Saint symbolism

Dutch Book of Prayers from the mid-fifteenth century. Group of five saints. From left to right, Saint Joseph, Saint James the Great, Saint Eligius, Saint Hermes, and Saint Ghislain, with their emblems.

Symbolism of Christian saints has been used from the very beginnings of the religion. Each saint is said to have led an exemplary life and symbols have been used to tell these stories throughout the history of the Church. A number of Christian saints are traditionally represented by a symbol or iconic motif associated with their life, termed an attribute or emblem, in order to identify them. The study of these forms part of iconography in art history. They were particularly used so that the illiterate could recognize a scene, and to give each of the Saints something of a personality in art. They are often carried in the hand by the Saint.

Attributes often vary with either time or geography, especially between Eastern Christianity and the West. Orthodox images more often contained inscriptions with the names of saints, so the Eastern repertoire of attributes is generally smaller than the Western. Many of the most prominent saints, like Saint Peter and Saint John the Evangelist can also be recognised by a distinctive facial type. Some attributes are general, such as the martyr's palm. The use of a symbol in a work of art depicting a Saint reminds people who is being shown and of their story. The following is a list of some of these attributes.

Four Evangelists

Main article: Four Evangelists

The symbols of the four Evangelists are here depicted in the Book of Kells. The winged man, lion, eagle and bull symbolize, clockwise from top left, Matthew, Mark, John, and Luke.

Saint	Symbol
Matthew	winged man or angel
Mark	winged lion
Luke	winged bull
John	eagle

The Apostles

Main article: Apostle (Christian)

Depictions of The Apostles

• 
  The Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles. Russian, 14th century, Moscow Museum.
• 
  The key as symbol of St. Peter
• 
  Stained glass window showing flaying knife, symbol of St. Bartholomew
• 
  Scallop Shells, St. James the Great

Saint	Symbol
Andrew	St. Andrew's cross[a], discalced, with fish or a rope
Bartholomew the Apostle	knife, bears his own skin in hand][a]
James, son of Zebedee	pilgrim's staff, scallop shell, key, sword, pilgrim's hat, astride a white charger, Cross of Saint James[a]
James, son of Alphaeus/James the Just	square rule, halberd, club, saw[a]
John	evangelistary, a serpent in a chalice, cauldron, eagle[a]
Jude	sword, square rule, club, ship[a]
Judas Iscariot	thirty pieces of silver[a]
Matthew	angel, evangelistary[a]
Peter	Keys of Heaven, boat, fish, rooster, pallium, papal vestments; crucified head downwards on an inverted cross, holding a book or scroll. Iconographically, he is mostly depicted with a bushy beard and hair.[a]
Philip	column; holding a basket of loaves and a Tau Cross[a]
Simon	boat; cross and saw; fish (or two fishes); lance; being sawn in two longitudinally; oar[a]
Thomas	placing his finger in the side of Christ, axe, spear, carpentry tools [a]

Mary, mother of Jesus

Main article: Mary, mother of Jesus

Depictions of Mary, mother of Jesus

• 
  Mary Immaculate
• 
  A traditional depiction of Mary by Fra Angelico wearing a blue mantle
• 
  Virgin of Mercy

Mary is often portrayed wearing blue. Her attributes include amongst many others a mantle (often in blue or very large to cover the faithful), crown of 12 stars, serpent, sun and/or moon, heart pierced by sword, Madonna lily, roses, and rosary beads.

Saint	Symbol
Our Lady of Good Counsel	Mary with the Infant Jesus, in their touching halo appear the words SS. Mater Boni consilii, ora pro nobis Jesum filium tuum
Our Lady of Sorrows	Mary in mournful state, tears, bleeding heart pierced by seven swords [b]
Queen of Heaven	Mary with a crown of stars, flowers[a]

Saints listed by name

A

A

• 
  St. Agatha with her breasts on a plate
• 
  Anthony of Padua with the Christ Child, a book, and a lily

