![Chrisme Colosseum Rome Italy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/Chrisme_Colosseum_Rome_Italy.jpg)
A Christogram ( la, Monogramma Christi) is a
monogram
A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series o ...
or combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
, traditionally used as a
religious symbol
A religious symbol is an iconic representation intended to represent a specific religion, or a specific concept within a given religion.
Religious symbols have been used in the military in many countries, such as the United States military chapl ...
within the
Christian Church
In ecclesiology, the Christian Church is what different Christian denominations conceive of as being the true body of Christians or the original institution established by Jesus. "Christian Church" has also been used in academia as a synonym fo ...
.
One of the oldest Christograms is the
Chi-Rho (☧). It consists of the superimposed Greek letters
chi
Chi or CHI may refer to:
Greek
*Chi (letter), the Greek letter (uppercase Χ, lowercase χ);
Chinese
*Chi (length), ''Chi'' (length) (尺), a traditional unit of length, about ⅓ meter
*Chi (mythology) (螭), a dragon
*Chi (surname) (池, pin ...
and
rho
Rho (uppercase Ρ, lowercase ρ or ; el, ρο or el, ρω, label=none) is the 17th letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 100. It is derived from Phoenician letter res . Its uppercase form uses the sa ...
, which are the first two letters of Greek "Christ". It was displayed on the ''
labarum
The labarum ( el, λάβαρον) was a ''vexillum'' (military standard) that displayed the "Chi-Rho" symbol ☧, a christogram formed from the first two Greek letters of the word "Christ" ( el, ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ, or Χριστός) – ''Chi'' (χ ...
'' military standard used by
Constantine I
Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...
in AD 312. The
IX monogram
The IX monogram or XI monogram is a type of early Christian monogram looking like the spokes of a wheel, sometimes within a circle.
The IX monogram is formed by the combination of the letter "I" or Iota for (, Jesus in Greek) and "X" or Chi for ...
(
![Christliche Symbolik (Menzel) I 193 4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Christliche_Symbolik_%28Menzel%29_I_193_4.jpg)
) is a similar form, using the initials of the name "Jesus (the) Christ", as is the
ΙΗ monogram (
![IH Monogram with iota and eta superimposed](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d9/IH_Monogram_with_iota_and_eta_superimposed.jpg)
), using the first two letters of the name "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
Scribal abbreviations or sigla (singular: siglum) are abbreviations used by ancient and medieval scribes writing in various languages, including Latin, Greek, Old English and Old Norse. In modern manuscript editing (substantive and mechanica ...
somewhat fluid.
The name ''Jesus'', spelt "ΙΗΣΟΥΣ" in Greek capitals, has the abbreviations ''IHS'' (also written ''JHS, IHC'', or ''ΙΗΣ''), the name ''Christus'' , spelt "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 in both Greek and Cyrillic tradition.
A
Middle Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying deg ...
term for abbreviations of the name of Christ is ''chrisimus''. Similarly, Middle Latin ''
crismon'', ''chrismon'' refers to the Chi-Rho monogram specifically.
Chi (Χ)
In antiquity, the
cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a sa ...
, i.e. the
instrument of Christ's crucifixion
The instrument of Jesus' crucifixion (known in Latin as ''crux'', in Greek as ''stauros'') is generally taken to have been composed of an upright wooden beam to which was added a transom, thus forming a "cruciform" or T-shaped structure.
Most ...
(''
crux
Crux () is a constellation of the southern sky that is centred on four bright stars in a cross-shaped asterism commonly known as the Southern Cross. It lies on the southern end of the Milky Way's visible band. The name ''Crux'' is Latin for c ...
'', ''
stauros''), 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
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
, and the various pre-Christian symbolism associated with the chiasmus interpreted in terms of "the mystery of the
pre-existent Christ".
[.]
In
Plato
Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...
's ''
Timaeus Timaeus (or Timaios) is a Greek name. It may refer to:
* ''Timaeus'' (dialogue), a Socratic dialogue by Plato
*Timaeus of Locri, 5th-century BC Pythagorean philosopher, appearing in Plato's dialogue
*Timaeus (historian) (c. 345 BC-c. 250 BC), Greek ...
'', it is explained that the two bands which form the "world soul" (''
anima mundi
The ''anima mundi'' (Greek: , ) or world soul is, according to several systems of thought, an intrinsic connection between all living beings, which relates to the world in much the same way as the soul is connected to the human body.
Although ...
'') cross each other like the letter Chi, possibly referring to the
ecliptic crossing the
celestial equator.
Justin Martyr
Justin Martyr ( el, Ἰουστῖνος ὁ μάρτυς, Ioustinos ho martys; c. AD 100 – c. AD 165), also known as Justin the Philosopher, was an early Christian apologist and philosopher.
Most of his works are lost, but two apologies and ...
in the 2nd century makes explicit reference to Plato's image in ''Timaeus'' in terms of a prefiguration of the Holy Cross. An early statement may be the phrase in ''
Didache
The ''Didache'' (; ), also known as The Lord's Teaching Through the Twelve Apostles to the Nations (Διδαχὴ Κυρίου διὰ τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων τοῖς ἔθνεσιν), is a brief anonymous early Christian tr ...
