Saint Christopher (;[Peter Dinzelbacher: Falsche Heilige. In: Hannes Etzlstorfer, Willibald Katzinger, Wolfgang Winkler: Echt-Falsch: Will die Welt betrogen sein? Kremayr und Scheriau, Vienna 2003, p. 273] According to these traditions, he was killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman Empire emperor Decius (), or alternatively under the emperor Maximinus Daia ().[ pnowakowski (2015). E00953: Greek building inscription for a martyr shrine of *Christophoros (martyr of Pamphylia, S00616), commemorating the beginning of the construction, and the deposition of relics. Found close to Chalkedon/Chalcedon (Bithynia, north-west Asia Minor). 450/452. University of Oxford. Online resource.] His veneration spread not only in the East but also to the West, where he is counted among the Fourteen Holy Helpers.[
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Of the numerous legendary motifs, the one relating to his name — that of the Christ-bearer carrying the divine child across the river — is the best known today. 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. The Eastern Church tradition depicts the saint as a Cynocephaly ('dog-headed creature') in a literal interpretation of its legendary tradition.
Legend
There is no evidence for the historicity of the saint.[ 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 wrote a version of the legend. The most popular legendary accounts originate from the 13th-century Golden Legend.]
According to the legendary account of his life, Christopher was initially called Reprobus.
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.
The name Christopher, as used in the English-speaking world, is the English version of the 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.
Veneration and patronage
Eastern Orthodox liturgy
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.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 Martyrology remembers him on 25 July.[ Martyrologium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2001 )] 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,[ Calendarium Romanum (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 131] but his feast continues to be observed locally.
Churches and monasteries dedicated to the Saint
A stone inscription was found in the ruins of a church near 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 honour of "Saint Christopher's martyrdom". The inscription states that the church was constructed from May 450 to 22 September 452, the date on which it was consecrated and dedicated.[ 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.][ pnowakowski (2015) The inscription reads: 'The foundations of the martyrion of Saint Christophoros were laid with God in the third indiction, in the month of May, after the consulate of Protogenes and Asturius of clarissimus rank, under the emperor Theodosius and Eulalios, bishop of Chalkedon. It is built by the most dignified cubicularia, Euphemia. And the deposition (of the relics) took place in the 5th indiction just completed, on the 22nd day of the month of September, during the consulate of Sporacius of clarissimus rank.'] 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.[Dr. Werner Chrobak: Christophorus, Heiliger Riese, Nothelfer, Verkehrspatron | Sadifa Media Verlags GmbH | Kehl am Rhein 2004, p. 2]
Relics
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.[ 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.]
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.
Greek Orthodox churches in Grevena, Filothei, and Siatista claim to hold relics of the saint.
Saint Christopher's "gigantic tooth"
In the Late Middle Ages, a large tooth claimed to be a tooth of St. Christopher was delivered to a 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.[
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Medals
with St. Christopher's name and image are commonly worn as , especially by travelers, to show devotion and as a request for his blessing. Miniature statues are frequently displayed in . 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 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").
General patronage
St. Christopher was a widely popular saint, especially revered by people, athletes, sailor, , and travelers.[Mershman, Francis (1908). "". In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.] 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 Archery; ; boatmen; soldiers; ; epilepsy; floods; fruit dealers; fulling; ; a holy death; mariners; market carriers; motorists and drivers; sailors; storms; surfers;[ Diocese of Orange hosts First Annual Blessing of the Waves in Surf City , Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, 15 September 2008] toothache; mountaineering; and transportation workers.
Patronage of places
Christopher is the patron saint of many places, including: Baden;
Toponomy
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 Saint-Christophe is a common French place name; similarly, San Cristóbal is a place name in many Spanish-speaking or Spanish-influenced countries, and the São Cristóvão is in use throughout the 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.
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, certain icons identify Saint Christopher with the head of a dog.[Pageau, Jonathan. (8 July 2013). "Understanding The Dog-Headed Icon of St-Christopher", Orthodox Arts Journal]
The roots of that iconography lie in a Hagiography 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 ('Unit of the Marmaritae'). He was reported to be of enormous size, with the Cynocephaly; the Marmaritae and dog-headed people were typically seen as monsters inhabiting borderlands (Africa and Asia).[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]
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 Cananeus, '', thus turning Christopher into a Canaanite.[
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target="_blank" rel="nofollow"> David Woods, The Origin of the Cult of St. Christopher, University College Cork, October 1999
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."[Walter of Speyer, Vita et passio sancti Christopher martyris, 75.]
Depictions in art
Gallery
File:Westminster Psalter St Christopher.jpg| St. Christopher, from the Westminster Psalter, c. 1250
File: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
File:Saint Christopher 001.jpg|The earliest dated woodcut in Europe, 1423, Buxheim, with hand-colouring of St. Christopher
File:Saint Christopher after Jan van Eyck.jpg| St. Christopher, c. 1460–70, after a lost painting by Jan van Eyck
Hans Memling 033.jpg| St. Christopher by Hans Memling, c. 1480
File:Kölner Dom - Christophorus (2008) (cropped).jpg| Saint Christopher by Master Tilman, c. 1480
Anonymous Antwerp master (follower of Hieronymus Bosch) - Saint Christopher in a landscape with devilry.jpg| Saint Christopher in a landscape with devilry, Anonymous Antwerp master, 1500-1550
File:Cima da conegliano, san cristoforo col bambino e san pietro.jpg| St. Christopher with the Christ Child and St Peter by Giovanni Battista Cima da Conegliano, c. 1505
Master of the Legend of Mary Magdalene - Central panel of the Saint Christopher Triptych.jpg| St. Christopher carrying the Christ Child by the Master of the Legend of the Magdalen, 1510s
File:Bellini, Sts Christopher, Jerome and Louis of Toulouse.jpg| Saints Christopher, Jerome and Louis of Toulouse by Giovanni Bellini, 1513
Cranach christophorus1516.jpg| St. Christopher Carrying the Christ Child by Lucas Cranach the Elder, c. 1519
File:San Cristoforo - Borgianni (Prado).jpg| St. Christopher by Orazio Borgianni, c. 1600
File:Jacob Jordaens - St Christopher Carrying the Christ Child.jpg| St. Christopher Carrying the Christ Child by Jacob Jordaens, c. 1625–1630
File:Jan van der Venne - Saint Christopher carrying the Christ Child.jpg| St. Christopher carrying the Christ Child by Jan van de Venne, c. 1631–1651
Pieter van Lint - Saint Christopher.jpg| St. Christopher carrying the Christ Child by Pieter van Lint, 1650s
Notes
Further reading
External links
