Saint symbology

Saints and their symbols>

Saint symbology

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 A 

anchor: Clement, Nicholas of Bari, Rose of Lima, Philomena

angel: Bonaventure of Bagnorea, Mathew, Roch

    - guardian angel: Frances of Rome

animals

    - bear: Corbinian, Gall, Gerold

    - bees: Ambrose, Bernard of Clairvaux, Isidore of Seville, John Chrysostom

    - crocodile: Theodulus of Amasea

    - crow: Paul the Simple

            -- crows: Erasmus

    - deer with a crucifix between his horns: Eustace, Hubert

            -- wounded deer: Giles

    - dog: Roch, Quiteria

            -- black and white dog with torch: Dominic of Guzman

            -- dog or doggy: Margaret of Cortona

            -- furious dog: Domninus of Faenza

            -- white dog: Bernard of Clairvaux

    - dolphin: Petronilla

    - donkey: Gerold, Macarius of Roma

    - dove: Ambrose, Augustine of Hippo, Basil the Great, Gregory the Great, Scholastica, Therese of Avila, Thomas Aquinas, Zachary

    - dragon: Philip, George, Justina, Michael, Silvestro, Tudwal

            -- dragon in chains: Margaret the Virgin of Antiochia

    - ducks: Niceforo of Pedena

    - eagle: John the Evangelist

    - falcon: Bavo

    - fish: Raphael, Clement, Francis of Assisi

    - fishes: Andrew, Zeno

    - fox: Boniface

    - goose: Martin of Tours, Werburga

    - grasshoppers: Joel

    - hare: Marculf

    - horse: George, Martin of Tours, Paul the Apostle

    - lamb: Agnes, John the Baptist, Joanna

    - lion: Jerome, Mary of Egypt, Vitus, Daniel

            -- lions: Januarius, Paul the Simple, Ignatius of Antioch

            -- winged lion: Mark the Evangelist

    - mouse: Gertrude of Nivelles

    - mice: Martin of Porres 

    - ostrich: Barbara

    - ox: Sylvester, Thomas Aquinas, Guido of Anderlecht

            -- winged ox: Luke the Evangelist

    - peacock: Liborius of Le Mans   

    - pig: Anthony the Great, Blaise

    - raven: Paul the Simple, Boniface

            -- with some bread on his beak: Benedict of Norcia

    - rooster: Peter

            -- white rooster: Vitus

    - snakes: Veridiana

    - turtle: Kateri Tekakwitha

apron with roses: Elizabeth of Hungary

armour: Acacius, Alexander, Gabriel, George, Martin of Tours, Maurice, Michael, Theodorus

arrow: Knut of Denmark, Ursula, Therese of Avila

    - arrows: Christina, Sebastian

    - quiver of arrows: Edmund the Martyr

axe: Boniface, Justin Martyr, Thomas the Apostle, Thomas More, Wolfgang

   - axe knocked into the head: Peter Martyr

 B 

ball

    - three golden balls: Nicholas of Bari

baptismal bowl and Indians: Francis Xavier

baptismal font: Patrick, Sylvester

basket with bread: Elizabeth of Hungary

bear: Corbinian, Gall, Gerold

beehive: Ambrose, Bernard of Clairvaux

bees: Ambrose, Bernard of Clairvaux, Isidire of Seville

belt: Thomas

Bible: Romuald

boat: Nicholas of Bari, Peter

boiler: Erasmus, Vitus 

book: Anne, Anthony of Padua, Augustine of Hippo, Basil the Great, Bernard of Clairvaux, Bonaventure of Bagnorea, Boniface, Bridget of Sweden,

           Camillus de Lellis, Catherine of Siena, Jerome, James the Major, Benedict of Nursia,  John the Evangelist, Gregory the Great, Ignatius of Loyola,

           Isidore of Seville, Yves, Laurence of Rome, Luke the Evangelist, Mark the Evangelist, Mathew, Nicholas of Bari, Oda of Scotland, Paul, Peter,

          Therese of Avila, Stephen, Urban of Langres, Ursicinus, Vincent Ferrer

    - and pen: Albert the Great

    - of Rules: Monica, Nicholas of Tolentino, Scholastica, Clare of Assisi

boy: Raphael

    - three boys in a tub: Nicholas of Bari

branch: Christopher

    - an acacia branch: Acacius 

    - an olive branch: Zachary

    - a palm branch: Saints Martyrs

    - three olive branches: Bruno

bread: Anthony of Padua, Elizabeth of Hungary, Frances of Rome, Genevieve, Roch

    - basket with bread: Elizabeth of Hungary

    - loaves: Honoratus of Amiens, Nicholas of Bari

breast

    - two breast on a plate: Agatha of Sicily

 C 

candles: Blaise

    - lit candle: Bridget of Sweden, Genevieve, Agatha

    - a lit candle or a torch: Agatha of Sicily

chalice: Barbara, Benedict of Norcia, Domninus, John the Evangelist, Paschal Baylon

