Medieval Christian Symbolism: Part IV
by Mary McCall
Welcome to more about Christian Symbolism in
history. My current work in progress involves a good deal of symbolism related
to early Christian Lore and Arthurian legend. One thing I’ve had to watch is my
use of symbols, because it’s so easy to get carried away. Symbols are only as effective
as the knowledge of the person who beholds them, and what there meaning can
change over time. For this reason, if using a symbol for historic meaning, be
sure your reader has enough information to understand it’s meaning, or like
Icarus, they won’t have a clew to follow.
One of my favorites: The Egg: the egg is a wonderful symbol of
fertility, birth and rebirth, as an apparently lifeless object out of which
comes forth life. Thus, it is a symbol of Christ's Resurrection and is seen
most often at Easter. In 2006, a necropolis under the Vatican revealed an
infant who'd been buried holding an egg to symbolize his parents' hope in his
resurrection, because of Christ's Resurrection. Legend has it that St. Mary Magdalen went to Rome and met with the Emperor Tiberius to tell him about the Resurrection of Jesus. She held out an egg to him as a symbol of this, and he scoffed, saying that a man could no more rise from the dead than that egg that she held could turn scarlet. The egg turned deep red in her hands, and this is the origin of Easter eggs, as well as the reason why Mary Magdalen is often portrayed holding a scarlet egg.
Another level of symbolism is that the egg represents the Creation, the elements, and the world itself, with the shell representing the firmament, the vault of the sky where the fiery stars lie; the thin membrane symbolizing air; the white symbolizing the waters; and the yolk representing earth.
Alpha-Omega:
Alpha,
the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and Omega,
the last letter of the Greek alphabet, became a symbol for Christ due to His
being called "the First and the Last." The roots of symbolizing these
attributes of God go back to the Old Testament where, in Exodus 34:6, God is
said to be "full of Goodness and Truth." The Hebrew spelling of the
word "Truth" consists of the 3 letters "Aleph,"
"Mem," and "Thaw" -- and because "Aleph" and
"Thaw" are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, the
ancients saw mystical relevance in God's being referred to as
"Truth." At any rate, the Greek Alpha and Omega as a symbol for
Christ has been found in the Catacombs, Christian signet rings,
post-Constantine coins, and the frescoes and mosaics of ancient churches.
IHS:
dating from the 8th c., this is an
abbreviation for "IHESUS," the way Christ's Name was spelled in the
Middle Ages (despite popular belief, the monogram stands neither for
"Iesus Hominum Salvator" --"Jesus Saviour of Men" -- nor
for "In His Service.") Popularized by St. Bernardine of Siena, the
monogram was later used by St. Ignatius of Loyola as a symbol for the Jesuit
Order.
5-point
Star: the Star
of Bethlehem; the 5 Wounds of Christ. This symbol inverted, such that a single
point is at the bottom and two points are at the top, is a Satanic symbol
indicating a goat's head.
Triqueta: This geometrical shape is often
used to express the Trinity. Comprising three interlocking arcs, the whole
symbol signifies eternity while the whole triangle-like overall shape at the
center represents the Trinity and its eternal intangibility.
Torch
of Truth: Symbol of
the Dominican Order, often shown being carried in the mouth of a little black
and white dog. It originates in a dream St. Dominic's mother had when she was
pregnant with the Saint: she dreamed of her child as a little black and white
dog illuminating the world by carrying a torch in his mouth. Founded by St.
Dominic, the Order is known as the "Order of Preachers;" the colors
of its habit are white and black.
The Symbology of Numbers
1
|
the Undivided Oneness of God
|
2
|
the two natures of Christ; both
the Divine and the material
|
3
|
the Three Persons of the Most Holy
Trinity, the three Magi and their gifts
|
4
|
the Evangelists and their Gospels;
the elements, humors and material world; North, South, East, and West; the
four seasons
|
5
|
the Five Wounds; the senses
|
6
|
the days of creation; creation
fallen; imperfection
|
7
|
covenant, oath; perfection; the
day God rested (the Sabbath being the sign of the Covenant with Adam); the
seven colors the rainbow (a sign of the Covenant made with Noe); the seven
Sacraments (the Covenant sign made with the Church); the Gifts of the Holy
Ghost; the virtues and vices
|
8
|
the visible world, made in seven
days, with the invisible kingdom of grace following; regeneration
|
9
|
man's imperfection; the choirs of
Angels
|
10
|
the Commandments; the Plagues of
Egypt
|
12
|
the tribes of Israel; the
Apostles; the signs of the Zodiac; the hours of the day and the hours of the
night; the penetration of matter with spirit (3 X 4)
|
13
|
betrayal; Judas
|
33
|
the number of years of Jesus's
human life
|
40
|
testing and trial; the years of
the Deluge; the years of wandering in the desert in Exodus; the days Moses
spent on Mt. Sinai; Christ's days in the desert
|
666
|
the number of the Beast. (Also 616
in some later manuscripts, a number rejected by St. Irenaeas as a scribal
error).
|
1000
|
the milennium -- the Church Age
|
Until next time, happy reading and writing!
*~*~*~*~*
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Just released! HIGHLAND PROMISE
Ordered by King Alexander to wed an Englishwoman, Laird Brendan Sutherland heads to England to wed the sister of his best friend's wife. Having no use for love, he intends to beget a few heirs and forget the lass.
After being falsely accused of the Sin of Eve when she was twelve, Lady Faith of Hawkhurst hides her beauty beneath a hideous disguise, becoming a hag in public. She believes she must enter a convent and live a life of penance or suffer perpetual damnation.
Learning her brother intends to ambush an approaching Highland party, Faith intercepts Brendan and his men to ask their aid in reaching the convent. Brendan quickly sees through her disguise and agrees to take her with him. After a court scandal, King Henry orders them to wed. As they return to the Highlands with a killer on their trail, Brendan discovers he can't remain aloof from the woman destined to restore his faith in love.
1 comment:
Fascinating post - I love this sort of thing.
I hadnt heard the story of Mary Magdalene and the scarlet egg before - but now I have.
Thank you.
Grace x
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