Saint	Symbol
Acathius of Melitene	crown of thorns[a]
Adalbert	spears
Agatha of Sicily	tongs or shears, veil, bells, two breasts on a plate[a]
Agnes	lamb[a]
Anastasia	cross, medicine pot, palm branch[a]
Alfege of Canterbury	axe[a]
Alfred the Great	codex, crown, orb/scepter[a]
Ambrose	bees, beehive, dove, ox, pen[a]
Anne, grandmother of Jesus	door, book[a], with the Virgin Mary reading, red robe and green mantle
Anthony the Great	monk's habit, bell, pig, T-shaped cross[a]
Anthony of Padua	Christ Child, bread, book, white lily[a]
Athanasius of Alexandria	bishop arguing with a pagan, bishop holding an open book, bishop standing over a defeated heretic[a]
Augustine of Hippo	dove, child, shell, pen, book[a], heart with a flame

B

B

• 
  Saint Barbara with chalice and cannon
• 
  Saint Bernard of Clairvaux with the instruments of the Passion

Saint	Symbol
Barbara	tower (often with three windows), chalice, ciborium, cannon[a]
Barnabas	pilgrim's staff, olive branch[a]
Benedict	broken cup, raven, bell, crosier, bush[a]
Benno of Meissen	fish with keys in its mouth, book[a]
Bernard of Clairvaux	pen, bees, instruments of the Passion[a]
Bernardino of Siena	tablet or sun inscribed with IHS, three mitres[a]
Blaise	wax, two crossed and lit candles, iron comb[a]
Bonaventure	communion, ciborium, cardinal's hat[a]
Boniface	oak, axe, book, fox, scourge, fountain, raven, sword[a]
Brendan the Navigator	whale; priest celebrating Mass on board a ship while fish gather to listen; one of a group of monks in a small boat [a]
Bridget of Sweden	book, pilgrim's staff, habit of the Bridgettines [a]
Brigid of Kildare	cow, crosier, Brigid's cross[a]

C

C

• 
  The college shield of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, prominently depicting a Catherine wheel.
• 
  Corbinian Icon of Saint Corbinian and the bear
• 
  Saint Clare of Assisi holding a ciborium

Saint	Symbol
Casimir of Poland and Lithuania	royal attire of crown and red robe lined with ermine, white lily, cross, rosary; sometimes two right hands[a]
Catherine of Alexandria	breaking wheel, crown, sword, book[a]
Catherine of Ricci	ring, crown, crucifix[a]
Catherine of Siena	stigmata, cross, ring, lily, habit of the Dominican order[a]
Cecilia	organ or other musical instrument, martyr's palm, roses, sword[a]
Cerbonius	geese[a]
Charles Borromeo	cardinal's robes, the Eucharist[a]
Christopher	giant crudely dressed, torrent, tree, branch or large staff, carrying the Christ Child on shoulder[a]
Clare of Assisi	monstrance or ciborium, habit of the Poor Clares[a], crozier of an abbess
Clare of Montefalco	cross[a]
Clement	anchor, fish,[a] Mariner's Cross[b]
Corbinian	bear with a packsaddle
Saints Cosmas and Damian	a phial, box of ointment[a]
Saints Crispin and Crispinian	shoes, millstones[a]
Cyriacus	deacon's vestments[a]

D

D

• 
  Daniel in the lions' den
• 
  Saint Dominic with dog and torch
• 
  the martyrdom of Saint Denis

Saint	Symbol
Daniel	lions[a]
David of Scotland	king with sword or sceptre[a]
David of Wales	dove[a]
Demetrius	Depicted wearing the armor of a Roman soldier, usually carrying a spear, often seated on a red horse[a]
Denis	head in hands[a]
Dominic	rosary[a], star, dog with a torch
Dominic de la Calzada	hen and rooster, habit of a hermit, prayer beads, shepherd's crook[b]
Dorothea of Caesarea	basket with flowers or fruits
Dunstan	hammer, tongs[a]
Dymphna	crown, sword, lily, lamp, princess with a fettered devil at her feet[a]

E

E

• 
  Emilian of Cogolla in the Battle of Simancas
• 
  Elisabeth of Portugal in the habit of the Third order of Saint Francis, raising a cross and holding a bunch of roses in her scapular. Two crowns, a sceptre, and a coat of arms are beneath her feet.

