Dutch Book of Prayers from the mid-fifteenth century. Group of five saints. From left to right, Saint Joseph , Saint James the Great , Saint Eligius , Saint Hermes , and Saint Ghislain , with their emblems.
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 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.
The list [ ]
A [ ]
St. Agatha
Saint
Symbol
Acathius of Melitene
Crown of Thorns
Agatha of Sicily
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
Child Jesus , bread , book , lily
Augustine of Hippo
dove , child , shell , pen , book
B [ ]
tablet or sun inscribed with IHS
Saint
Symbol
Barbara
tower , ciborium , cannon
Bartholomew the Apostle
knife
Benedict
broken cup , raven , bell , crosier , bush
Bernard of Clairvaux
pen , bees , instruments of the Passion
Bernardino of Siena
tablet or sun inscribed with IHS , three mitres
Blaise
wax , taper (candle) , iron comb
Bonaventure
communion , ciborium , cardinal's hat
Boniface
oak , axe , book , fox , scourge ,fountain , raven , sword
Bridget of Sweden
book , pilgrim's staff
Brigid of Kildare
cow , crosier , Brigid's cross
C [ ]
The college shield of St Catharine's College, Cambridge , prominently depicting a Catherine wheel.
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
D [ ]
Mariner's Cross
Saint
Symbol
Daniel
lion
Denis
head in hands
David of Wales
harp
Dorothy of Caesarea
flowers
Saint Dominic
rosary , star
Dunstan
hammer , tongs
E [ ]
File:Sourdoughbread.jpg Bread
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
F [ ]
Symbol of the martyrdom of Judas Thaddeus
G [ ]
Saint
Symbol
Gabriel
is archangel , trumpet , armour , wings, scroll stating “Ave Maria Gratia Plena”
Genesius
drama masks
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)
H [ ]
A "fiddleback" chasuble from the church of Saint Gertrude in Maarheeze in the Netherlands
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
I [ ]
J [ ]
IHS monogram of the name of Jesus
Lily
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), pointing at Christ or a lamb, 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 , purple robe and brown mantle
Juan Diego
tilma
Jude the Apostle
sword , square rule , club , ship
Justin Martyr
axe , sword
Juthwara
round soft cheese
K [ ]
L [ ]
Handcuffs
Saint
Symbol
Lawrence of Rome
cross , Gospel Book , gridiron , palm frond , purse of money
Leander of Seville
pen
Leonard of Noblac
lock , chain , manacles or fetters
Liborius of Le Mans
pebbles , peacock
Louis IX of France
Crown of Thorns , nails
Lucy
cord , [:File:Saint Lucy by Domenico di Pace Beccafumi.jpg|eyes on a dish], lamp
Luke the Evangelist
ox , book , brush , palette
M [ ]
Spade
Saint
Symbol
Margaret the Virgin
dragon in chains
Mark the Evangelist
winged lion , book
Martha
holy water sprinkler , dragon
Martin of Tours
goose
Mary Magdalene
jar of ointment
Matilda of Ringelheim
purse , alms
Matthew the Evangelist
winged man , purse , lance
Maurus
scales , spade , crutch
Michael
scales , banner , sword , dragon
Monica
girdle , tears
N [ ]
three purses or balls
Saint
Symbol
Nicholas
three purses or balls , anchor , boat , child
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
P [ ]
Baptismal font in Magdeburg Cathedral , Germany .
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 Long, pointed beard; balding backwards from forehad. Green robe, red mantle.
Peter
keys , boat , rooster, square white beard and short, curling white hair, bald on top. Blue robe and yellow mantle.
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
Q [ ]
Saint
Symbol
Quentin
broken wheel
Quiteria
depicted with a dog on a lead; depicted with her head in her hands, emerging from the sea.
R [ ]
Angel holding the sun at the Bordeaux cathedral
S [ ]
Saint
Symbol
Sebastian
arrows , crown
Stephen
Stone (s)
Simon
crossed oars , saw
T [ ]
Neo-Gothic "solar" monstrance at the hermitage church of Warfhuizen .
U [ ]
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
V [ ]
A traditional biretta
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
W [ ]
Crosier of arcbishop Heinrich of Finstingen, 1260-1286
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
X [ ]
Saint
Symbol
Xystus
martyr's palm
Y [ ]
Mitre of Bishop Sztojkovics, Hungary , ca. 1860, stolen in 1989
Z [ ]
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
Further reading [ ]
Walsh, Michael (2007). A New Dictionary of Saints: East and West . Liturgical Press. ISBN 9780814631867 .
See also [ ]
Saints portal
Cross of Lorraine
External links [ ]
References [ ]
hu:Szentek ismertetőjegyei
pt:Simbologia dos Santos
ru:Символы святых
sv:Helgonattribut