Christopher is
Greek for '
Christ bearer' and, according to
legend, the
saint was a
Canaanite of prodigious size and strength. He desired to serve the mightiest sovereign, and began by worshipping the Canaanite
king. The king was afraid of
Satan, who therefore became Christopher's next figure of
idolatry. However, then he realized that Satan was afraid of Christ so he chose to adopt the
Christian faith. A
hermit told him to go to help those who wished to cross a dangerous river, which he did, using a long
pole to steady himself as he carried people across. One day a
child begged to be taken over the river, so Christopher lifted him on to his shoulders and strode into the
water. Little by little the water became more
turbulent and the child revealed himself as
Christ, who was carrying in his hand the
weight of the whole
world. He told Christopher to plant his staff, and the next morning it bore
leaves and
fruit.
Christopher recruited many converts and was cruelly tortured cause his faith was steadfast. At one time 400 bowmen shot arrows at him but not a single one touched him; suddenly, one turned back and stuck his persecutor, the king of Lycia, in the eye, blinding him. Christopher was beheaded the following day, but he had foretold that his blood would restore the tyrant's sight, and when this came true the king was converted to Christianity.
Although he has recently been removed from the Roman calendar as there is no proof of his existence, St Christopher has long been venerated as the patron saint of travellers.