Saint	Symbol
Earconwald	bishop travelling in a chariot[a]
Edmund the Martyr	quiver of arrows[a]
Edward the Confessor	king crowned with a nimbus and holding a sceptre[a]
Saint Eligius	bishop portrayed with a crosier in his right hand, on the open palm of his left a miniature church of chased gold; with a hammer, anvil, and horseshoe; or with a horse[a]
Elijah	habit and mantle of the Carmelites, cave, scroll, chariot of fire[a]
Elisabeth of Hungary	alms, flowers, bread, the poor, pitcher[a]
Elisabeth of Portugal	crowns, roses, habit of a Third order Franciscan sister, crucifix[a]
Emeric	sword, lily
Emilianus	riding into battle in the robe of a hermit[a]
Erasmus of Formiae	windlass[a]
Eric of Sweden	king being martyred at Mass[a]
Eustace	hunting clothes, shining cross or crucifix between the antlers of a stag, bull, horn, oven[a]

F

F

• 
  Crab with crucifix as an attribute of Saint Francis Xavier
• 
  Cross of Saint Florian

Saint	Symbol
Faith	cross, gridiron, rods, sword[a]
Felix of Burgundy	anchor[a]
Fiacre	spade, basket of vegetables[a]
Florian	Cross of Saint Florian; Armour of a Roman soldier; pitcher of water; pouring water over fire
Florinus of Remüs	bottle, glass of wine[a]
Fourteen Holy Helpers	Saints Acacius, Barbara, Blaise, Christopher, Cyriacus, Catherine of Alexandria, Denis, Erasmus of Formiae, Eustace, George, Giles, Margaret of Antioch, Pantaleon, and Vitus, shown as a group.[b]
Francis of Assisi	habit of the Franciscans, wolf, birds, fish, skull, stigmata[a]
Francis Xavier	crucifix, bell, vessel, crab with a crucifix[a]

G

G

• 
  Saint George and the Dragon
• 
  White lily as an attribute of Saint Gabriel the Archangel
• 
  Saint Genis with theatrical mask

Saint	Symbol
Gabriel	Archangel; Clothed in blue or white garments; Carrying a lily, a trumpet, a shining lantern, a branch from Paradise, a scroll, and a scepter., scroll stating "Ave Maria Gratia Plena"[a]
Gall	abbot's garment and crozier, blessing a bear that brings him a log of wood; may be shown holding a hermit's tau staff with the bear or carrying a loaf and a pilgrim's staff.<
Genesius	theatre mask[a]
Genevieve	lit candle, bread, keys, herd, cattle[a]
George	dragon, soldier or knight in armour, often on white horse, especially in the East, Cross of Saint George[a]
Gerard of Csanád	Bishop being killed by a spear[a]
Gertrude of Nivelles	crown, tapir, lily, mouses and cats [a]
Gervasius and Protasius	the scourge, the club and the sword[b]
Giles	Benedictine habit, hind[a]
Godelieve	crown, well, being strangled[b]
Gotthard of Hildesheim	dragon; model of a church
Gregory the Great	papal tiara, crosier, dove (often portrayed at his ear)[a]

H

H

• 
  Honoratus of Amiens with a peel
• 
  Saint Hugh of Lincoln with his attributes

Saint	Symbol
Helena	wearing a royal crown while supporting a cross[a]
Hermann Joseph	kneeling before a statue of the Virgin and Child and offering an apple[a]
Hermenegild	axe, crown, sword, and cross [b]
Hilary of Poitiers	episcopal vestments, crozier, beard, usually white and often long[b]
Hildegard of Bingen	habit of a Benedictine nun, crozier, with flames above her head, writing in her Liber Scivias, sitting in a hermitage [b]
Hippolytus of Rome	papal tiara[a]
Hippolytus the soldier	military garb, horse's harness[a]
Honoratus of Amiens	baker's peel or shovel; bishop with a large Host; bishop with three Hosts on a baker's shovel; loaves[a]
Hugh of Lincoln	episcopal vestments, crozier, swan[a]
Humility	habit of the Vallombrosians[a]
Hyacinth of Poland	statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary; monstrance or ciborium[b]