'', "sign of extension in heaven" (''sēmeion epektaseōs en ouranōi'').
An alternative explanation of the intersecting celestial symbol has been advanced by George Latura, claiming that Plato's "visible god" in ''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.
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
Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by other names, is the capital of Shaanxi Province. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong Plain, the city is the third most populous city in Western China, after Chongqin ...
'' or ''Xtian'' (for "Christian").
Chi Rho (ΧΡ)
![Chrismon Sancti Ambrosii](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/Chrismon_Sancti_Ambrosii.jpg)
The
Alpha and Omega
Alpha (Α or α) and omega (Ω or ω) are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and a title of Christ and God in the Book of Revelation. This pair of letters is used as a Christian symbol, and is often combined with the Cross, Chi-rh ...
symbols may at times accompany the Chi-Rho monogram. Since the 17th century, ''
Chrismon'' (''chrismum''; also ''chrismos, chrismus'') has been used as a
New Latin term for the Chi Rho monogram.
Because the ''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-signature
''Signum manus'' (transl. ''sign of the hand'', sometimes also known as ''Chrismon'') refers to the medieval European practice of signing a document or charter with a special type of monogram or royal cypher. The practice is documented from a ...
s" in early medieval charters. ''Chrismon'' in this context may refer to the Merovingian period abbreviation ''I. C. N.'' for ''in Christi nomine'', later (in the
Carolingian period) also ''I. C.'' for ''in Christo'', and still later (in the high medieval period) just ''C.'' for ''Christus''.
St Cuthbert's coffin
What is usually referred to as St Cuthbert's coffin is a fragmentary oak coffin in Durham Cathedral, pieced together in the 20th century, which between AD 698 and 1827 contained the remains of Saint Cuthbert, who died in 687. In fact when Cuthber ...
(late 7th century) has an exceptional realisation of the Christogram written in
Anglo-Saxon runes
Anglo-Saxon runes ( ang, rūna ᚱᚢᚾᚪ) are runes used by the early Anglo-Saxons as an alphabet in their writing system. The characters are known collectively as the futhorc (ᚠᚢᚦᚩᚱᚳ ''fuþorc'') from the Old English sound va ...
, as ᛁᚻᛋ ᛉᛈᛋ, as it were "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
![IHS Christogram 1864 Bible](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/IHS_Christogram_1864_Bible.jpg)
In the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
-speaking Christianity of medieval Western Europe (and so among Catholics and many
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
s today), the most common Christogram became "IHS" or "IHC", denoting the first three letters of the
Greek name of Jesus, ΙΗΣΟΥΣ, ''
iota
Iota (; uppercase: Ι, lowercase: ι; ) is the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Yodh. Letters that arose from this letter include the Latin alphabet, Latin I and J, the Cyrillic І (І, і), Yi (Cy ...
-
eta
Eta (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἦτα ''ē̂ta'' or ell, ήτα ''ita'' ) is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the close front unrounded vowel . Originally denoting the voiceless glottal fricative in most dialects, ...
-
sigma
Sigma (; uppercase Σ, lowercase σ, lowercase in word-final position ς; grc-gre, σίγμα) is the eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 200. In general mathematics, uppercase Σ is used as ...
'', or .
[''Christian sacrament and devotion'' by Servus Gieben 1997 page 18][''The Continuum encyclopedia of symbols'' by Udo Becker 2000 page 54]
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 "ΙΗΣΟΥΣ ΗΜΕΤΕΡΟΣ ΣΩΤΗΡ" (''Iēsous Hēmeteros Sōtēr,'' "Jesus our Saviour") or in Latin "Jesus Hominum (or Hierosolymae) Salvator", ("Jesus, Saviour of men
r: of Jerusalem in Latin)
[Maere, René. "IHS." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910.] or connected with
''In Hoc Signo''. English-language interpretations of "IHS" have included "In His Service".
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
''Piers Plowman'' (written 1370–86; possibly ) or ''Visio Willelmi de Petro Ploughman'' (''William's Vision of Piers Plowman'') is a Middle English allegorical narrative poem by William Langland. It is written in un-rhymed, alliterative v ...
''. 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
The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, ri ...
in public spaces (see
Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus is a feast of the liturgical year celebrated by Christians on varying dates.''New Book of Festivals and Commemorations'' by Philip H. Pfatteicher 2008 pages3-5
History
The feast of the Holy Name of Jesus has ...
).
The IHS monogram with the H surmounted by a cross above
three nails and surrounded by a
Sun is the emblem of the
Jesuits
The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
, according to tradition introduced by
Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola, Society of Jesus, S.J. (born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; eu, Ignazio Loiolakoa; es, Ignacio de Loyola; la, Ignatius de Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spain, Spanish Catholic ...
in 1541.
IHS has been known to appear on gravestones, especially among Irish Catholics.
