Christogram Explained

A Christogram (Latin: Monogramma Christi) is a monogram or combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ, traditionally used as a religious symbol within the Christian Church.

One of the oldest Christograms is the Chi-Rho (☧). It consists of the superimposed Greek letters chi Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: (Χ) and rho Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: (Ρ), which are the first two letters of the Greek Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: χριστός, 'Christ'. It was displayed on the Latin: [[labarum]] military standard used by Constantine I in 312 AD. The IX monogram is a similar form, using the initials of the name Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ἰησοῦς (ὁ) Χριστός, 'Jesus (the) Christ', as is the ΙΗ monogram, using the first two letters of the name Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΙΗΣΟΥΣ, 'JESUS' in uppercase.

There were a very considerable number of variants of "Christograms" or monograms of Christ in use during the medieval period, with the boundary between specific monograms and mere scribal abbreviations somewhat fluid.

The name Jesus, spelt Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΙΗΣΟΥΣ in Greek capitals, has the abbreviations IHS (also written JHS, IHC, or ΙΗΣ). The name Christus, spelt Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ, has XP (and inflectional variants such as IX, XPO, XPS, XPI, XPM). In Eastern Christian tradition, the monogram ΙϹΧϹ (with Overline indicating scribal abbreviation) is used for Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ἰησοῦς Χριστός in both Greek and Cyrillic tradition.

A Middle Latin term for abbreviations of the name of Christ is Latin: chrisimus.[1] Similarly, the Middle Latin Latin: [[:wikt:crismon|crismon]], Latin: chrismon refers to the Chi-Rho monogram specifically.[2]

Symbols

Chi (Χ)

In antiquity, the cross, i.e. the instrument of Christ's crucifixion (Latin: [[crux simplex|crux]],), was taken to be T-shaped, while the X-shape ("chiasmus") had different connotations. There has been scholarly speculation on the development of the Christian cross, the letter Chi used to abbreviate the name of Christ, and the various pre-Christian symbolism associated with the chiasmus interpreted in terms of "the mystery of the pre-existent Christ".[3]

In Plato's Latin: [[Timaeus (dialogue)|Timaeus]], it is explained that the two bands which form the "world soul" (Latin: [[anima mundi]]) cross each other like the letter Chi, possibly referring to the ecliptic crossing the celestial equator:

Justin Martyr in the 2nd century makes explicit reference to Plato's image in Latin: Timaeus in terms of a prefiguration of the Holy Cross.[4] An early statement may be the phrase in Didache, "sign of extension in heaven" .

An alternative explanation of the intersecting celestial symbol has been advanced by George Latura, claiming that Plato's "visible god" in Latin: Timaeus is the intersection of the Milky Way and the Zodiacal Light, a rare apparition important to pagan beliefs. He said that Christian bishops reframed this as a Christian symbol.[5]

The most commonly encountered Christogram in English-speaking countries in modern times is the Χ (or more accurately, Chi), representing the first letter of the word Christ, in such abbreviations as Xmas (for "Christmas") and Xian or Xtian (for "Christian").

Chi Rho (ΧΡ)

See main article: Chi Rho.

The Alpha and Omega symbols may at times accompany the Chi-Rho monogram.[6] Since the 17th century, Latin: [[:wikt:chrismon|Chrismon]] (Latin: chrismum; also Latin: chrismos, chrismus) has been used as a Neo-Latin term for the Chi Rho monogram.

Because the Latin: chrismon was used as a kind of "invocation" at the beginning of documents of the Merovingian period, the term also came to be used of the "cross-signatures" in early medieval charters. Latin: Chrismon in this context may refer to the Merovingian period abbreviation I. C. N. for Latin: in Christi nomine, later (in the Carolingian period) also I. C. for Latin: in Christo, and still later (in the high medieval period) just C. for Latin: Christus.[7]

St Cuthbert's coffin (late 7th century) has an exceptional realisation of the Christogram written in Anglo-Saxon runes, as ᛁᚻᛋ ᛉᛈᛋ, transliterated to the Latin alphabet as 'IHS XPS', with the chi rendered as the eolh rune (the old z or algiz rune) and the rho rendered as the p-rune.

IHS

In the Latin-speaking Christianity of medieval Western Europe (and so among Catholics and many Protestants today), the most common Christogram became "IHS" or "IHC", denoting the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus, Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΙΗΣΟΥΣ, iota-eta-sigma, or Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΙΗΣ.[8] [9] [10]

The Greek letter iota is represented by 'I', and the eta by 'H', while the Greek letter sigma is either in its lunate form, represented by 'C', or its final form, represented by 'S'. Because the Latin-alphabet letters I and J were not systematically distinguished until the 17th century, "JHS" and "JHC" are equivalent to "IHS" and "IHC".

"IHS" is sometimes interpreted as meaning Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΙΗΣΟΥΣ ΗΜΕΤΕΡΟΣ ΣΩΤΗΡ|Iēsous Hēmeteros Sōtēr|Jesus our Saviour|label=none or in Latin Latin: Jesus Hominum (or Latin: Hierosolymae) Latin: Salvator, ('Jesus, Saviour of men [or: of Jerusalem]' in Latin)[11] or connected with Latin: [[In hoc signo vinces|In Hoc Signo]]. English-language interpretations of "IHS" have included "In His Service".[12] Such interpretations are known as backformed acronyms.

