Saint Christopher

[[File:Saint christopher cynocephalus.gif|thumb|right|165px|Saint Christopher on an Eastern Orthodox icon.]]{{folklore}}[[File:Tiziano, san Cristoforo.jpg|right|thumb|165px|Jesus, this kid's heavy!]]
'''Saint Christopher''' was a [[saint]] venerated in [[Roman Catholicism]] and [[Eastern Orthodoxy]], who had been listed as a [[martyr]] from the reign of the 3rd century [[Rome|Roman emperor]] Decius (reigned 249 - 251), but is now considered likely to be [[myth|mythical]].

==Legend==
There are several legends about St. Christopher, the most popular of which is preserved in {{wpl|Jacobus de Voragine}}'s [[Saint#The Golden Legend|''Golden Legend'']].  The story states that Christopher was a sort of [[Canaan]]ite [[giant]] or ogre, who was said to have lived during the first half of the 3<sup>rd</sup> century.  He was twelve cubits<ref group=note>About eighteen feet, or 5.5 meters.</ref> tall, and had a most fearsome countenance.  In Eastern Orthodoxy he is conventionally depicted as a "{{wpl|Cynocephaly|''cynocephalus''}}", a type of mythical humanoid with a dog's head.

His name originally was "Offero" or "Reprobus."  Such was his pride, that he vowed that he would serve only a master who was more fearsome than himself.  After research, Christopher determined that the [[Devil]] was a likely candidate.  He therefore pledged himself to the Devil's service, only to abandon the Devil when he learned that the Devil was in turn afraid of the [[crucifixion|cross]] of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]].

Christopher then vowed to serve Jesus instead, and became a [[Christianity|Christian]].  He sought out a Christian hermit to inquire as to how he could better serve Jesus.  The hermit directed him to a dangerous ford in a swift river, and suggested that Christopher's great size and strength made him a good candidate to assist people in crossing.  Christopher began ferrying people across the river on his broad back.

One day a small child approached the river and asked to be carried across.  Christopher began to comply, only to learn that the small boy was far heavier than any other passenger he had taken.  The child revealed that he was in fact Jesus Christ, and that his unusual weight was due to the fact that he bore the sins of he world.  The boy then [[baptism|baptised]] Christopher in the river.  Christopher then acquired his new name, which is [[Greece|Greek]] for "Christ-carrier" (''christo-phoros'').

The child then told Christopher to plant his staff in the ground.  The staff miraculously bloomed into a fruit-bearing tree.  This [[miracle]] converted many.  Enraged at these conversions, a local [[monarchy|king]] had Christopher imprisoned, where after cruel [[torture]]s he died as a [[martyr]].<ref>Jacob de Voragine (Wm. Caxton, translator, Frederick S. Ellis, ed.) [https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/goldenlegend/GoldenLegend-Volume4.asp#Christopher The legend of Saint Christopher]</ref>

==Cult suppressed==
The veneration of this improbable figure was sharply criticised by Erasmus in his ''Praise of Folly''.  Erasmus noted a [[superstition|superstitious]] [[folklore|belief]] that those who viewed an image of St. Christopher would [[luck|not die by accident]] that day.  

Christopher's feast day formerly was July 25; it was downgraded by the Vatican to a purely local commemoration in 1969, on the grounds that it was  unlikely he ever lived.  Christopher was formerly one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, and the patron saint of travellers.  Despite his demotion, devotion to St. Christopher remains popular among Roman Catholics, as evidenced by the medallions issued in his name, which are thought by some to be [[amulet]]s that confer safety upon travellers. These circular or oval medals usually depict Christopher carrying the Christ Child over water, with a message around the edge such as "St Christopher Protect Us", and are often worn around the neck.<ref>[https://classroom.synonym.com/what-is-the-meaning-of-the-saint-christopher-medal-12084858.html What Is the Meaning of the Saint Christopher Medal?], Classroom, June 27, 2018</ref>
==See also==
*[[Saint Brigid]]
*[[Saint Columba]]
*[[Joseph (husband of Mary)|Saint Joseph]]
*[[Santa Claus#Saint Nicholas himself|Saint Nicholas]]
*[[Saint Patrick]]
*[[Paul of Tarsus|Saint Paul]]
*[[Peter the Apostle|Saint Peter]]
{{otherlang
|eo=Sankta Kristoforo}}

== External links: ==
*''[http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/voragine/chris.shtml Historia de Sancto Christophoro]'' by Jacobus de Voragine ([[Latin]])
*[http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1998-06-21/features/1998172109_1_christopher-patron-saint-hockey "A patron saint for jocks:  Benched by the church years ago, St. Christopher has made a comeback in a whole new arena"], ''The Baltimore Sun'', 21 June 1998

==Notes==
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==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Christopher, Saint}}

[[Category:Christian mythology]]
[[Category:Folklore]]
[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:Superstition]]

Categories: Christian mythology, Folklore, Saints, Superstition