The symbols of christianity, are all those signs through which the Christian doctrine is represented. Some of these have been used since the beginning of time, even within religions other than Christianity, remaining in force for many centuries.
symbols of christianity
The symbols of Christianity or also called Christian symbols, have been incorporated into the concepts that refer to the principles contained within the beliefs on which the Christian religion is based. If you want to know about other types of important symbols in history, you can read about buddhist symbols
These symbols of Christianity have served as support to preserve the foundations of the faith of Christ. During the time of the Roman Empire, these symbols were used with some caution through a nascent religious syncretism, which emerged at that time.
The Christian disciples had established themselves in two groups, the listeners who attended the assemblies, and who expressed their desire to be initiated into the faith. However, the environment lent itself to sneak in an informant, which delayed the baptisms of those interested in being part of the Christian community.
There were certain rituals that were reserved exclusively for the participation of those who entered the doctrine of Christianity, especially those who became part of the so-called mystery of the flesh and blood of the Word of God. God.
It was then that the symbols of Christianity were created, as a strategy for initiates to distinguish themselves from the rest of the population and to make it easy to recognize each other.
Origin
Some symbols of Christianity could have their origin of existence within ancient mythology, where the image of part of the flora and fauna began to be used, which took a representative meaning of religion by itself, such as, for example, the Cross , the Peacock, the white dove, the fish, the palm, among others.
In the part of religion, expressly the resurrection of Jesus was presented with the use of the figure of the turkey and other times with the bird Phoenix. For its part, with the figure of the dove, simplicity was symbolized, but it also represents peace and purity of souls. The deer or deer, are considered as servants of Christ.
One of the Christian symbols considered as a universal religious icon is the fish, which by the time of the thirteenth century BC, was taken as a type of ancient symbol, through which the resurrection of the dead was meant, used for the first time in that context, in the tomb of the Egyptian khabekhnet, who was part of the XIX dynasty.
As in the times of the emperor Diocletian, when the Christian people experienced one of the most terrible persecutions, in the XNUMXnd and XNUMXrd centuries AD. C, the Christian community was prevented from reviving something similar, so they disguised the use of the symbols of Christianity, being the case of the figure of the anchor, with which it is said that reference was made in a simulated way, to the Cross of Christ.
The precise date on which the Greek term ikhthys, which means fish, began to mean "Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savedr”, but after its worldwide recognition, the figure of the fish came to be taken as a natural Christian symbol.
It was after the third century when Christian symbols began to be used more openly, being among them, the representative image of the crucifixion of Jesus with his twelve disciples, and whose date is specified between the III or IV centuries AD. c.
Over time, more symbols of Christianity were added, making it possible to count on a wide range of these today, the use of the Holy Cross standing out among all, because it recalls the stage of the crucifixion of Christ.
Even the image of the virgin Mary, in all its invocations, which embodies maternal love, an ideal that is reinforced in the mind with the strategic use of the colors blue and white, with its own symbology of celestial purity. On the contrary, the use of horns and tails automatically denote a diabolical symbology, associated with satan, which, in the same way, is reinforced with the use of the fiery red color.
Many of the first symbols linked to religion, became known icons with the same meaning worldwide, because for Christian doctrine, it was very important that they were created in that way and be easier for people to identify, regardless of the different cultures.
The lamb and the good shepherd are another example, because in the first case, the sacrifice of our savior is represented and in the second, it serves to conceptualize one of the greatest characterizations of the very Christ. Other symbols are the ark of Noah, the structure of churches, bread and wine, the bible, etc.
It is said that, in times of Christian persecution, the catacombs, which were a kind of underground cemetery, were used as refuges for these religious groups, a theory that was later questioned during the modern era. Apart from being seen as cemeteries, they also came to represent the martyrs through them, and even several sacraments were celebrated to pay homage to them.
The catacombs were the places for the rest of the souls that awaited their time awaiting the resurrection. The same painting with which they were decorated, were containing symbols and signs that denoted the existence of life after life and the commemoration of the Eucharist.
Many of the symbols of Christianity were taken as part of Christian art, which was shaped as an adornment of various religious structures, finding in these spaces a place to exhibit their creations and various achievements, coming to form some six hundred kilometers of underground galleries. , which are visited by tourists and pilgrims.
Types of Christianity Symbols
There are many representations and icons belonging to Christian doctrine that are categorized as symbols of Christianity. There are other types of religious symbols that may be of interest to you such as 5 Pointed Star
Here are some of the most well-known symbols of Christianity:
Alpha and Omega
symbols of christianity Alpha and Omega, are represented by the literal α or Α y ω or Ω, relatively, being the main letter and the last within the Hellenic alphabet. According to this concept, it can be associated with what is the beginning and the culmination, representing the eternity of the heavenly Father.
