Information about Saint symbology

Dutch Book of Prayers from the mid-fifteenth century. Group of five saints. Saint James the Great; Saint Joseph; Saint Ghislain, abbot of St Ghislain, near Mons; Saint Eligius; Saint Hermes, with their emblems.

Christianity has used symbols from its very beginnings. 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 lives of most saints are far removed from an ordinary worshipper’s life. The use of a symbol in a statue, or painting, of a saint reminds people who is being shown and of their story. The following is a list of some of these attributes.

The list


A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Top of page — See also — External links

A

Saint	Symbol
Acathius	crown of thorns
Agatha	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	Infant Jesus, bread, book, lily
Augustine of Hippo	dove, child, shell, pen, book

B

Saint	Symbol
Barbara	tower, ciborium, cannon
Bartholomew	knife
Benedict	broken cup, raven, bell, crosier, bush
Bernard of Clairvaux	pen, bees, instruments of the Passion
Bernardine 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

C

The college shield of St. Catharine's College, Cambridge, prominently depicting a Catherine wheel.

Saint	Symbol
Catherine	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
Cosmas and Damian	a , box of ointment
Cyriacus	deacon's vestments

D

Mariner's Cross

Saint	Symbol
Daniel	lion
Denis	head in hands
David of Wales	harp
Dorothy of Caesarea	flowers
Dominic	rosary, star

E

Bread

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
Elizabeth of Hungary	alms, flowers, bread, the poor, pitcher
Emilianus	monk on horseback
Elizabeth of Portugal	crown
Erasmus	windlass
Eustace	hunting clothes, stag, bull, crucifix, horn, oven

F

Symbol of the martyrdom of Judas Thaddeus

Saint	Symbol
Francis of Assisi	wolf,birds, fish, skull, stigmata
Francis Xavier	crucifix, bell, vessel

G

Saint George and the Dragon

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, taper, lily,mouse
Giles	Benedictine habit, hind
Gregory the Great	Papal Tiara, crosier, dove (often portrayed at his ear)

H

A "fiddleback" chasuble from the church of Saint Gertrude in Maarheeze in the Netherlands

Saint	Symbol
Helena	cross
Hippolytus of Rome	papal tiara
Hippolytus the soldier	military garb, horse's harness
Honoratus of Amiens	baker's peel or shovel; bishop with a large Host; bishop with three Hosts on a baker's shovel; loaves

I

Saint	Symbol
Ignatius of Antioch	a bishop surrounded by lions or in chains
Ignatius of Loyola	Eucharist, chasuble, book, cross.
Saint Iria	palm of martyrdom
Isidore	bees, pen, book
Ivo of Kermartin	depicted as a lawyer, holding a document, in legal dress.

J

Rule of Saint Ignatius

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
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	Infant Jesus, lily, rod, plane,carpenter's square
Jude	sword, square rule, club, ship
Justin Martyr	axe, sword
Juthwara	round soft cheese

K

Saint	Symbol
Kateri Tekakwitha	turtle, lily
Knut of Denmark	Nordic king with royal insignia, dagger, lance or arrow.

L

Manacles

Saint	Symbol
Lawrence	cross, book of the Gospels, gridiron, palm frond, purse of money
Leander of Seville	pen
Leonard of Noblac	lock, chain, manacles or fetters
Liborius	pebbles, peacock
Louis IX of France	crown of thorns, nails
Lucy	cord, eyes on a dish, lamp
Luke	ox, book, brush, palette

M

Saint	Symbol
Margaret	dragon in chains
Mark	winged lion, book
Martha	holy water sprinkler, dragon
Martin of Tours	goose
Mary Magdalene	jar of ointment
Matilda	purse, alms
Matthew	winged man, purse, lance
Maurus	scales, spade, crutch
Michael	scales, banner, sword, dragon
Monica	girdle, tears

N

three purses or balls

Saint	Symbol
Nicholas	three purses or balls, anchor, boat, child

O

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

P

Baptismal font in Magdeburg Cathedral, Germany.

Saint	Symbol
Pantaleon	nailed hands
Patrick	cross, harp, serpent, baptismal font, demons, shamrock
Paul	sword, book or scroll, horse
Peter	keys, boat, rooster, short silver hair
Petronilla	set of keys, dolphin
Philip the Apostle	column
Philip Neri	lily
Philomena	anchor

Q

Saint	Symbol
Quentin	Seven-pointed star
Quiteria	depicted with a dog on a lead; depicted with her head in her hands, emerging from the sea.

R

Saint	Symbol
Raphael	fish
Rita of Casica	roses, roses and figs,crucifix, thorn, sometimes with a wound in her forehead
Roch	angel, dog, bread
Rose of Lima	crown of thorns, anchor, city

S

Saint	Symbol
Sebastian	arrows, crown
Stephen	Stone(s)
Simon	crossed oars, saw

T

Neo-Gothic "solar" monstrance at the hermitage church of Warfhuizen.

