The meaning of objects held by Saints in Icons
Iconography
can be an extremely concise way of communicating the Faith. Therefore,
what the Saints hold in their hands in portrait icons help in
identifying them and in telling us about their lives.
I hope to show that what is held in the hands of the Saints in Icons is their
instrument of Salvation; i.e. the “tools” by which God saved and glorified these people.
Martyrs Menodora, Metrodora, and Nymphodora
First,
a Cross, which indicates the Saint is a Holy Martyr. The reason martyrs are shown holding a cross is two-fold: firstly,
martyr comes
for the Greek for witness, and so these witnesses hold the preeminent
symbol of Christianity: the Cross. Secondly, the Cross symbolizes the
most perfect sacrifice of life for others,
Christ’s own crucifixion.
Therefore, any Saints who were murdered for confessing the Faith are
shown with crosses, regardless of how they died. The manner of a Saint’s
execution is not how they gained Sainthood. Multitudes of people suffer
horribly each day, and die in all sorts of gruesome ways and yet are
not called Saints or martyrs for it. It is the confession of Faith that
counts, and so those who confessed Christ and died for it hold a cross
to mark their martyrdom. Saints holding the instruments of their
execution are more common in Renaissance-era art of Europe, but this, I
suggest, reflects a preoccupation with the earthly life, rather than
eternal heavenly reality. Orthodox Icons may sometimes show the
martyrdom itself, but portrait Icons are “windows into Heaven”, and so
the Saints are not shown burdened by the things which killed them.
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St Ephrem the Syrian, holding a scroll of his inspired writings
The Prophet Isaiah; the scroll contains a quote from his writings
A Scroll indicates
holy Wisdom, and so is often shown in the hands of the Old Testament
prophets, but is also commonly seen in the hands of
the Apostles.
Both were given wisdom from God – the prophets through visions, the
Apostles through meeting and knowing Jesus Christ. Later Saints may also
be shown holding scrolls if they were also known for prophecy,
percipience, and imparting divine knowledge to others. One example is
Ephrem the Syrian (right), a hymnographer and deacon from the 4th
century well-known for his poetic works of theology. Where the scrolls
are unfurled, quotes from the Saints’ own writings are shown. At first
this may seem as though the Saints are being glorified for their own
“works”. However, it is precisely because these Saints’
writing/wisdom/prophecy is believed to come from God, not their own
reasoning, that they are glorified. This is clear when we see, for
example, the
Prophet Isaiah holding a scroll which bears the words:
“Hear, O Heavens, and give ear O Earth” (
Is. 1:2).
These words are “Isaiah’s”, but are also the words of God spoken
through his prophet. It’s the same for later Saints who are shown
holding scrolls bearing the words they were inspired to write.
~~~
St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra
In the New Testament we read of the Apostles, especially Paul, appointing overseers (Gr.
episkopos)
to guide the new Christian communities, keeping them strong within the
faith. It is these overseers which over a generation become the bishops
we know today. It is fitting therefore, that Sainted Bishops in Icons
hold their main tool: the
Gospel Book, from which they
proclaim the Good News to the faithful during the Liturgy. Many of the
Church Fathers were also Bishops, and some of their “writings” which we
read today were not writings at all, but sermons preached after the
reading of the Gospel, later copied down by the congregation for other
churches to benefit from. Their inspired teachings were grounded in the
Gospel, and so they hold these books in Icons as the instruments through
which God granted them sainthood. And they hold them with great
reverence indeed, indicated by the way some Icons show the Bishops
covering their bare hand with their vestments or stole. It is this
supreme respect for the Gospel which inspired the Bishops to defend the
Faith so vehemently at the Ecumenical Councils, another way in which
some went on to be recognized as Saints. Naturally, the Evangelists are
also depicted in Icons holding a Gospel Book, often open and in the same
way as scrolls they bear the words they penned (e.g. this
Icon of St John the Evangelist).
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Icon of John the Wonderworker
Another role of the Bishop is that of a pastor, or shepherd, of Christ’s flock. This is symbolized by
the Crosier,
which in Orthodoxy doesn’t look the same as the “shepherd’s crook” held
by bishops in the West. It is of a simpler design, usually in the shape
of the Greek letter
Tau, which symbolizes life, resurrection, or the Cross (
more on the symbolism of Tau here).
Sometimes the crosier will be topped by a cross, just above a double
crook. This double crook is sometimes in the shape of serpents’ heads,
symbolizing the serpent lifted up by Moses in the wilderness. Which
design of crosier used in an Icon is largely dependent upon the actual
design used in life by the Saint in question (e.g. St John the
Wonderworker, left).