Similarly, within the holy scriptures, specifically in the Gospel of John, two biblical passages are cited from the Book of Revelations, where the Alpha and the Omega are named, one of them being the quote from Revelation 1:8.
These symbols of Christianity began to be used from the fourth century, sometimes in combination with other symbols, one of these being the Chrismon. They are one of the most used in Western churches despite being letters of Greek origin.
Anchor
The anchor is another of the symbols of Christianity, which is identified with Security. In its beginnings, it was used as a symbol to represent hope, by the ancient believers of the faith, that hope that they had to preserve in the resurrection and in the future life that awaited after earthly life, the offered paradise.
It maintains a close relationship with the symbol of ichthys or fish of Jesus, which is why it is very common to see them together in several of the images. In times of persecution of Christians, the symbol of the anchor was used to disguise the symbol of the Cross of Jesus.
Crown of thorns
The Crown of Thorns is one of the symbols of Christianity that embodies the passion of Jesus ChristWell, in those days, the Roman soldiers used it with the intention of humiliating him before being crucified, baptizing him as "the king of the Jews", according to the sacred writings.
The biblical quote from the gospel according to San Juan 19:2, expresses it clearly at the moment when these soldiers placed on Jesus' head a crown of thorns that was made by them.
Chrismon
Within the range of symbols of Christianity, the so-called "Christograms" were created, being the Chrismon, part of one of them, also called Chi Ro. It was made up of the two initial letters of the Greek name “Christ" or ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ, that is, the letter Chi (X), and the letter Rho (P).
In the times of Constantine I, an emperor in Roman history, used this symbol as a banner during the course of the fourth century AD. C. This symbol usually appears accompanied by the initials of the Alpha and the Omega generally.
During the pre-Christian era, this symbol was used with the term "chreston", which means useful. It was used as an abbreviation that was written to highlight interesting passages within the margins, to let them identify it.
the christian cross
The Christian cross is one of the most relevant symbols of Christianity. It represents the placement of two lines perpendicularly that then intersect. It symbolizes the place where the Messiah died.
Due to its close relationship with the execution processes that were carried out at the time, this symbol was not used by the Christian community, instead the ichthys. The Cross began to be linked with the doctrine of Christianity from the second and third centuries.
However, before there was talk of Christianity as a religion, the cross had already been used by other cultures, but with variations in its shape and other religious meanings, different from those it would later adopt. The Egyptian culture and the Hindu were some.
Within the branches of Christianity, there are a variety of Christian crosses, being the best known and used by the institution of the Catholic Church, called "Latin cross". Its shape is the two lines, one of them visibly longer than the other. Some of the most relevant variations of this symbol are: Greek cross; papal cross; Patriarchal Cross or Cross of Lorraine; Cross of Lorraine; tau cross; Christian ankh.
jerusalem cross
the cross of Jerusalem, is one of the symbols of religion with a historical character, becoming popularly known in the world as that of Holy Land or Crusades. As for its structure, it is detailed that it has a central cross, whose shape is of Hellenic origin and in its endings, it has straight finials.
Crosses of this type are called potentized crosses. Its shape is completed with the addition of a smaller Greek cross, arranged in each of the quadrants contained within the main cross. They are called "crossheads". around the cross Jerusalem several interpretations are woven, each giving rise to its own meaning.
One of the most powerful is the hypothesis where it is indicated that the image of Christ it is symbolized in the main Cross, while the four crossheads are the four main evangelists of religious history. Other meanings that have been given to it, is that the 5 crosses together represent the five wounds of Christ crucified.
Cross of Saint Peter or Inverted Cross
the cross of San Pedro, It features the same shape as the Christian cross, but in an inverted position. His name and origin were given to him as a result of the crucifixion of San Pedro, who did not think he was worthy to die the same as his teacher did and therefore, they placed him upside down.
The Christian community has used the symbol of this cross to represent through it the value of humility. However, its use has been a point of questioning and criticism, because it is also a symbol used by groups that worship the diablo, who do it to mark their position against Christian dogmas.
staurogram
The staurogram is one of the symbols of Christianity made up of two Greek letters: the Tau() and the Ro(P, which are an abbreviation of the names of Greek origin stauros (σταυρός) y stauroo (σταυρόω), which mean cross and crucify respectively. This symbol is also known by the name of monogrammatic or Taurus.
