\ SAINTS, SIGNSand

SYMBOLSby

W. ELLWOOD POST

Illustrated and revised by the author

FOREWORD BY

EDWARD N. WEST

SECOND EDITION

CHRIST THE KINGA symbol composed of the Chi Rho andcrown. The crown and Chi are gold withRho of silver on a blue field.

First published in Great Britain in 1964Fourteenth impression 1999

SPCKHoly Trinity Church

Marylebone RoadLondon NW1 4DU

© 1962, 1974 by Morehouse-Barlow Co.

ISBN 0 281 02894 X

Printed in Great Britain byHart-Talbot Printers LtdSaffron Walden, Essex

Acknowledgements

To the Rev. Dr. Edward N. West, Canon Sacrist of theCathedral Church of St. John the Divine, New York, who hasgraciously given of his scholarly knowledge and fatherlyencouragement, I express my sincere gratitude. Also, 1 wish totender my thanks to the Rev. Frank V. H. Carthy, Rector ofChrist Church, New Brunswick, New Jersey, who initiated myinterest in the drama of the Church; and to my wife, Bette, forher loyal co-operation.

The research material used has been invaluable, and I amindebted to writers, past and contemporary. They are: E. E.Dorling, Heraldry of the Church; Arthur Charles Fox-Davies,Guide to Heraldry; Shirley C. Hughson of the Order of the HolyCross, Athletes of God; Dr. F. C. Husenbeth Emblems of Saints;C. Wilfrid Scott-Giles, The Romance of Heraldry; and F. R.Webber, Church Symbolism.

W. ELLWOOD POST

Foreword ContentsEllwood Post's book is a genuine addition to the ecclesiological

library. It contains a monumental mass of material which is notordinarily available in one book - particularly if the reader mustdepend in general on the English language.

Books in this field are, too often, either written brilliantly andillustrated badly, or vice versa. This book contains some excellentdrawing combined with the most terse descriptive writing possible. Itwill prove to be a most practical reference work for all those who dealwith the Church's symbols, and it will add vastly to the information ofthose who already know much of this science.

The reader who is unacquainted with the language of symbolsmust approach the subject with the clear understanding that"naturalism" is the exact opposite of "symbolism." Once this isunderstood, the criterion of judgment on the effectiveness of anyparticular symbol and the suitability of its portrayal is firmlyestablished. On such a basis, this book is important.

EDWARD N. WEST

PageFrontispiece—Christ the King 2Acknowledgements 5Foreword 6Introduction 8

Color 8Abbreviations 10The Four Evangelists 11The Twelve Apostles 12The Holy Trinity 16God the Father 17God the Son 18God the Holy Spirit 19The Sacred Monograms 20St. Mary the Virgin 23Saints 24Crosses 56Stars 61Flowers, Fruits, Trees 62Old Testament 66Other Emblems 71The Church 77The Church Year 78Forms of the Nimbus 80Forms of the Nimbus and Aureole 81Borders and Corners 82Index 85

Introduction

This book is confined to illustrations of symbols used in the Church,along with identification and brief notes relative to color or traditionallegends. Canon West has furnished the colors suggested as well as someof the designs. Space permits only one illustration for each saint, thoughthere are usually several symbols by which that saint is known.

It is the purpose of this book to acquaint the reader with these em-blems and relate them to fact or legend in simple terms. Visual aidsprove helpful to teachers, pupils, and those engaged in parish efforts tobeautify the Church.

The ancient heralds expressed their messages with clean firm lines,good balance, proportion, and splendor of color. This form of art hasplayed an important role in the Church through the centuries, due toits ability to bring into focus important persons and facts in her history.

Acquaint yourself with the symbols that follow and go a step farther,too. Obtain reading material so that you may, even more fully, relatethe symbol to the life of the person or event represented. A broaderknowledge, and interest in efforts to make the House of God morebeautiful for him, should be the aim of all Churchmen.

COLOR

It is recommended that heraldic colors be clean, strong, and har-monious. For example:

Red: Use clear bright scarlet, not pink or terra-cotta.Green: Use vivid spring green, such as the color of grass or jade,

not olive or emerald.Blue: Use Prussian blue, not hot purply blue.

A general rule of heraldry is the avoidance of color on color or metalon metal. Gold and silver, referred to as "or" and "argent" in heraldicterminology, are metals. Golden yellow may be substituted for goldand white used in place of silver. The forementioned rule appears tohave some exceptions, as is also true of certain colors, where their mean-ing is apparently lost. Students and scholars of the science hold to theoriginal colors, in order to maintain tradition.

Following are generally accepted interpretations of the significanceof colors, as used by the Church:

Black Solemnity, negation-, sickness, death.Black and white Humility, purity of life.Blue Heavenly love, unveiling of truth. Traditional

color of St. Mary, the Blessed Virgin. In the Eng-lish Scheme of Liturgical Colors, blue is used inAdvent and on the Pre-Lenten 'Gesima Sundays.