Used in Latin since the seventh century, the first use of IHS in an English document dates from the fourteenth century, in Piers Plowman. In the 15th century, Saint Bernardino of Siena popularized the use of the three letters on the background of a blazing sun to displace both popular pagan symbols and seals of political factions like the Guelphs and Ghibellines in public spaces (see Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus).

The IHS monogram with the H surmounted by a cross above three nails and surrounded by a Sun is the emblem of the Jesuits, according to tradition introduced by Ignatius of Loyola in 1541.

IHS has been known to appear on gravestones, especially among Irish Catholics.[13] [14] [15]

Gallery with different formats of the symbol

ICXC

In Eastern Christianity, the most widely used Christogram is a four-letter abbreviation, ΙϹ ΧϹ—a traditional abbreviation of the Greek words for 'Jesus Christ' (i.e., the first and last letters of each of the words Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: '''Ι'''ΗϹΟΥ'''Ϲ''' '''Χ'''ΡΙϹΤΟ'''Ϲ''', with the lunate sigma 'Ϲ' common in medieval Greek),[16] and written with titlo (diacritic) denoting scribal abbreviation .

On icons, this Christogram may be split: 'ΙϹ' on the left of the image and 'ΧϹ' on the right. It is sometimes rendered as 'ΙϹ ΧϹ ΝΙΚΑ' (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς νικᾷ), meaning 'Jesus Christ Conquers'. 'ΙϹΧϹ' may also be seen inscribed on the Ichthys.

Lhq

See also: Kirishitan. After Francis Xavier landed in Kagoshima, Japan, in 1549, his missionary work grew and became widely distributed throughout Japan under the patronage of the . However, during the Edo period (1603–1867), Christians were persecuted and forced to hide. Because they were forbidden to openly reverence the images of Christ or Mary, it is believed that they transferred their worship to other carved images and marked them with secret symbols understood only by the initiates. Certain Japanese lanterns, notably the (Japanese: キリシタン灯籠, 'Christian lanterns'), did bear the "Lhq" monogram, which, a quarter turned, was engraved on the shaft, which was buried directly into the soil without basal platform (Japanese: kiso). The 'Lhq' monogram corresponds to the distorted letters 'IHS'.[17]

Archaeology

In 2016 a 1,300-year-old corpse, was found in a cemetery near a medieval monastery in Ghazali, Sudan, whose right foot bore a tattoo from medieval Nubia, a region that covered parts of modern-day Egypt and Sudan, depicting a Chi Rho and an Alpha Omega. The person, most likely male, lived sometime between 667 and 774.[18]

See also

References

Sources

Notes and References

  1. http://ducange.enc.sorbonne.fr/CHRISIMUS Chrisimus
  2. http://ducange.enc.sorbonne.fr/CRISMON Crismon
  3. Grigg . Robert . "Symphōnian Aeidō tēs Basileias": An Image of Imperial Harmony on the Base of the Column of Arcadius . The Art Bulletin . 59 . 4 . 1977 . 477; 469–482 . 10.2307/3049702. 3049702 .
  4. Justin. Apologia, 1.60.
  5. Latura. George. Plato's Visible God: The Cosmic Soul Reflected in the Heavens. Religions. 3. 3. 2012. 880–886. 10.3390/rel3030880. free.
  6. Allegory of the Church by Calvin Kendall 1998 page 137
  7. Johann Christoph Gatterer, Abriß der Diplomatik (1798),p. 64f.Carl Ernst Bohn, Allgemeine deutsche Bibliothek vol. 111 (1792), p. 521.
  8. Christian sacrament and devotion by Servus Gieben 1997 page 18
  9. The Continuum encyclopedia of symbols by Udo Becker 2000 page 54
  10. Web site: CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Holy Name of Jesus. New Advent.
  11. Maere, René. "IHS." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910.
  12. Book: Bush. Brian Paige. (NA). Bush. His Blueprint In The Bible: A Study Of The Number Three In Scripture. 1 March 2004. Dorrance Publishing Co.. English. 9780805963823. 9.
  13. Book: Romano . Ron . Portland's Historic Eastern Cemetery: A Field of Ancient Graves . Arcadia Publishing . 87.
  14. Book: New Jersey Cemeteries and Tombstones: History in the Landscape . 2008 . Rutgers University Press . 179.
  15. Book: Irish South Australia: New histories and insights . 2019 . Wakefield Press . 81.
  16. Symbols of the Christian faith by Alva William Steffler 2002 page 67
  17. (2010) oribe dourou 織部灯籠, Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System
  18. Web site: 'Christ' tattoo discovered on 1,300-year-old body in Sudan. Jarus, Owen. Live Science. en-US. live. October 21, 2023. December 17, 2023. October 24, 2023. https://archive.today/20231024225018/https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/christ-tattoo-discovered-on-1300-year-old-body-in-sudan.