In some of its graphic representations it can be achieved accompanied by other symbols such as the Alpha and Omega. Before being used as a Christian symbol, it had been used since pre-Christian times. It was the first of the signs with which the crucifixion of Jesus was represented. Jesus, whose use dates from the XNUMXth to the XNUMXth century AD, being replaced over time by the symbol of the Chrismon.
Ichtus or Ichthys
El ichtus, they are made up of two arches that, when intertwined, make the shape of a fish. Etymologically, the term is written ἰχθύς what does fish mean When it is written with capital letters (ΙΧΘΥΣ), it acquires its own symbology expressed through an acronym:
- Ι: what does it mean Jesus
- Χ: what does it mean Christ
- Θ: what does it mean God
- Υ: what does it mean Son
- Σ: what does it mean Salvador
In the days when the doctrine of Christianity began, this symbol was used in secret. The figure of the fish has been recurrent within the gospels, whose date is from the second century in regard to its first appearances, significantly increasing its use in the third and fourth centuries. When it became fully identified with the Christian religion, its use became popular.
religious monograms
There are several monograms that have become symbols of Christianity because they are letters with great historical significance for this doctrine. The most used and popular are: Monogram IH, used as an abbreviation of the name of Jesus. This pair of letters are the first of the savior's name, when writing his name in Greek, "JESUS".
IHS Monogram, is a variation of the abbreviation of the name of Jesus in Greek, giving it the interpretation as "Jesus Hominum Salvator”, which in the Latin language means “Jesus Savior of Men”. It was used as an emblem that appears next to the cross and three nails, contained within a radiant sun.
Monogram IX, It is made up of the letters I and X, with which you can abbreviate the names of Jesus and Christ united, which in Greek are written ΙΗΣΟΥΣ and ΧΡΕΙΣΤΟΣ, respectively. Monogram IC XC, It is one of the Christograms most used by faith groups in the Eastern region. It is formed from the first and last letter of the Greek names of Jesus and Christ.
In this case, the Σ is replaced by the use of the C. Traditionally, this Christian symbol can be seen accompanied by the word NIKA, which is derived from the Greek verb nikao, which means "conquer". Together, the symbol would be expressed as follows: IC XC NIKA, whose meaning would be “Jesus Christ Conquers”, a phrase that represents the fact that he defeated death.
Paloma
The figure of the white dove is also one of the most recurrent symbols of Christianity. It is named in several of the gospels that are related to the baptism of the savior, one of the examples being the biblical quote of Lucas 3:22.
For the Christian religion, the symbol of the dove represents the figure of the Holy Spirit, being a quite prominent element in Christian art. Also in the sacred writings of the book of Genesis, the dove is mentioned, specifically in the quote Genesis 8:11.
Within this passage, the facts are brought up when Noah He sends a dove to look for solid ground in the times where he was in his boat after the flood had passed. The dove returned with an olive branch and that was proof enough that he had found land. For the doctrine of Christianity, the dove alone means the Holy Spirit, but when shown with the olive branch, it becomes a symbol of peace.
Bread and wine
The bread and the wine are a Christian symbol to which Jesus gave them great relevance, within the celebration of the last supper. The master offered these foods to his disciples, mentioning some phrases that became a holy word, and that lie in the scriptures of Corinthians, 11:24-25.
“Drink and eat… this is me who will be carried by you, doing this as a blessing from me. Take and drink, this is the cup of my blood, it represents the new opportunity to have eternal life ". From that moment on, the symbols of bread and wine are the body and blood of Christ. This quote is repeated by Christians through the celebration of each Eucharist in Catholic masses, in order to reinforce the message left by our redeemer.
Peacock
Within Christian art, different interpretations have been given to the use of the peacock symbol, however, the best known is to represent immortality. Similarly, a myth was created around this beautiful animal that its meat did not decompose once it was killed.
Also the "eyes" contained within its majestic plumage, symbolized the eye of God who sees everything. Another of the interpretations was even associated with the resurrection due to the fact that its plumage changes annually. There are some images where you can see the peacock drinking from a chalice, which means the source of eternal life.
Pelican
The pelican represents the passion of Christ. The pelicans are in charge of feeding their young and it is said that in the old days, when they could not find fish to do so, they would cause injuries to feed them with their blood.
This sacrifice of love was compared to the celebration of communion when to feed the Christian people, our savior gives us his blood to drink. There are churches that have images of pelicans on their columns because of this.
And to close this interesting topic, we invite you to review within our blog, other types of well-known symbols and with important meaning within universal history, such as the Viking symbols
