Saint symbology

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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.

[edit] The list

Contents
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

[edit] 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

[edit] 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, ax, book, fox, scourge,fountain, raven, sword
Bridget of Sweden	book, pilgrim's staff
Brigid of Kildare	cow

[edit] C

Saint	Symbol
Catherine	wheel, a crown
Catherine of Ricci	ring, crown, crucifix
Catherine of Siena	stigmata, cross, ring, lily
Cecilia	organ
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 phial, box of ointment
Cyriacus	deacon's vestments

[edit] D

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

[edit] E

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

[edit] F

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

[edit] G

Saint	Symbol
Gabriel	is archangel, trumpet, armour, wings, scroll stating “Ave Maria Gratia Plena”
Genevieve	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)

[edit] H

Saint	Symbol
Helena	cross
Hippolytus of Rome	papal tiara
Hippolytus the soldier	military garb, horse's harness

[edit] 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.

[edit] J

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	ax, sword

[edit] K

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

[edit] L

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

[edit] 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

[edit] N

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

[edit] 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

[edit] P

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
Philip the Apostle	column
Philip Neri	lily
Philomena	anchor

[edit] Q

Saint	Symbol
Quentin	Seven-pointed star

[edit] 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

[edit] S

Saint	Symbol
Sebastian	arrows, crown
Simon	crossed oars, saw

[edit] T

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

[edit] U

Saint	Symbol
Urban	portrayed in art after his beheading, with the papal tiara near him

[edit] V

Saint	Symbol
Victor of Marseilles	windmill
Vincent de Paul	children
Vincent Ferrer	pulpit, cardinal's hat, trumpet, captives
Vitus	cross

[edit] W

Saint	Symbol
William of Montevergine	wolf and pastoral crook

[edit] X

Saint	Symbol
Francis Xavier	crab with a cross

[edit] Y

Saint	Symbol
Yrieix	Bishop's Mitre

[edit] Z

Saint	Symbol
Zachary	Making peace with King Luitprand. Sometimes he may have an olive branch and a dove over him

[edit] See also

• List of canonizations, for a list of Catholic canonizations by date
• Calendar of saints
• Doctor of the church
• List of Christians
• Patron saint
• Martyrology
• Category:Christian symbols
• Iconography
• Christian symbolism
• Four Evangelists and Evangelist portrait

[edit] References

• Catholic Online list of saints
• Catholic Forum patron saint index
• On the Canonizations of John Paul II
• Hagiographies, hymnography, and icons for many Orthodox saints from the website of the Orthodox Church in America.
• Catholic Forum Patron Saints Index

[edit] External links

• http://altreligion.about.com/library/glossary/symbols/blchristiansymbols3.htm
• Saints' Badges or Shields