Brown Renunciation of the world, spiritual death anddegradation.

Gold See white.Gray Ashes, humility, mourning.Green Spring, triumph of life over death, charity, regen-

eration of soul through good works, hope. Epiph-any and Trinity seasons.

Purple Royalty, imperial power (God the Father).Red Martyred saints, love, hate, sovereign power.

Pentecost.Violet Love, truth, passion, suffering. In the western

use, Advent and Lent.White (Gold) Innocence of soul, purity, holiness of life. Christ-

mas, The Epiphany, Easter, The Ascension,Trinity Sunday, the Transfiguration, All Saints,etc.

Yellow Dingy: Infernal light, degradation, jealousy, trea-son, deceit.

Religious Orders are sometimes represented by the colors of theirhabits.Black The Benedictines, Augustinians, Jesuits, Cowley

Fathers.Gray The Franciscans. Dark brown if the reformed

branch.White The reformed branch of the Benedictines, Cister-

cians, Praemonstratensians, the Order of theHoly Cross.

Black over white The Dominicans.White over brown The Carmelites.

The Four EvangelistsST. MATTHEW THE EVANGELIST,AP.M. —The emblem of the "Divine Man"was assigned to St. Matthew in ancienttimes because his Gospel teaches us aboutthe human nature of Christ. A gold angelon a red field.

Ap.Ab.Abs.Ar.B.C.Car.D.Dc.Emp.Eps.Ev.

AbbreviationsApostleAbbotAbbessArchbishopBishopConfessorCardinalDoctorDeaconEmperorEmpressEvangelist

H.K.M.P.Pen.Q.St.V.W.c.cen.

HermitKingMartyrPopePenitentQueenSaintVirginWidowaboutcentury

Note: Dates are shownby century and arebe understood at A.

toD.

ST. MARK THE EVANGELIST, M -The winged lion, ancient symbol of St.Mark, refers to his Gospel, which informsus of the royal dignity of Christ. A goldwinged lion and nimbus on a red field.

ST. LUKE THE EVANGELIST, M . -The winged ox, assigned to St. Luke, is areference to his Gospel, which deals withthe sacrificial aspects of Christ's life. A goldox and nimbus on a red field.

ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST, A P . -The ancient symbol of a rising eagle is saidto have been assigned to St. John becausehis gaze pierced further into the mysteriesof Heaven than that of any man. The man-ner of his death is not known. A gold eaglerising and nimbus on a blue field.

10 11

The Twelve Apostles

ST. ANDREW, AP.M., 1st cen. -The pa-tron of Russia, Scotland, and the Ecumeni-cal Patriarchate. According to tradition St.Andrew was crucified on an X shapedcross, known as a saltire or St. Andrew'scross, in Achaia. A silver saltire on a bluefield.

ST. BARTHOLOMEW, AP.M., 1st c e n . -

Armenia and India are believed to havebeen the areas of his missionary work. Heis said to have been flayed alive and cruci-fied. Flaying knives with silver blades andgold handles, on a red field.

ST. JAMES THE GREATER, AP.M., 1stcen. — The patron of Spain and of pilgrims.He is mentioned as the first of the disciplesto go on a missionary journey. The escallopshells refer to pilgrimage. Three gold shellson a blue field.

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The Twelve Apostles

ST. JAMES THE LESS, AP.M., 1st cen . -This symbol refers to the tradition that St.James was cast down from a pinnacle ofthe temple in Jerusalem, stoned and sawnasunder by the Jews. A saw with silverblade and gold handle, on a red field.

ST. JOHN, AP.EV., 1st cen.-This emblemof St. John, the "Beloved Apostle," refersto the legend of a poisoned chalice beingoffered to him, in an attempt made on hislife. A gold chalice, a silver serpent, on ablue field.

ST. JUDE, AP.M., 1st cen. -The sailingvessel here represents the Church, whichSt. Jude (also known as Thaddeus or Leb-baeus) carried to many ports as he jour-neyed as a missionary. A gold ship withsilver sails, on a red field.

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The Twelve Apostles

ST. MATTHEW, AP.EV.M., lstcen.-Themoneybags refer to the occupation of St.Matthew before he was called to followChrist. He was a tax gatherer known asLevi. Silver moneybags, on a red field.

S T . M A T T H I A S , A P . M . , 1 s t c e n . — C h o s e n , * •

by lot, to replace Judas Iscariot, St. Mat-thias served as a missionary in Judaea,where he is said to have been stoned andbeheaded. A battle axe with silver headand tawny handle, white open book withinscription "super Mathiam" in black ex-cept the upper case "M", of red, all on ared field.

ST. PETER, AP.M., 1st cen.-Because hefelt unworthy to die as had Christ, St. Peterrequested that his cross be inverted so thathe might look Heavenward as he was cru-cified. A gold cross, silver keys of the King-dom of Heaven, all on a red field.