Saint	Symbol
Teresa of Avila	heart, arrow, book
Theodore	crocodile
Therese of Lisieux	roses entwining a crucifix
Thomas Aquinas	chalice monstrance, dove, ox
Thomas the Apostle	lance, axe
Thomas More	axe
Tudwal	dragon

U

Saint	Symbol
Urban	portrayed in art after his beheading, with the papal tiara near him
Urban of Langres	bishop with a bunch of grapes or a vine at his side; a book with a wine vessel on it
Ursicinus	book and fleur-de-lys
Ursus of Aosta	birds on his shoulder; wearing fur pelisse in a religious habit

V

Saint	Symbol
Vedastus	wolf carrying a goose in its mouth; child; bear
Verdiana	snakes
Victor of Marseilles	windmill
Vincent de Paul	children
Vincent Ferrer	pulpit, cardinal's hat, trumpet, captives
Vitus	cross

W

Saint	Symbol
William of Montevergine	wolf and pastoral crook
Winnoc	hand-mill, bridge, grinding corn
Wolfgang of Regensburg	a church building with an adze lodged in the roof, a wolf

X

Saint	Symbol
Francis Xavier	crab with a cross

Y

Mitre of Bishop Sztojkovics, Hungary, ca. 1860, stolen in 1989

Saint	Symbol
Yrieix	Bishop's Mitre

Z

Saint	Symbol
Zachary	Making peace with King Luitprand. Sometimes he may have an olive branch and a dove over him
Zenobius	flowering tree; bringing a dead man or child back to life

References

Symbols are objects, characters, or other concrete representations of ideas, concepts, or other abstractions. For example, in the United States, Canada and Great Britain, a red octagon is a symbol for the traffic sign meaning "STOP".
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saint is one who is sanctified (cf. 2 Chron. 6:41). The early Christians were all called saints. (Heb. 13:24; Jud. 1:3; Phile. 1:5, 7) Over time, the traditional usage of the term saint
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icon (from Greek εἰκών, eikon, "image") is an image, picture, or representation; it is a sign or likeness that stands for an object by signifying or representing it, or by analogy, as in semiotics; by
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emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept — e.g., a moral truth, or an allegory — or that represents a person, such as a king or saint.
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Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", or painting, and comes from the Greek
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Art history is the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and look.^[1] Moreover, art history generally is the research of artists and their cultural and social contributions.
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Eastern Christianity

History
Byzantine Empire
Crusades
Ecumenical council
Baptism of Kiev
Great Schism
By region
Eastern Orthodox history
Ukraine Christian history
Asia Eastern Christian history

Traditions
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Peter, also known as Saint Peter, Shimon "Keipha" Ben-Yonah/Bar-Yonah, Simon Peter, Cephas and Keipha—original name Shimon or Simeon (Acts 15:14
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John the Evangelist (d. ca. 110; יוחנן "The LORD is merciful", Standard Hebrew Yoḥanan, Tiberian Hebrew YÃ´ḥānān), or the Beloved Disciple
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Christ is the English term for the Greek word Χριστός (ChristÃ³s), which literally means "The Anointed One.
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A palm branch (or palm frond or palm stem), usually refers to the leaves of the Arecaceae (sometimes known by the names Palmae).

The palm branch was a symbol of triumph and victory in pre-Christian times.
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martyr (Greek μάρτυς "witness") initially signified a witness in the forensic sense, a person called to bear witness in legal proceedings. With this meaning it was used in the secular sphere as well as in both the Old Testament and the New Testament of
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Saint Acacius (also known as Acacius) was bishop of Melitene in the third century. The Eastern Orthodox Church venerates him on different days, but especially on 31 March.
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Crown of Thorns, one of the instruments of the Passion, was the woven chaplet of thorn branches worn by Jesus before his crucifixion. It is mentioned in the Gospels of Matthew (27:29), Mark (15:17), and John (19:2, 5) and is often alluded to by the early Christian Fathers, such as
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Saint Agatha of Sicily or Saint Agatha (d. 251) is a Christian saint. Her memorial day is on February 5 according to the Gregorian calendar and February 18 on the Julian calendar (still used by some Eastern Orthodox churches).
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Tongs are and lifting tools, of which there are many forms adapted to their specific use. Some are merely large pincers or nippers, but the greatest number fall into three classes:

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Scissors are a tool used for cutting thin material which requires little force.

They are used for cutting, for example: paper, cardboard, metal foil, thin plastic, food, cloth, rope, and wire. Scissors can also be used to cut hair.
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veil is an article of clothing, worn almost exclusively by women, that is intended to cover some part of the head or face. As a religious item, it is intended to show honor to an object or space.
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For other uses, see Bell.

A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually an open-ended hollow drum which resonates upon being struck.
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breast refers to the upper ventral region of an animal’s torso, particularly that of mammals, including human beings. The breasts of a female mammal’s body contain the mammary glands, which secrete milk used to feed infants.
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Saint Agnes (291–304; feast day: January 21) is a virgin martyr and saint of the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Catholic Churches. She is also acknowledged in the Church of England and the Anglican Communion as well as in Eastern Orthodoxy.
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Ambrose^[2] (c. 338 – 4 April 397), was a Frankish bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the fourth century. He is counted as one of the four original doctors of the Church.
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BEE may refer to:

Black Economic Empowerment, the policy of post-apartheid affirmative action in South Africa
Biblical Education by Extension, a Christian program designed to instruct theology in countries with weak theological infrastructure.

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beehive is a structure in which bees live and raise their young. A beehive is located in an apiary.

The internals of the hive comprise a densely packed matrix of hexagonal cells made of beeswax. The cells are used for storage, or for housing the brood.
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Columbidae

Subfamilies

see article text

Pigeons and doves constitute the family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerine birds.
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PEN may refer to:

International PEN, the worldwide association of writers
Penang International Airport in Penang, Malaysia (IATA airport code)
PEN, the ISO 4217 code for Peruvian nuevo sol, the currency of Peru
Polyethylene naphthalate, a polymer

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Saint Andrew (Greek: Ανδρέας, Andreas), called in the Orthodox tradition Protocletos, or the First-called, is a Christian Apostle and the elder brother of Saint Peter.
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Saint Symbology

The list

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

See also

References

External links