Saint symbolism

Symbolism of Christian saints has been used from the very beginnings of the religion.^[1] Each saint is said to have led an exemplary life and symbols have been used to tell these stories throughout the history of the Church.^[2] 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.^[3] 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.^[2] They are often carried in the hand by the Saint.

Dutch Book of Prayers from the mid-fifteenth century showing a group of five saints, with their emblems: Saint James the Great (wearing a pilgrim's hat); Saint Joseph; Saint Ghislain (holding a church); Saint Eligius (bishop with a crosier, holding a hammer); Saint Hermes (with the armor and the sword)

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.^[c] Many of the most prominent saints, like Saint Peter and Saint John the Evangelist can also be recognised by a distinctive facial type. Some attributes are general, such as the martyr's palm.^[4] The use of a symbol in a work of art depicting a Saint reminds people who is being shown and of their story. The following is a list of some of these attributes.

Contents

• Four Evangelists
• The Twelve Apostles
• Mary, mother of Jesus
• Saints listed by name
  

• See also
• References
• External links

Four Evangelists

Main article: Four Evangelists

The symbols of the four Evangelists are here depicted in the Book of Kells. The winged man, lion, eagle and bull symbolize, clockwise from top left, Matthew, Mark, John, and Luke.

Saint	Symbol[5]
Matthew	winged man or angel
Mark	winged lion
Luke	winged bull
John	eagle

The Apostles

Main article: Apostles in the New Testament

Depictions of The Apostles

• 
  The Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles. Russian, 14th century, Moscow Museum.
• 
  The key as symbol of St. Peter
• 
  Stained glass window showing flaying knife, symbol of St. Bartholomew
• 
  Scallop Shells, St. James the Great

Apostle	Symbol
Andrew the Apostle	St. Andrew's cross[a], discalced, with fish or a rope
Bartholomew the Apostle	knife, bears his own skin in hand[a]
James, son of Zebedee	pilgrim's staff, scallop shell, key, sword, pilgrim's hat, astride a white charger, Cross of Saint James[a]
James, son of Alphaeus/James the Just	square rule, halberd, club, saw[a]
John	evangelistary, a serpent in a chalice, cauldron, eagle[a]
Jude	sword, square rule, club, ship[a]
Judas Iscariot	thirty pieces of silver[a]
Matthew	angel, evangelistary[a]
Peter	Keys of Heaven, boat, fish, rooster, pallium, papal vestments; crucified head downwards on an inverted cross, holding a book or scroll, with a bushy beard and hair.[a]
Philip	column; holding a basket of loaves and a Tau Cross[a]
Simon	boat; cross and saw; fish (or two fishes); lance; being sawn in two longitudinally; oar[a]
Thomas	placing his finger in the side of Christ, axe, spear, carpentry tools [a]

Mary, mother of Jesus

Main article: Mary, mother of Jesus

See also: Titles of Mary

Depictions of Mary, mother of Jesus

• 
  A traditional depiction of Mary by Fra Angelico wearing a blue mantle
• 
  Our Lady of Perpetual Help
• 
  Virgin of Mercy
• 
  Our Lady of Candelaria

Mary is often portrayed wearing blue. Her attributes include amongst many others a mantle (often in blue or very large to cover the faithful), crown of 12 stars, serpent, sun and/or moon, heart pierced by sword, Madonna lily, roses, and rosary beads.^[6]