charity: Elizabeth of Hungary, Lawrence

child

    - with shell: Augustine

    - epileptic child: Valentine

Child Jesus

    - in his/her arms: Cajetan of Thiene, Rose of Lima

    - sitting on a book: Anthony of Padua

    - over shoulder: Christopher

church

    - small-scale model of a church: Begga, Eligius, Richardis, Wolfgang

ciborium: Barbara, Bonaventure of Bagnorea

clothes

    - apron with roses: Elizabeth of Hungary

    - cardinal clothing: Jerome

    - hunting clothes: Eustace

    - imperial dress: Elena

    - of a knight with a crucifix: Eustace

    - of a pilgrim: James son of Zebedee, Roch

    - of a scholar: Yves

    - made by woven palm leaves: Paul the Simple

    - princely dress: Elizabeth of Hungary

    - regal dress: Orsaia

column: Alexander, Philip the Apostle, Sebastian

comb (iron comb): Blaise

communion: Bonaventure of Bagnorea, Charles Borromeo

cookwares: Martha

cope

    - bishop's cope over a Franciscan cowl: Louis of Toulouse

cowl

    - cowl of the Clare Order: Clare of Assisi

    - bishop's cope over a Franciscan cowl: Louis of Toulouse

crocodile: Theodulus of Amasea

cross: Camillus de Lellis, Catherine of Siena, Helena, Philip, Ignatius of Loyola, Jerome, John Berchmans, Lawrence of Rome, Patrick, Vitus

    - abbey cross: Maurus

    - crab with a cross: Francis Xavier

    - mariner's cross: Clement

    - cross of Lorraine: Joan of Arc

    - Petrine cross (inverted Latin cross): Peter the Apostle

    - processioonal cross: John the Baptist

    - X cross (transverse cross): Andrew

crown: Barbara, Bavo, Bridget of Sweden, Catherine of Alexandria, Catherine of Ricci, Elizabeth of Hungary,

             Elizabeth of Portugal, Gertrude of Nivelles, Ursula, Sebastian 

    - crown of thorns: Acathius of Melitene, John of God, Louis IX of France, Rose of Lima

    - crown under her feet: Oda of Scotland

    - sceptre and crown: Louis of Toulouse, Louis IX of France

crozier: see pastoral staff

crucifix: Bonaventure of Bagnorea, Bruno, Catherine of Ricci, Catherine of Siena, Clare of Assisi, Eustace, Francis Xavier, Jerome, Margaret of Antiochia,

               Margaret of Cortona, Mary of Egypt, Mary Magdalene, Monica, Nicholas of Tolentino, Rita of Cascia, Rosalia, Theodorus

    - deer with a crucifix between his horns: Eustace

    - crucifix bar with green leaves: Bruno

    - roses entwining a crucifix: Thèrése de Lisieux

cruets: Januarius

crutch: Maurus

 D 

dagger: Knut of Denmark

    - dagger on heart: Justina

    - dagger on his chest: Peter Martyr

dalmatic: Lawrence, Stephen

deer with a crucifix between his horns: Eustace

    - wounded deer: Giles

demon: Patrick, Romuald, Vollango

    - demon in chains: Bernard of Clairvaux

dog: Roch

    - black and white dog with torch: Dominic of Guzman

    - dog or doggy: Margaret of Cortona

    - furious dog: Domninus di Faenza

    - white dog: Bernard of Clairvaux

dolphin: Petronilla

donkey: Gerold, Macarius of Rome

dove: Basil the Great, Gregory the Great, Scholastica, Therese of Avila, Thomas Aquinas

dragon: Philip, George, Justina, Margaret of Antiochia, Martha, Michael, Sylvester

ducks: Niceforo of Pedena

 E 

eagle: John the Evangelist

eyes on a plate that she is holding: Lucy

 F 

falcon: Bavo

fetter: Leonard of Noblac

fish: Andrew, Clement, Francis of Assisi, Raphael, Zeno

fish net: Andrew

French lily: Louis of Toulouse, Louis IX of France

fire: Agnes

    - fire globe: Martin of Tours

    - stake: Apollonia

flame: Simon Stock

    - in a hand: Vincent Ferrer

flour mill: Christina, Florian

flowers: Dorothy of Caesarea, Elizabeth of Hungary, Therese of the Andes

    - flowering tree: Zenobius of Florence

fox: Boniface

frock or cassock or habit

    - bishop's cope over a Franciscan cowl: Louis of Toulouse

    - bishop's cassock: Augustine, Giles, Erasmus, Januarius, Nicholas of Bari, Thomas Becket, Valentine, Wolfgang, Zeno

