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St. Christopher carved from maple wood - Dolfi; The Christian St. Christopher is depicted with the features of Cynocephalus on many Byzantine icons and frescoes. In the Passion Sancti Christophorus Martyrin, a text that can be found in various patristic works and was very popular in the Middle Ages, the legend of the saint is told, who is said to have been a Cynocephalus convert to Christianity. St. Christopher has both the Egyptian god Anubis (St. Christopher transports the baby Jesus, just as Anubis "transports" the souls between the kingdom of the living and the kingdom of the dead") and the many stories of cynocephalians ( sometimes St. Christopher is depicted as a giant, an attribute that various populations of dog people share) common characteristics.
Although the figure of St. Christopher takes on some features of the Cynocephalus myth (the gigantism, the brutalization before conversion), its holiness completely overturns the moral status. An early medieval author (9th century AD), the Benedictine monk Rattans of Corbie (Rattans), states in the Epistolar de Cynocephalis that the Cynocephali are to be viewed as human beings. This document expresses a double and more complex attitude towards monstrous peoples that developed over time and that, beyond the prevailing hostility, also saw acceptance as part of God's creation.
The figure of St. Christopher would also be a legacy of pagan cults associated with the astronomical movement of the star Sirius, which is part of the Canis Major constellation. St.'s feast day falls on July 25th and the astronomical reference refers to the time of the "heat wave" when the rising and setting of Sirius coincides with that of the Sun. The festival of a “dog saint” also fell during this time. "", of St. Guinefort of Lyon.
cult
From the Roman Martyrology: ""In Lycia in what is now Türkiye, St. Christopher, martyr.""
As early as 452 there was a church dedicated to his cult in Bithynia (now Türkiye), and a century later a monastery in Taormina bore his name. In the Middle Ages, the cult of St. Christopher was widespread, first in the East and then in the West.
The festival of this folk saint. is celebrated in the West on July 25, although the festival was removed from the Holy Calendar in 1969. (while in the extraordinary form it remains in the status of a mere commemoration). The feast of the saint fell during the heat wave, when the star Sirius from the constellation of the Great Dog had its halachic rise, and the cult of Cynocephalus and the time of the "dog" merged in medieval folk traditions.
His figure is also present in African-American cults: in voodoo he is identified with Legba, Simba D'lo and Gran Bois, while in the Santhera Agayu and the Palo Monte Loma Yaya.
The statue of St. Christopher, carried in procession through the streets of Rodi Garganico, during the patron saint's festival
St. Christopher is one of the fourteen auxiliary saints. ("who bring help""), which are particularly invoked in the event of serious natural disasters or to protect against misfortune or particular dangers. The patronage of St. Christopher was particularly invoked during plague epidemics.
St. Christopher has always been venerated as the patron saint of those involved in transportation, such as boatmen, pilgrims, commuters, hikers, travelers, porters, railway workers and drivers. In modern times his cult has been revived worldwide because he was proclaimed the protector of motorists. In 1933, a church dedicated to the saint was built in Paris in the Javel district, where there are large car factories. The images of St. Christopher on stickers and key chains are very common. Since the Middle Ages, St. Christopher has been depicted on the outside of churches in colossal proportions. Legend has it that whoever saw his image that day would not die. This product is characterized by a sophisticated brunito finish that gives an elegant and high-quality appearance.