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The Twelve ApostlesST. PHILIP, AP.M., 1st cen . - I t was to St.Philip that Christ addressed his remarkconcerning the feeding of the multitude.(St. John 6, 7). The roundels represent twoloaves of bread. A gold cross, silver roun-dels, on a red field.

ST. SIMON, AP.M., 1st cen. -The com-panion of St. Jude on many missionaryjourneys, St. Simon was known as a greatfisher of men through the power of the Gos-pel. A gold Book, page edges of white, sil-ver fish, all on a red field.

ST. THOMAS, AP.M., 1st cen. -The pa-tron of builders. He is said to have built aChurch with his own hands in East India.The spear refers to the instrument of hismartyrdom. A carpenter's square with sil-ver blade and gold handle, spear with silverhead and tawny handle, all on a red field.

JUDAS ISCARIOT, 1st cen.-Thirtypieces of silver with a straw colored ropeon a black field.

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The Holy Trinity

Shown above is the doctrine of the BlessedTrinity as clearly expressed by the earlyarmorists. It is fitting that this symbol beborne on shield or banner by churches dedi-cated to the Holy Trinity. The emblem issilver with black legend, on a red field.

CIRCLE WITHINTRIANGLE

EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE TRIANGLE INCIRCLE

TRIQUETRA ANDCIRCLE

THE THREE FISHES INTERWOVENCIRCLES

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God the Father

SOULS OFTHE RIGHTEOUS

HAND OF GOD

HAND OF GOD(Latin Form)

HAND OF GOD(Greek Form)

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God the SonA G N U S D E I (TheLamb of God) with theBanner of Victory —St.John, having baptizedJesus Christ, said, "Be-hold the Lamb of Godwhich taketh away thesin of the world." Ref.The Gospel of St. John1:29 and 36, Revela-tion 5:13, and I Corin-thians 5:7.

A white lamb with goldnimbus showing threered rays, and a red crossupon a white bannersupported by a silverstaff with a gold crossat the top, all on a bluefield.

THE F I S H - A Christian symbol usedfrom the first century. The Greek wordfor fish, IX9Y2 upon which a rebus wasmade, is derived from the first letters of'Ir|oo0s Xpioros 9eo0 'Yui6s StoTi'ip "JesusChrist, Son of God, Saviour."

AGNUS DEI AND THE BOOK OF SEV-EN SEALS - The Lamb of God who aloneis "Worthy to receive power, wealth andwisdom and might and honor and gloryand blessings." Ref. Revelation 5:12.

THE PHOENIX-A legendary bird, usedin early times as a symbol of the Resurrec-tion.

THE FOUNTAIN-"On that day thereshall be a fountain opened for the house ofDavid and the inhabitants of Jerusalem tocleanse them from sin and uncleanness."Ref. Zechariah 13:1. (The heraldic formis shown.)

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God the Holy Spirit

THE DESCENDING DOVE-A white dove, of conventionaldesign, with three rayed nimbus, is the most appropriate tradi-tional symbol of the Holy Spirit. Ref. St. Luke 3:21-22-"Nowwhen all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also hadbeen baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and theHoly Spirit descended upon him in bodily form, as a dove, anda voice came from heaven, 'Thou art my beloved Son; with theeI am well pleased.'" Further Ref. St. Matthew 3:16, St. Mark1:10, St. John 1:32.

T H E S E V E N F O L D F L A M E - T h etongues of fire, a symbol of the power ofthe Holy Spirit as mentioned by St. Lukein The Acts of The Apostles 2:1-4.

THE SEVEN LAMPS-The gifts of theHoly Spirit which are:

Wisdom Ghostly strengthUnderstanding KnowledgeCounsel True godliness

Holy fear

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The Sacred MonogramsThe use of certain groups of letters, de-

rived from Greek and Latin words, assymbols of our Lord Jesus Christ was in-stituted in the early days of the ChristianChurch. For example, the monograms illus-trated are based on the Greek words:

IHCOYC meaning Jesus.It was from IHCOYC that the familiarIHC was derived. This form of the mono-gram is preferred over IHS because of itsdate of origin.

XPICTOC meaning Christ. The ChiRho is composed of the first two letters ofXPICTOC.

NIKA meaning Victor.

The familiar first and last letters of theGreek alphabet, Alpha and Omega ( Aand n ), used in the Christian Church,denote the eternity and infinitude of God.The Alpha-Omega emblem is often usedin conjunction with another symbol, suchas a cross or crown, etc. to emphasizethis meaning.

IN RI The Latin words, "Iesus Nazare-nus Rex ludaeorum," or "Jesus of Naza-reth, the King of the Jews," which waswritten over the Cross of Christ, is repre-sented by INRI.Note: A horizontal, slightly curved lineover the letters indicates abbreviation.

IHC IN LATIN FORM IHC IN LATIN FORM

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The Sacred Monograms

CHI RHO CHI RHO

CHI RHO with NIKA orNOSTER, Latin for Our Christ

CHI RHO

CHI AND GREEK CROSS CHI RHO WITH GREEK CROSS

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