St. John during his earthly life
The
Tau-shaped crosier is also a symbol of authority held by abbots or
abbesses of monasteries, and so icons of monastic saints may also show
them holding this kind of staff if they were known for shepherding the
faithful. On occasion, a Saint who wasn’t a bishop, abbot, or abbess in
life will be shown holding a crosier in iconography. This in recognition
of their spiritual authority, regardless of any office they achieved
during their lives. A perfect example of this is
St. Xenia of Petersburg, a homeless wanderer who through her life of renunciation
“taught us to disregard the flesh for it passes away”
(hymn to St Xenia). Because of her wanderings she is shown in
iconography with a walking stick, yet in some icons this is rendered as a
Tau-shaped crosier, as in
this Russian icon.
The walking stick is an image of St Xenia’s earthly life, but it has
been given a new meaning to reflect her heavenly role in the life of the
Church.
~~~
Martyr Menas, a Roman Soldier who renounced his high rank
This leads us to
Weapons
in icons, such as lances, shields and swords. In the first few
centuries of the Church, two types of martyr gained particular devotion
among Christians: virgin-martyrs and soldier-martyrs. The latter group
were typically soldiers in the pagan Roman Empire who converted to
Christianity and were murdered because of it. Often their conversion
meant they renounced their military lives which makes their appearance
in icons garbed in full armour seem strange, almost contradictory.
However, if we think about St Xenia’s walking stick “transfigured” into a
crosier in icons of her then things become clearer. These
martyr-soldiers (and they usually hold crosses too, in remembrance of
their sacrifice) have through their confession of faith become “soldiers
for Christ”. As our intercessors in Heaven it is comforting, I believe,
to know that there are saints warring against the “principalities of
darkness” on our behalf. It is therefore natural to show those already
courageous soldiers who renounced earthly weapons to even more
courageously embrace death now adorned with the armour of God (
Eph. 6:11-18).
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Apostles Peter and Paul supporting the Church
Ss
Peter and Paul are sometimes depicted together in a single Icon (they
also share a feast day: June 29) and when they do they are shown
together supporting a small
Church Building
in their hands (left). This reflects the hymnography of the Church,
where the two Apostles are praised as “pillars of the Church.” Not only
were they pillars of the Church, but church-builders too, establishing
Christian communities (churches) around the Mediterranean and Holy
Lands. Later, other Saints are remembered for their “church-building”
and so are depicted holding small churches or monasteries, often in
profile, shown offering the church to Christ (like the second
icon of St Edwin on this page).
It is quite common for Sainted kings and queens to be shown holding
churches in this way, as they are honoured for their role as protector
and benefactor of the Church within their lands. It is through the
building up of the church that these monarchs were glorified by God, and
so these buildings are the instruments of their own salvation.
~~~
And then there is
Jesus Christ Himself.
It’s probably impious of me to refer to the Infant Christ as a “tool”
of Salvation, but given the above there is much sense in seeing Mary
holding Christ in the same way a holy heirarch holds a Gospel Book. The
reason Christians do not chase after martyrdom is because it is not
something that is sought after, but something accepted if God wills it.
The martyr, the holy heirarch, the prophet, and the warrior-saint are
all chosen by God to fulfill their roles, for the benefit of all.
Individual Saints do not choose whether to be a wise hermit, a
virgin-martyr, or an evangelist; their choice is simply to accept the
role God ordained for them, or to go their own way.
And
so when Archangel Gabriel delivered to the virgin Mary news that God
had chosen her to be the mother of the world’s Saviour, she had the
choice to accept this, or to run away. By humbly saying
“be it to me according to your word”,
Mary would be forevermore called full of Grace. Therefore, in most
icons of her, Mary is shown holding the Infant Christ, through Whom she
was glorified as the Birth-Giver (
Theotokos) and Mother of God.
For the same reason as the Mother of God holds Christ in her hands, it is also right for icons of
Simeon the God-Receiver
to show him holding Christ. By the same reasoning it is inappropriate
to show Joseph of Nazareth holding Christ. Joseph was the man betrothed
to Mary, who protected her and Christ during Herod’s persecutions, and
to most people was considered Jesus’ father. But he wasn’t, and is not
acclaimed a Saint for being Jesus’ father. He is a saint for being
the Betrothed
of Mary, for protecting her and not breaking off the betrothal for
infidelity. Where portrait Icons of Joseph exist (and they’re not that
common) he’s usually shown holding two doves, the poor-man’s sacrifice
he offered at Christ’s Presentation at the Temple (Luke 2:22–40).
There
are other objects not mentioned here which are held by Saints in their
“heavenly portraits”. The reasons for each object are different, but the
principal is the same: the Saints hold the tools of their Salvation.
The sheer number of different items depicted in Icons show us the
diversity of ways in which God calls us. The Cross, the Gospel, holy
Wisdom, the Church: all ultimately lead to Christ, of course, yet the
richness of items points to the abundance of His Mercy and Grace.
Martyrs Menodora, Metrodora, and Nymphodora
St Ephrem the Syrian, holding a scroll of his inspired writings
The Prophet Isaiah; the scroll contains a quote from his writings
St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra
Icon of John the Wonderworker
St. John during his earthly life
Martyr Menas, a Roman Soldier who renounced his high rank
Apostles Peter and Paul supporting the Church
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