I

I

• 
  Symbol for Isidore of Seville: beehive, crozier and quill
• 
  Ignatius of Antioch surrounded by lions

Saint	Symbol
Ignatius of Antioch	bishops vestments, surrounded by lions or in chains[a]
Ignatius of Loyola	Eucharist, chasuble, book often inscribed with Ad majorem Dei gloriam, or the letters AMDG, the christogram IHS with a cross across the h (traditionally with three nails below the letters, and the letters and nails surrounded by the sun's rays), sword, cross, biretta [a]
Imerius of Immertal	hermit's garb and bird of prey[a]
Indaletius	miter, staff and a book in his hands
Irene of Rome	tending to Saint Sebastian
Irene of Tomar	martyr's palm[a]
Irmengard of Chiemsee	crozier of an abbess, flaming heart, Benedictine habit, crown
Isaiah	An old man with gray hair and beard holding a scroll with words from Isaiah 7:14, (in Latin) ecce virgo concipiet et pariet filium et vocabitur nomen eius Emmanuel (behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and his name shall be Emmanuel)[b]
Isidore the Laborer	peasant holding a sickle and a sheaf of corn, a sickle and staff, as an angel plows for him; or with an angel and white oxen near him. In Spanish art, his attributes are a spade or a plough.
Isidore of Seville	bees, pen, book[a]
Ivo of Kermartin	depicted as a lawyer, holding a document, in legal dress.[a]

J

J

• 
  An axe, the symbol of the martyrdom of Saint Jude the Apostle
• 
  Juan Diego, wearing a tilmàtli

Saint	Symbol
James the Less	carpenter saw, fuller's club
Jerome	hermitage, lion, hermit wearing a cardinal's galero, vestments of a cardinal, cross, skull, books and writing material, stone in hand[a]
Joan of Arc	shield, armament, Cross of Lorraine[a]
Saint Joanna	lamb[a]
John Berchmans	Rule of Saint Ignatius, cross, rosary[a]
John Chrysostom	bees, dove, pen[a]
John of God	alms, heart, crown of thorns[a]
John the Baptist	lamb, head on a platter, animal skin (the camel-skin coat of the Gospels), pointing at Christ or a lamb, often portrayed carrying a long crudely made cross[a]
Joseph of Anchieta	Gospel book, crucifix and Walking stick[a]
Joseph, spouse of Mary	Christ Child, white lily, rod, plane, carpentry square, often brown robe and/or mantle[a]
Juan Diego	tilmàtli[a]
Justin Martyr	axe, sword[a]
Justina of Padua	martyr's palm, knife, unicorn[a]
Juthwara	round soft cheese, sword[a]

K

K

• 
  Saint Colomannus with his attributes

Saint	Symbol
Kateri Tekakwitha	turtle, white lily, cross, rosary [a][b]
Katharine Drexel	habit of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament[a]
Kentigern	bishop with a robin on his shoulder; holding a bell and a fish with a ring in its mouth
Kevin of Glendalough	blackbird[a]
Kilian	wearing a bishop's mitre and wielding a sword[a]
Kinga of Poland	depicted as an abbess; crown[a]
Kjeld of Viborg	Priest with book[a]
Knut of Denmark	Royal insignia, dagger, lance or arrow.[a]
Koloman	pilgrim's hat and dress, rope in his hand; hanging on a gibbet; tongs and rod; book and maniple[b]

L

L

• 
  Saint Lucy with her eyes on a plate

Saint	Symbol
Lambert of Maastricht	martyr's palm[a], sword[b]
Lawrence of Rome	cross, evangelistary, gridiron, martyr's palm, purse of money, dalmatic, accompanied by a group of poor people.[b]
Lorenzo Ruiz	Rosary in clasped hands, gallows and pit, barong tagalog and black trousers, cross, martyr's palm[a]
Leander of Seville	pen[a]
Leonard of Noblac	lock, chain, manacles or fetters[b]
Liborius of Le Mans	pebbles, peacock[b]
Longinus	Roman soldier's attire, lance[b]
Louis IX of France	royal attire of crown and blue robe decorated with golden fleur-de-lis, crown of thorns, nails[b]
Louis Bertrand	a chalice containing a snake [b]
Louis of Toulouse	silk gloves and a richly embroidered cape with a jeweled clasp at the neck[b]
Lucy	robe of a virgin, with her eyes on a plate, lamp, sword[a]

