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Saint symbology |
Christianity has used symbolism from its very beginnings.1 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.
| Contents |
|---|
| Saint | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Catherine of Alexandria | 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 |
| Saints Cosmas and Damian | a phial, box of ointment |
| Cyriacus | deacon's vestments |
| Saint | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Daniel | lion |
| Denis | head in hands |
| David of Wales | harp |
| Dorothy of Caesarea | flowers |
| Saint Dominic | rosary, star |
| 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 |
| Elisabeth of Hungary | alms, flowers, bread, the poor, pitcher |
| Emilianus | monk on horseback |
| Elizabeth of Portugal | crown |
| Erasmus of Formiae | windlass |
| Eustace | hunting clothes, stag, bull, crucifix, horn, oven |
| Saint | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Francis of Assisi | wolf, birds, fish, skull, stigmata |
| Francis Xavier | crucifix, bell, vessel, crab with a cross |
| 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, tapir, lily,mouse |
| Giles | Benedictine habit, hind |
| Gregory the Great | Papal Tiara, crosier, dove (often portrayed at his ear) |
| 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 |
| Saint | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Ignatius of Antioch | a bishop surrounded by lions or in chains |
| Ignatius of Loyola | Eucharist, chasuble, book, cross. |
| Imerius of Immertal | hermit's garb and bird of prey |
| Irene of Tomar | palm of martyrdom |
| Isidore of Seville | bees, pen, book |
| Ivo of Kermartin | depicted as a lawyer, holding a document, in legal dress. |
| 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 |
| Saint 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 | Child Jesus, lily, rod, plane,carpentry square |
| Juan Diego | tilma |
| Jude the Apostle | sword, square rule, club, ship |
| Justin Martyr | axe, sword |
| Juthwara | round soft cheese |
| Saint | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Kateri Tekakwitha | turtle, lily |
| Kevin of Glendalough | blackbird |
| Knut of Denmark | Nordic king with royal insignia, dagger, lance or arrow. |
| Saint | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Nicholas | three purses or balls, anchor, boat, child |
| 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 |
| Saint | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Pantaleon | nailed hands |
| Paraskevi | eyeballs on a plate |
| Patrick | cross, harp, serpent, baptismal font, demons, shamrock |
| Paul the Apostle | sword, book or scroll, horse |
| Peter | keys, boat, rooster, short silver hair |
| Saint Peter of Verona | bloodied head (either left bleeding, or partially penetrated) |
| Petronilla | set of keys, dolphin |
| Philip the Apostle | column |
| Philip Neri | lily |
| Philomena | anchor |
| 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. |
| Saint | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Raphael | fish |
| Rita of Cascia | 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, roses |
| Saint | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Sebastian | arrows, crown |
| Stephen | Stone(s) |
| Simon | crossed oars, saw |
| Saint | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Teresa of Ávila | heart, arrow, book |
| Teresa of the Andes | small cross, flowers |
| Theodore | crocodile |
| Thérèse de Lisieux | roses entwining a crucifix |
| Thomas Aquinas | chalice monstrance, dove, ox |
| Thomas the Apostle | lance, axe, square rule |
| Thomas More | axe |
| Tudwal | dragon |
| 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-lis |
| Ursus of Aosta | birds on his shoulder; wearing fur pelisse in a religious habit |
| Saint | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Vedast | wolf carrying a goose in its mouth; child; bear |
| Verdiana | snakes |
| Victor of Marseilles | windmill |
| Vigilius of Trent | shoes or clogs |
| Vincent de Paul | children |
| Vincent Ferrer | pulpit, cardinal's hat, trumpet, captives |
| Vitus | cross, rooster, lion |
| 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 |
| Saint | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Xystus | martyr's palm |
| Saint | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Yrieix | Bishop's Mitre |
| Saint | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Zachary | Making peace with King Luitprand. Sometimes he may have an olive branch and a dove over him |
| Zenobius of Florence | flowering tree; bringing a dead man or child back to life |
| Zita | bag, keys |
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