The Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles. Russian, 14th century, Moscow Museum.
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 iconographyinart 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.
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.
| Saint | Symbol[5] |
|---|---|
| Matthew | winged manorangel |
| Mark | winged lion |
| Luke | winged bull |
| John | eagle |
Depictions of The Apostles
| Saint | Symbol |
|---|---|
| Andrew | 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] |
Depictions of Mary, mother of Jesus
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 MadonnainHodegetria form, Infant Jesus, fleur-de-lis robes, slashes on right cheek |
| Immaculate Heart of Mary | Burning bloodied heart, pierced with a sword, banded with roses, and lily flowers |
| Our Lady of Aparecida | In traditional form of Immaculate Conception [citation needed] |
| Our Lady of Camarin | Mary on crescent moon[citation needed] |
| 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[7] |
| 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 | pregnant, 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[citation needed] |
| 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[8] |
| 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 | Blessed Virgin Mary, Infant Jesus, olive branch, dove[citation needed] |
| 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[citation needed] |
| Virgin of Miracles | Gothic carving of Mary with a baby in alabaster[citation needed] |
| Virgin of Montserrat | Statue painted in polychrome of Mary with a baby seated on the Throne of Wisdom holding an orb of the earth in her right hand[9] |
| 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 (A–H)
Saints (I–P)
Saints (Q–Z)
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Symbolism". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
Data from Wikidata