M

M

• 
  Saint Mary Magdalene with her attributes

Saint	Symbol
Margaret of Scotland	reading the bible[a]
Margaret the Virgin	dragon, sometimes in chains, cross, hammer[a]
Maria Goretti	fourteen white lilies; humble clothing; (occasionally) a knife[a]
Martha	aspergillum, dragon[a]
Martin of Tours	geese; armament of a Roman soldier, sharing his cloak with a beggar[a]
Martin de Porres	broom, a cat, dog and a mouse eating from the same plate
Mary Magdalene	jar of ointment, long hair, washing Christ's feet, skull, crucifix, red egg[a]
Matilda	purse, alms[a]
Maurice	soldier in armour, banner with red cross[a]
Maurus	scales, spade, crutch[a]
Menas of Crete	two camels[a]
Michael	scales, banner, sword, dragon[a]
Monica	girdle, tears[a]

N

N

• 
  Three golden balls as attributes of Saint Nicholas
• 
  Bell of Saint Ninian

Saint	Symbol
Neot	fish[a]
Nicholas	three golden balls or purses or small treasure cheasts, often on a book, bishop's vestments, crozier, anchor, boat, children, wheat sheaves[a]
Nicholas of Tolentino	Augustinian holding a bird on a plate in the right hand and a crucifix on the other hand; holding a basket of bread, giving bread to a sick person; holding a lily or a crucifix garlanded with lilies; with a star above him or on his breast[b]
Nicolás Factor	Franciscan habit, skull, fire [b]
Pope Nicholas I	rooster
Ninian	clogrinny, or the Bell of St. Ninian[a]
Norbert of Xanten	monstrance, cross with two beams[a]

O

O

• 
  Saint Olaf with axe in a viking boat
• 
  Saint Odile with larkspur

Saint	Symbol
Obadiah	as a prophet with the index finger of his right hand pointing upward[b]
Oda of Scotland	depicted wearing a long blue gown with one shoulder bare; usually carries a staff or a book; always shown with a magpie on her hand and a crown under her feet[a]
Odile of Alsace	Abbess praying before an altar; woman with a book on which lie two eyes; larkspur[b]
Olaf of Norway	crown, axe, standing in a Viking boat[a]
Onuphrius	old hermit dressed only in long hair and a loincloth of leaves; with an angel bringing him the Eucharist or bread; hermit with a crown at his feet
Opportuna of Montreuil	depicted carrying an abbess's crozier and a casket of relics. She may also be shown with the Virgin appearing at her deathbed or as a princess with a basket of cherries and a fleur-de-lys
Osgyth	represented in art with a stag behind her and a long key hanging from her girdle, or otherwise carrying a key and a sword crossed, a device which commemorates St. Peter, St. Paul and St. Andrew

P

P

• 
  Saint Peter Martyr with an axe stuck in his head

Saint	Symbol
Pancras	sword, martyr's palm[a]
Pantaleon	nailed hands[a]
Patrick	cross, harp, serpent, baptismal font, demons, shamrock[a]
Paul the Apostle	sword, book or scroll, horse; long, pointed beard, and balding backwards from forehead.[a]
Peter of Saint Joseph de Betancur	bell, Franciscan habit and spear canary pastor.[a]
Pedro Calungsod	martyr's palm, spear, bolo, doctrina christiana book, rosary, christogram, crucifix[a]
Pancras	sword, palm branch[a]
Petronilla	broom and/or a set of keys, dolphin[a]
Philip Neri	white lily[a]
Philomena	anchor, martyr's palm, crown of roses, arrows[a]

Q

Q

• 
  Saint Quentin with two spits
• 
  The arms of Roetgen showing the symbol of Quirinus, the patron saint of Rott, who killed a dragon with a crossed-spear