    - black cassock of a abbot: Benedict of Norcia

    - black dress with white veil: Frances of Rome

    - black frock of Augustinian nuns: Monica

    - black frock of Augustinian order: Nicholas of Tolentino

    - black frock of Benedectines nuns: Scholastica

    - black priest's cassock: Ignatius of Loyola, Cajetan of Thiene, Yves

    - cowl of Clare order: Clare of Assisi

    - of cardinal: Charles Borromeo, Jerome

    - of Carmelite nun: Therese of Avila

    - of Carmelite order: Simon Stock

    - of cleric (black priest's cassock): Cajetan of Thiene, Yves

    - of deacon (dalmatica): Lawrence, Stephen

    - of Franciscan nun: Elizabeth of Hungary, Margaret of Cortona

    - of monk: Maurus

    - papal: Gregory the Great, Leo the Great

    - priestly cassock: Valentine, Francis Xavier

    - scapular: Simon Stock

        - white scapular: Benedict of Nursia

    - white frock of Benedectines order: Romuald

    - Benedectine habit (a black tunic, a black scapular and a black hood): Giles

    - Cistercian habit (white tunic covered by a hoodless black Scapular): Bernard of Clairvaux

    - Dominican habit (white tunic, cinture, Rosary, white scapular and white capuce but most often represented in art with the black cappa or cape over the

                white habit): Dominic of Guzman, Thomas Aquinas, Vincent Ferrer

furnace in the shape of a bull: Eustace

 G 

globe under his feet: Bruno

goblet with little snakes: Benedict of Nursia

goose: Martin of Tours, Werburga

grasshopper: Joel

gridiron (or grill): Lawrence

 H 

halberd: James the Just, Mathew

hare: Marculf

hat: James son of Zebedee

    -  cardinal's hat: Bonaventure of Bagnorea, Jerome, Vincent Ferrer

    - and "pellegrina" (pelerin): Francis Xavier

haversack: James son of Zebedee

head

    - bloodied head: Peter of Verona

    - in hands: Denis (or Dionysius)

    - head on a platter: John the Baptist

heart: John of God, Therese of Avila

    - winged heart: Cajetan of Thiene

    - with a crucifix: Bridget of Sweden

    - inflamed heart: Anthony of Padua, Francis Xavier

    - inflamed heart or pierced by arrows: Augustine

    - pierced by thorns: Ignatius of Loyola

horn

    - french-horn: Cornelius

    - horn of the unicorn: Agatha of Sicily

    - deer with a crucifix between his horns: Eustace

horse: George, Martin of Tours, Paul the Apostle

host: Bernard of Clairvaux, Honoratus of Amiens 

 I 

IHS, monogram of Christ: Bernardine of Siena, Bridget of Sweden, Ignatius of Loyola, Therese of Avila

 J 

jug: Elizabeth of Hungary

 K 

keys: Genevieve, James son of Zebedee, Petronilla, Peter, Zita

    - bunch of keys: Martha

knife: Bartholomew the Apostle, Christina

 L 

ladder: Alexis, Romuald

lamb: Agnes, Joanna, John the Baptist

lamp: Clare of Assisi, Lucy

leaves

    - crucifix bar with green leaves: Bruno

letter: Alexis

lily: Aloysius Gonzaga, Anthony of Padua, Catherine of Siena, Clare of Assisi, Dominic of Guzman, Francis Xavier, Gabriel, Cajetan of Thiene,

       Gertrude of Nivelles, Joseph spouse of Mary, Nicholas of Tolentino, Philip Neri, Rose of Lima

    - French lily: Louis of Toulouse, Louis of France

lion: Daniel, Jerome, Mary of Egypt, Vitus

    - a bishop surrounded by lions: Ignatius of Antioch

    - winged lion: Mark the Evangelist

    - lions: Januarius, Paul the Simple

loaves: Nicholas of Bari

    - three loaves: Mary of Egypt

long-hair: Agnes, Mary of Egypt, Mary Magdalene

 M 

mice: Martin of Porres

millstone: Christina, Florian, Victor of Marseille

mitre: Bonaventure of Bagnorea, Bruno, Nicholas of Bari, Thomas Becket, Wolfgang, Zeno

    - mitre near his feet: Bernard of Clairvaux

    - three mitres: Bernardine of Siena

monogram of Christ IHS: Bernardine of Siena, Bridget of Sweden, Ignatius of Loyola, Therese of Avila, Stephen 

monstrance (ostensory): Clare of Assisi, Hyacinth, Thomas Aquinas

motto

    - "Cras" and/or "Hodie": Expeditus

    - "Deus Caritas Est": Vincent de Paul

    - "Humilitas": Charles Borromeo

    - "Omnia ad maiorem dei gloriam": Ignatius of Loyola

 N 

nails: Erasma, Louis IX of France

    - of the Cross: Helena

    - nailed hands: Pantaleon

noose round his neck: Charles Borromeo

 O 

oak: Boniface

olive

    - olive branch: Zachary

    - three olive branches: Bruno

ostensory: Bonaventure of Bagnorea, Clare of Assisi

ostrich: Barbara

ox: Ambrose, Luke the Evangelist, Sylvester, Thomas Aquinas, Guido d'Anderlecht

    - winged ox: Luke

 P 

pastoral staff (or crozier): Francis de Sales, Livinus (or Lebuinus), Nicholas of Bari, Romuald, Thomas Becket, Ursus of Aosta, Valentine, Valfango, Werburga,                                             William of Montevergine, Wolfgang, Zeno

