Christogram: Difference between revisions

A Christogram (from Greek Khristos, Christ + -gramma, letter or piece of writing)^[1] is a monogram or combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ, traditionally used as a Christian symbol. Different types of Christograms are associated with the various traditions of Christianity, e.g. the IHS (also JHS, IHC, or ΙΗΣ) monogram representing the Holy Name of Jesus or ΙϹΧϹ representing "Jesus Christ". A Middle Latin term for abbreviations of the name of Christ is chrisimus.^[2] Similarly, Middle Latin crismon, chrismon refers to the Chi Rho monogram specifically.^[3] One of the oldest Christograms is the Chi-Rho. It consists of the superimposed Greek letters chi (Χ) and rho (Ρ), which are the first two letters of Christ in Greek. It was displayed on the labarum military standard used by Constantine I in AD 312. The IX monogram is a similar form, using the first Greek letters in "Jesus Christ".

The most commonly encountered Christogram in English-speaking countries in modern times is the X (or more accurately, the Greek letter chi), representing the first letter of the word Christ, in such abbreviations as Xmas (for "Christmas") and Xian or Xtian (for "Christian").

The Alpha and Omega symbols may at times accompany the Chi-Rho monogram.^[5] Chrismon (chrismum; also chrismos, chrismus) since the 17th century 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.^[6] 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.^[7]

In the Latin-speaking Christianity of medieval Western Europe (and so among Catholics and many Protestants today), the most common Christogram became "IHS" or "IHC", denoting the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus, IHΣΟΥΣ, iota-eta-sigma, or ΙΗΣ.^[8][9][10]

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 "Jesus Hominum (or Hierosolymae) Salvator", ("Jesus, Saviour of men [or: of Jerusalem]" in Latin)^[11] or connected with In Hoc Signo. Such interpretations are known as backronyms. Used in Latin since the seventh century, the first use of IHS in an English document dates from the fourteenth century, in The vision of William concerning Piers Plowman.^[12] 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 in public spaces (see Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus). The IHS monogram with the H surmounted by a cross above three nails and surrounded by a Sun is the emblem of the Jesuits, according to tradition introduced by Ignatius of Loyola in 1541.^[11] English-language interpretations of "IHS" have included "I Have Suffered"^{[citation needed]} or "In His Service",^{[citation needed]} or jocularly and facetiously "Jesus H. Christ" (19th century).

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  IHS or JHS Christogram of western Christianity.
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  Medieval-style IHC monogram.
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  Intertwined IHS monogram, Saint-Martin's Church, L'Isle-Adam, Val-d'Oise
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  The Jesuit emblem from a 1586 print.
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  The Jesuit emblem on the coat of arms of Pope Francis.

In Eastern Christianity, the most widely used Christogram is a four-letter abbreviation, ΙϹΧϹ — a traditional abbreviation of the Greek words for "Jesus Christ" (i.e., the first and last letters of each of the words ΙΗΣΟΥΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ — written "ΙΗϹΟΥϹ ΧΡΙϹΤΟϹ" with the lunate sigma "Ϲ" common in medieval Greek).^[13]

On icons, this Christogram may be split: "ΙϹ" on the left of the image and "ΧϹ" on the right, most often with a bar above the letters (see titlos), indicating that it is a sacred name. It is sometimes rendered as "ΙϹΧϹ ΝΙΚΑ", meaning "Jesus Christ Conquers."

"ΙϹΧϹ" may also be seen inscribed on the Ichthys. In the traditional icon of Christ Pantokrator, Christ's right hand is shown in a pose where his fingers bend and cross to form the letters ΙϹ, Χ, and Ϲ.

• Christian symbolism
• Holy Name of Jesus
• Ichthys
• INRI
• Little Sachet
• Names and titles of Jesus
• Nomina sacra

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Monograms of the name of Jesus Christ.

• St. Bernardine of Siena