Saint	Symbol
Quentin	depicted as a young man with two spits; vestments of a deacon; with a broken wheel; with a chair to which he is transfixed; with a sword or beheaded, a dove flying from his severed head[a]
Quiricus	depicted as a naked child riding on a wild boar[a]
Quirinus of Malmedy	Vestments of a priest celebrating Mass, dragon
Quirinus of Neuss	military attire; knight with lance, sword, hawk; banner or sign with nine balls[a]
Quirinus of Sescia	millstone hanging from his neck[b]
Quiteria	depicted with a dog on a lead; depicted with her head in her hands, emerging from the sea.[a]

R

R

• 
  Saint Roch showing his plague mark
• 
  Saint Rita of Cascia with her forehead wound

Saint	Symbol
Raphael (archangel)	fish, walking stick, leading Tobias by the hand[b]
Raymond Nonnatus	A Mercedarian friar wearing a cardinal's red mozzetta, holding a monstrance and a martyr's palm branch [b]
Raymond of Penyafort	skimming across the sea with his cape as both boat and sail[b]
Remigius	dove, book, lamp[b]
Reparata	martyr's crown and palm; a dove; a banner with a red cross on a white field; sometimes depicted with St. Ansanus
Richard	bishop with overturned chalice[a]
Rita of Cascia	roses, roses and figs, crucifix, thorn, robe of a widow or Augustinian habit sometimes with a wound or the marks of a thorn crown on her forehead[a]
Roch	angel, dog with bread, showing his plague mark, pilgrim's dress[a]
Rosalia of Palermo	being crowned by the Divine infant with roses, cross, book, or skull, lilies, chisel, hammer[b]
Rose of Lima	crown of thorns, anchor, city, roses, crown of roses, sometimes wearing habit of the Dominican order [a]
Rufina and Justa	a model of the Giralda; earthenware pots, bowls and platters; books on which are two lumps of potter's clay; palm of martyrdom; lion[b]

S

S

• 
  St. Stephen the Martyr depicted in a dalmatic, with three stones and the martyr's palm
• 
  Saints Scholastica, Benedict and John the Evangelist

Saint	Symbol
Sativola	scythe, well[a]
Sava of Serbia	book[a]
Saint Scholastica	habit of a Benedictine nun, dove, Rule of St. Benedict, crozier of an abbess [b]
Seraphim of Sarov	Wearing peasant clothing, often kneeling with his hands upraised in prayer crucifix worn about his neck, hands crossed over chest[a]
Sebastian	arrows, crown[a]
Spyridon of Corfu	bishop with Gospel; long, pointed beard, and wearing a shepherd's hat[a]
Stanislaus of Szczepanów	bishop's vestments and insignia, sword[a]
Stanisław Kazimierczyk	Canon's attire[a]
Stephen the Martyr	vestments of a deacon, stone(s), martyr's palm [a]
Stephen of Hungary	ttire of a King, and holding an orb or a sceptre with double cross
Swithun	bishop with bridge, broken eggs[a]

T

T

• 
  Christ with Saint Teresa of Avila, holding a thorn in order to pierce her heart
• 
  Saint Therese of Lisieux with her attributes

Saint	Symbol
Teresa of Ávila	habit of a Carmelite nun, holding a (fiery) pen, pierced heart, arrow[a]
Teresa of the Andes	habit of a Carmelite nun, crucifix, crown of flowers[a]
Teresa Benedicta of the cross	habit of a Carmelite nun (sometimes with a yellow badge), cross, martyr's palm, book, Hebrew scroll, holding a tallit, burning bush
Theodore	crocodile[a]
Thérèse de Lisieux	many roses, sometimes entwining a crucifix[a]
Thomas Aquinas	monstrance, golden sun on his breast, dove, ox[a]
Thomas Becket	sword, and wearing chancellor's robe and neck chain[a]
Thomas More	axe[a]
Timothy	three stones and a clubclub and stones; broken image of Diana
Trudpert	axe[a]
Tudwal	dragon[a]

