Cephalophore

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A cephalophore is a saint who is generally depicted carrying his head in his hands; in art, this was usually meant to signify that the subject in question had been martyred by beheading. Perhaps the most famous cephalophore is Denis. Others include Justus of Beauvais, Juthwara, Nectan, Winefride and Wyllow. Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne is often depicted with his head on his shoulders, carrying a second head in his hands. He was not a cephalophore. The second head is that of Saint Oswald of Northumbria, buried with him at Durham Cathedral.