognised by a distinctive facial type. Some attributes are general, such as the martyr's palm.[4] 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.
Four Evangelists
The Apostles
Depictions of The Apostles
The Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles. Russian, 14th century, Moscow Museum.
The key as symbol of St. Peter
Stained glass window showing flaying knife, symbol of St. Bartholomew
Mary is often portrayed wearing blue. Her attributes include amongst many others a mantle (often in blue or very large to cover the faithful), crown of 12 stars, serpent, sun and/or moon, heart pierced by sword, Madonna lily, roses, and rosary beads.[6]
"List of saints". Catholic Online. Your Catholic Voice Foundation.
Stracke, Richard (October 20, 2015). "Iconography". Christian Iconography.
Rabenstein, Katherine (April 1999). "Saint of the Day Master Index". St. Patrick Catholic Church. Archived from the original on April 20, 2018.
References
^ This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Symbolism". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
^ a bMayernik, David T. (2018). "A Vast, Immeasurable Sanctuary: Iconography for Churches". Sacred Architecture Journal. 5: 22.
^"Eastern Orthodox and Catholic teaching about Icons".
^Hassett, M. (1911). "Palm in Christian Symbolism". The Catholic Encyclopedia.
^Saint Jerome; St. Jerome (December 2008). Commentary on Matthew (The Fathers of the Church, Volume 117). CUA Press. p. 55. ISBN 978-0-8132-0117-7.
^Kugeares, Sophia Manoulian (1991). Images Of The Annunciation Of The Virgin Mary Of The 13th, 14th And 15th Century.
^Arcement, Katherine (October 13, 2017). "Our Lady of Fatima: The Virgin Mary promised three kids a miracle that 70,000 gathered to see". Washington Post.
^Harris, Ruth (1999). Lourdes: Body and Spirit in the Secular Age. Penguin Books. p. 43. ISBN 0-71-399186-0.
^Roccosalvo C.S.J., Joan L. (Spring 2012). "Elegance Personified: The Black Madonna of Montserrat". Sacred Architecture Journal.
Further reading
Delaney, John P. (1980). Dictionary of Saints (Second ed.). Garden City, NY: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-13594-7.
Greene, E. A. (1909). Saints and their symbols : a companion in the churches and picture galleries of Europe. London : Whittaker & Co.Greene, E. A. (1909). Saints and their symbols : a companion in the churches and picture galleries of Europe. London : Whittaker & Co.
Lanzi, Fernando; Lanzi, Gioia (September 1, 2004). Saints and their Symbols: Recognizing Saints in Art and in Popular Images. Translated by O'Connell, Matthew J. Liturgical Press. ISBN 9780814629703.
Post, W. Ellwood (1975). Saints, Signs and Symbols (2 ed.). SPCK Publishing. ISBN 9780281028948.