    - abbatial pastoral: Benedict of Nursia, Bernard of Clairvaux

    - abbess pastoral: Clare

    - pastoral and whip: Ambrose

peacock: Liborius of Le Mans

    - peacock's feathers: Barbara

"pellegrina" or pelerine: James son of Zebedee

pen: Ambrose, Augustine of Hippo, Bernard of Clairvaux, Isidore of Seville, John Chrysostom, Leander of Seville, Thomas Aquinas

    - pen and ink: Bridget of Sweden

pig: Anthony the Great, Blaise

pincers: Agatha of Sicily, Apollonia, Livinus (or Lebuinus)

plow: Guido of Anderlecht

pyx: Hyacinth

 Q 

 R 

raven: Boniface, Paul the Simple

    - ravens: Erasmus

    - with some bread on his beak: Benedict of Nursia

rooster: Peter

    - white rooster: Vitus

rosary: Camillus de Lellis, Dominic, Cajetan of Thiene

roses: Rita of Cascia, Rose of Lima, Rosalia, Thèrése de Lisieux

 S 

saw: James the Just, Simon

scales: Maurus, Michael

scapular: Simon Stock

    - white scapular: Benedict of Nursia

sceptre and crown: Louis of Toulouse, Louis of France

scourge: Boniface

scroll: Gabriel, Yves, Paul the Apostle

shell: Augustine of Hippo, James son of Zebedee

ship: Jude the Apostle, Nicholas of Bari

skull: Bruno, Francis of Assisi, Cajetan of Thiene, Camillus de Lellis, Jerome, Margaret of Cortona, Mary of Egypt, Mary Magdalene, Paul the Simple, Rosalia

small-scale model of a church: Wolfgang

snakes: Veridiana

soldier with spear and flag: Florian

sore on a thigh: Roch

sores: Job

spade: Maurus

spear: George

square: James the Just, Joseph, Jude the Apostle, Thomas the Apostle

stake: Apollonia

standard

    - white standard with red cross: Orsaia

    - standard with white lily: Alexander

statue

    - of Mary on his hands: Hyacinth

star

    - on the forehead: Dominic of Guzman

    - on his chest: Nicholas of Tolentino

stick: Alexis, Christopher, James son of Zebedee, Roch

    - in the shape of a "T" with a bell: Anthony the Great

    - flowering stick: Joseph

    - or a bunch of rods: Benedict of Nursia

stigmata: Catherine of Siena, Francis of Assisi

stones: Stephen

    - building stone: Thomas

sudarium of Christ: Veronica

sun

    - sun inscribed with IHS: Bernardine of Siena

    - on his chest: Thomas Aquinas

sword: Acacius, Bavo, Boniface, Catherine, Cornelius, James son of Zebedee, Jude the Apostle, Justin Martyr, Maurice, Paul the Apostle, Michael,

            Thomas Becket

    - and cloak: Martin of Tours

    - or spear: Michael

 T 

taper: Blaise

teeth pulled out: Apollonia

tools

    - carpenter tools: Joseph

    - farm tools: Paschal Bayron

    - smith tools: Eligius

    - goldsmith tools: Eligius

    - medical tools: Cosmas and Damian

    - musical instruments: Cecilia

    - sculptor tools: Four Crowned Martyrs

torch or a lit candle: Agatha of Sicily

tower: Barbara

three

    - three boys in a tub: Nicholas of Bari

    - three golden balls: Nicholas of Bari

    - three hosts: Honoratus of Hamiens

    - three loaves: Mary of Egypt

    - three mitres: Bernardine of Siena

    - three olive branches: Bruno

triple crown: Leo the Great

tunic or cassock:

turtle: Kateri Tekakwitha

 U 

unicorn: Justina

 V 

vase: Mary Magdalene

 W 

water

    - can: Florian

    - holy water sprinkler: Martha

    - spring water spurting from the ground, touched by his stick: Yrieix

wheel: Catherine

winch: Erasmus

windmill: Victor of Marseilles

wound

    - in her forehead: Rita of Cascia   

    - in his head: Peter Martyr

 X 

 Y 

youth: John Berchmans, Pancras, Tarcisius 

 Z 

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