U

U

• 
  Saint Urban with grapes
• 
  Saint Ursus with birds on his shoulder

Saint	Symbol
Ulrich of Augsburg	vestments of a bishop, holding a fish; at dinner with Saint Wolfgang; rewarding a messenger with a goose leg; giving a garment to a beggar; with Saint Afra; riding through a river on horseback as his companion sinks; with a cross given him by an angel[b]
Urban	portrayed in art after his beheading, with the papal tiara near him[a]
Urban of Langres	vestments of a bishop, with a bunch of grapes or a vine at his side; a book with a wine vessel on it[a]
Ursicinus	book and fleur-de-lis[a]
Ursula	arrow; banner; cloak; shot with arrows; depicted accompanied by a varied number of virgins who are being martyred in various ways; standing on a ship with her companions[a]
Ursus of Aosta	vestments and crozier of a bishop (sometimes embellished with bear fur; birds on his shoulder; striking water from a rock[a]

V

V

• 
  The Veil of Veronica

Saint	Symbol
Valentine	birds; roses; vestments of a priest or a bishop; with a crippled person or a child with epilepsy at his feet; rooster; being beheaded; bearing a sword; holding a sun; giving sight to a blind girl
Vedast	wolf carrying a goose in its mouth; child; bear[a]
Venera	crown; book; martyr's palm interlaced with a triple crown (signifying the fact that she was a virgin, an apostle of the faith, and a martyr; cross{[b]
Verdiana	snakes[a]
Veronica	Veil of Veronica[a]
Victor of Marseilles	windmill[a]
Vigilius of Trent	shoes or clogs[a]
Vincent de Paul	children[a]
Vincent Ferrer	pulpit, cardinal's hat, trumpet, captives[a]
Vitus	book, cross, rooster, lion, bread, cauldron, eagle, hare; holding a church model[a]

W

W

• 
  Saint Wolfgang holding a church model with an adze lodged in the roof (Coat of arms of the Czech municipality Hnanice).

Saint	Symbol
Wenceslaus of Bohemia	crown, dagger[a]
William of Montevergine	wolf and pastoral crook[a]
William of York	bishop's vestments, crozier, crossing the River Tweed[a]
Winnoc	hand-mill, bridge, grinding corn[a]
Wolfgang of Regensburg	a church model with an adze lodged in the roof, a wolf[a]

X

X

• 
  Pope Xystus (Sixtus) with book and papal tiara

Saint	Symbol
Xenia of Saint Petersburg	walking stick[a]
Xystus	book, papal insignia (mostly tiara and papal ferula), martyr's palm, book[a]

Y

Saint	Symbol
Yrieix	bishop's vestments, crozier[a]

Z

Z

• 
  Saint Zenobius resurrects a dead boy

Saint	Symbol
Zachary	Making peace with King Luitprand. Sometimes he may have an olive branch and a dove over him [a]
Zenobius of Florence	vestments of a bishop; flowering tree; bringing a dead man or a boy back to life[a]
Zita	bag, keys[a]

Further reading

• Delaney, John P. (1980). Dictionary of Saints (Second ed.). Garden City, NY: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-13594-7.
• Lanzi, Fernando; Lanzi, Gioia (September 1, 2004). Saints and their Symbols: Recognizing Saints in Art and in Popular Images. Translated by O'Connell, Matthew J. ISBN 9780814629703.
• Post, W. Ellwood (1975). Saints, Signs and Symbols (2 ed.). SPCK Publishing. ISBN 9780281028948.
• Schiller, Gertrud (1971). Iconography of Christian Art. Vol. 1. ISBN 978-0821203651.
• Walsh, Michael (2007). A New Dictionary of Saints: East and West. Liturgical Press. ISBN 978-0-8146-3186-7.
• Whittemore, Carroll E. (1980). Symbols of the Church. Abingdon Press. ISBN 0687183014.

See also

• Christian symbolism
• Arma Christi
• Animals in Christian art
• Plants in Christian iconography

External links

• "Christian Iconography". Augusta State University. Archived from the original on March 18, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
• "Hagiographies, hymnography, and icons for many Orthodox saints". Orthodox Church in America.
• "Saints' Badges or Shields".