A Christogram ( la, Monogramma Christi) is a monogram 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 relig ...

, 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 chap ...

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 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' ...

'' 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 convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterran ...

in AD 312. The IX monogram ( Christliche Symbolik (Menzel) I 193 4

) 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

), 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 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 Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functioned ...

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 s ...

, i.e. the instrument of Christ's crucifixion (''

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 f ...

'', '' 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), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

, 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'', 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 tre ...

'', "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'' or ''Xtian'' (for "Christian").

Chi Rho (ΧΡ)

The Alpha and Omega 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-signatures" 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 Cuthbe ...

(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 ...

, 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

In the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, 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 ...

-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 I and J, the Cyrillic І (І, і), Yi (Ї, ї), and ...

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 a ...

'', 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, alliterati ...

''. 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, r ...

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 , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders = ...

, according to tradition introduced by

Ignatius of Loyola Ignatius of Loyola, 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 Spanish Catholic priest and theologian ...

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 File:Clontuskert Priory Doorway IHC Monogram 2009 09 16.jpg, IHC monogram from Clontuskert Abbey, 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

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 an ...

, 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 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 so as to ...

. 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 character ...

(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, 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

References

Notes

Citations

Sources

External links

* {{Christian crosses Christian iconography Christian symbols Christian terminology Monograms Names of Jesus