File:IHS with cross.jpg, IHS or JHS Christogram of western Christianity
File:IHC-monogram-Jesus-medievalesque.svg, Medieval-style IHC monogram
File:Interlaced IHS monogram on ceiling of church of Saint-Martin de L'Isle-Adam.jpg, Intertwined IHS monogram, Saint-Martin's Church, L'Isle-Adam, Val-d'Oise
L'Isle-Adam () is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department in Île-de-France in northern France. The small town beside the river Oise has a long sandy beach and attracts visitors from Paris.
Geography
L'Isle-Adam is a commune and town in north cen ...
File:Clontuskert Priory Doorway IHC Monogram 2009 09 16.jpg, IHC monogram from Clontuskert Abbey
The Priory of Saint Mary, Clontuskert-Hy-Many, also called Clontuskert Abbey, is a medieval Augustinian priory and National Monument located in County Galway, Ireland.
Location
Clontuskert Abbey is located south of Ballinasloe, south of th ...
, Ireland
File:Jesuit emblem 1586.jpg, The Jesuit emblem from a 1586 print
File:Church Door, Church of the Good Shepherd (Rosemont, Pennsylvania).jpg, Door at Church of the Good Shepherd (Rosemont, Pennsylvania) showing (from left) arms of the parish; Marian monogram; the IHS Christogram; and arms of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania
The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America encompassing the counties of Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Chester and Delaware in the state of Pennsylvania.
The Diocese has 36,641 ...
ICXC
In
Eastern Christianity
Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Northeast Africa, the Fertile Crescent and ...
, 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 , with the
lunate sigma "Ϲ" common in medieval Greek), and written with
titlo
Titlo is an extended diacritic symbol initially used in early Cyrillic and Glagolitic manuscripts, e.g., in Old Church Slavonic and Old East Slavic languages. The word is a borrowing from the Greek "", "title" (compare dated English ''tittle'' ...
(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" (Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς νικᾷ), meaning "Jesus Christ Conquers". "ΙϹΧϹ" may also be seen inscribed on the
Ichthys
The ichthys or ichthus (), from the Koine Greek, Greek (, 1st cent. AD Koine Greek pronunciation: , "fish") is (in its modern rendition) a symbol consisting of two intersecting arcs, the ends of the right side extending beyond the meeting point ...
.
File:ICXC NIKA.svg, Depiction of the "ΙϹ ΧϹ ΝΙΚΑ" arrangement in medieval Greek tradition
File:Spahr 63 1140 133312.jpg, "ΙϹ ΧϹ ΝΙΚΑ" cross on the obverse of a 12th-century Sicilian coin ( Roger II)
File:The Greek Pantokrator on the Hungarian Holy Crown.jpg, Christ Pantocrator on the Holy Crown of Hungary (12th century)
File:Christ Pantocrator, Church of the Holy Sepulchre.png, Christ Pantocrator, Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, hy, Սուրբ Հարության տաճար, la, Ecclesia Sancti Sepulchri, am, የቅዱስ መቃብር ቤተክርስቲያን, he, כנסיית הקבר, ar, كنيسة القيامة is a church i ...
(1810)
Lhq
After
Francis Xavier landed in
Kagoshima
, abbreviated to , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu, Kagoshima is the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples of the Eastern wor ...
, Japan, in 1549, his missionary work grew and became widely distributed throughout Japan under
Daimyō's patronage. However, during the
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
(1603–1868), Christians were persecuted and forced to hide. Because they were forbidden to openly worship 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 'Kirishitan dōrō' (キリシタン灯籠, Christian lanterns), did bear the "Lhq"
monogram
A monogram is a motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbols or logos. A series o ...
, which, a quarter turned, was engraved on the shaft (sao), which was buried directly into the soil without basal platform (kiso). The "Lhq" monogram corresponds to the distorted letters "IHS".
[ (2010]
''oribe dourou'' 織部灯籠
Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System
See also
*
Christian symbolism
Christian symbolism is the use of symbols, including archetypes, acts, artwork or events, by Christianity. It invests objects or actions with an inner meaning expressing Christian ideas.
The symbolism of the early Church was characterized by bei ...
*
Holy Name of Jesus
In Catholicism, the veneration of the Holy Name of Jesus (also ''Most Holy Name of Jesus'', it, Santissimo Nome di Gesù) developed as a separate type of devotion in the early modern period, in parallel to that of the '' Sacred Heart''. The ...
*
INRI
In the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as the King of the Jews, both at the beginning of his life and at the end. In the Koine Greek of the New Testament, e.g., in John 19:3, this is written as '' Basileus ton Ioudaion'' ().
Both uses of t ...
*
Little Sachet
Mary of Saint Peter (french: link=no, Marie de Saint-Pierre; 4 October 1816 – 8 July 1848) was a Discalced Carmelite nun who lived in Tours, France. She is best known for starting the devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus which is now one of t ...
*
Names and titles of Jesus
*
Nomina sacra
In Christian scribal practice, nomina sacra (singular: ''nomen sacrum'' from Latin ''sacred name'') is the abbreviation of several frequently occurring divine names or titles, especially in Greek manuscripts of the Bible. A nomen sacrum consists ...
References
Notes
Citations
Sources
*
External links
*
{{Christian crosses
Christian iconography
Christian symbols
Christian terminology
Monograms
Names of Jesus