Saint Christopher

Saint Christopher (Greek: Ἅγιος Χριστόφορος, romanized: Hágios Christóphoros, lit. 'Christ-bearer'; Latin: Sanctus Christophorus), also called Christopher of Lycia (Lycea), is a legendary figure venerated by several Christian denominations as a martyr and saint. The various legends regarding the saint do not agree on the time and place of his activity. His legendary birthplace is variously placed in Marmarica (west of Egypt), the Middle East or Barbaria. The legendary accounts may situate the saint's legendary martyrdom during the reign of the 3rd-century Roman emperors Decius (r. 249–251), Diocletian (r. 284–305) or Maximinus Daza (r. 308–313). A martyrium of a Saint Christopher consecrated near Chalcedon (near present-day Istanbul) in 452 is the earliest evidence of a cult of a Saint Christopher. The saint's veneration spread in both the Eastern and Western churches.

Broadly, two hagiographic traditions developed mainly distinguished by the level in which they emphasize or downplay the wild animal, monster-like nature of the saint: the older Eastern tradition describes the pre-conversion Christopher as having a ferocious nature and animal features (in particular, the head of a dog) while the younger Western tradition does not dwell as much on these animal-like mental and physical features but rather emphasizes the lack of culture, the giant size and the ugliness of the saint.

Both traditions hold that Christopher was not the initial name of the saint but that this name was only adopted by, or given to, the saint following his conversion to Christianity. The name Christopher 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". As the saint's legend spread to many regions, native forms of the Greek name developed both to refer to the saint and as a personal name.

It has been speculated that the medieval artistic representations showing Saint Christopher physically carrying the infant Jesus led to the development of the best-known legend about the saint today. This legend makes its debut only in the 13th-century compendium of hagiographies known as the Legenda aurea (Golden Legend). The Golden Legend recounts that after converting to Christianity, St. Christopher devotes his life to carrying travelers across a river. One day he is asked to carry a young boy across a river. During the crossing the boy becomes increasingly heavy to the point that even the able-bodied Christopher is struggling to continue the journey, even more so since the water level of the river has also started to rise. After reaching the river shore, the boy reveals himself to be Jesus.

As some legendary stories recount that the saint devoted himself to helping travelers, various Christian denominations made him the patron saint of travelers. Small images of him are often worn around the neck, on a bracelet, carried in a pocket or placed in a vehicle in the belief they offer protection from adversity when traveling. In the iconography of Western Christianity, the saint is often depicted as a giant with a staff crossing a river with the infant Jesus on his shoulder. In Byzantine art, the saint is depicted in various guises including as a young man, a martyr in a red himation with a cross in his hand, a warrior on horseback or a man with the head of a dog in line with the early legendary tradition. Some modern scholarship has investigated the contempary understanding and the role and purpose in the legendary accounts of the 'otherness' and dual nature of the saint who is described as a giant with frightening features (in some accounts with a dog's head) but is at the same time human.

Source: Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Christopher