Title	Symbol
Black Madonna of Częstochowa	Black Madonna in Hodegetria form, Infant Jesus, fleur-de-lis robes, slashes on right cheek[7]
Immaculate Heart of Mary	Burning bloodied heart, pierced with a sword, banded with roses, and lily flowers
Our Lady of Perpetual Help	Hodegetria with saints Michael and Gabriel holding instruments of the passion.[8]
Our Lady of Aparecida	In traditional form of Immaculate Conception[9]
Our Lady of Candelaria	Black Madonna with candle in one hand, and Infant Jesus in the other hand. Jesus carries a small bird in his hands.[citation needed]
Our Lady of Charity	Carrying the Christ child and holding a crucifix atop an inverted crescent moon, with triple cherubs, encrusted with jewels and golden crown and aureole halo, embroidered gold mantle with the Cuban flag[citation needed]
Our Lady the Garden Enclosed	Statue of Our Lady of Sorrows holding a white handkerchief, gold crown and jewelry, richly embroidered mantle[citation needed]
Our Lady of Copacabana	Blessed Virgin Mary, Inca dress and crown, Infant Jesus, straw basket, pigeons, baton, gold Quechua jewelry[citation needed]
Our Lady of Cotoca	white embroidered mantle, gold crown and jewelry, scapuler[citation needed]
Our Lady of Fátima	dressed in white, giving out rays of clear and intense light[10]
Our Lady of Good Counsel	with the Infant Jesus, in their touching halo appear the words SS. Mater Boni consilii, ora pro nobis Jesum filium tuum
Our Lady of Guadalupe	eyes downcast, hands clasped in prayer, clothed in a pink tunic robe covered by a cerulean mantle with a black sash, emblazoned with eight-point stars; eclipsing a blazing sun while standing atop a darkened crescent moon, a cherubic angel carrying her train
Our Lady of Humility	Mary seated low to the ground, usually holding the baby Jesus[11]
Our Lady of Itatí	in prayer, with blue embroidered mantle, solar crown, veil[citation needed]
Our Lady of Lebanon	Blessed Virgin Mary with outstretched hands, bronze crown[citation needed]
Our Lady of Lourdes	dressed in a flowing white robe, with a blue sash around her waist[12]
Our Lady of Luján	in prayer, with a golden crown, embroidered blue mantle over white robe, sliver of moon[citation needed]
Our Lady of Navigators	held by angels, with mantle, jewelry, crown, halo of stars; the Infant Jesus is holding an anchor [citation needed]
Our Lady of Peace	Virgin MaryInfant Jesus; she holds an olive branch and dove[13]
Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage	dark complexion, enlarged iris, unbound hair[citation needed]
Our Lady of Peñafrancia	halo with Circle of 12 stars, Crown, Holy Child, Mantum[citation needed]
Our Lady of Piat	dark complexion, the Child Jesus, rosary, crown, flowers[citation needed]
Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos	in prayer, with golden crown, white gown, blue mantle, silver banner held by angels[citation needed]
Our Lady of Sorrows	in mournful state, tears, bleeding heart pierced by seven swords [b]
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Queen of the Caracol	with the Infant Jesus in a royal regalia, rosary and baton[citation needed]
Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá	standing on a crescent moon, blue cloak, white veil, holding the Infant Jesus. With bird, rosary, scepter, accompanied by Saints Anthony of Padua and Andrew[citation needed]
Our Lady of the Rosary	with the Infant Jesus, crown, rosary[citation needed]
Our Lady of the Visitation of Guibang	ivory statue[citation needed]
Our Lady of Vendôme	with the Infant Jesus[citation needed]
Our Mother of Sheshan	standing on top a Chinese dragon, with the Infant Jesus in cruciform gesture[citation needed]
Rosa Mystica	with a rose[citation needed]
Queen of Heaven	with a crown of stars, flowers[a]
Virgen de los Remedios de Pampanga	The Blessed Virgin Mary encrusted with jewels, golden crown, aureole and moon.[citation needed]
Virgen del Valle	Mary in a white dress[citation needed]
Virgin of Mercy	sheltering people under her mantle[14]
Virgin of Miracles	Gothic alabaster carving of Mary with a baby[15]
Virgin of Montserrat	Madonna and child seated in the Throne of Wisdom pose[16]
Virgin of the Thirty-Three	assumpted into heaven, white robe, blue cloak, golden bejeweled crown, sliver of moon held by cherubs[citation needed]
Our Lady of Mount Carmel	dressed in the colors of the Carmelite habit, wearing the mantle of the Carmelite habit, holding a brown scapular, sometimes handing it to Saint Simon Stock

Saints listed by name

Saints (A–H)

Main article: Saint symbolism: Saints (A–H)

Saints (I–P)

Main article: Saint symbolism: Saints (I–P)

Saints (Q–Z)

Main article: Saint symbolism: Saints (Q–Z)

See also

• Christian symbolism
• Arma Christi
• Animals in Christian art
• Plants in Christian iconography

Notes

1. "List of saints". Catholic Online. Your Catholic Voice Foundation.
2. Stracke, Richard (October 20, 2015). "Iconography". Christian Iconography.
3. Rabenstein, Katherine (April 1999). "Saint of the Day Master Index". St. Patrick Catholic Church. Archived from the original on April 20, 2018.