Unfortunately, we have little or no trustworthy information concerning the probably most popular saint in Christendom. Nicolas (often spelt ‘Nicholas’) was one of the most universally venerated saints in both East and West. That he was Bishop of Myra in the fourth century, is really all that we know for certain of him. But legend has supplied the deficiency with an abundant supply of fictitious history.
His birth at Patara, a town of Lycia, in Asia Minor was attended by various miraculous happenings. His parents died when he was young leaving him a considerable fortune. This enabled Nicolas to provide bags of gold which, according to the story, he threw through the window of three young ladies enabling them to marry. This story has been converted into three gold balls which serve as the emblem of pawn brokers, who have chosen St Nicolas as their patron.
Nicolas was ordained priest and set off on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. During the voyage, the ship was nearly wrecked, but the prayers of Nicolas stilled the storm. Thereafter he was adopted as the patron saint of sailors and many churches dedicated to him have been built near the coast as landmarks for ships in distress.
About 325 Nicolas was elected Bishop of Myra in Asia Minor (Demre in modern Turkey). Almost immediately he is said to have healed a child which had fallen into the fire and was severely burnt. Tradition insists that he was one of the fathers present in the great Council of Nicea 325. The purpose of this council was to establish the Orthodox teaching of the Church because heresy was being spread by a presbyter called Arius. One account says that when Arius put forward his teaching all 315 fathers raised their hands in horror and Nicolas in fury dealt a blow with all his force at Arius’s jaw.
Other stories relate how he gained pardons for condemned men in prison. One story tells how during a terrible famine an innkeeper, running short of bacon, had cut up three little boys, and pickled them in his salting-tub. Saint Nicolas went to the tavern, asked for the pickle-tub, and at his word and the sign of the cross the remains of the butchered children were restored to life. Perhaps it was because of this legend that Saint Nicolas became the patron saint of children with its attendant custom in the Low Countries of giving them presents on his feast day.
This tradition was transported to America where Dutch Protestants of New Amsterdam combined to it Nordic folk-lore legends of a magician who both punished naughty children and rewarded good ones with presents. The name ‘Santa Clause’ is an American corruption of ‘Saint Nicolas’. This, of course, developed into the well-known tradition of Father Christmas mysteriously bringing presents at Christmas.
In England about 400 churches were dedicated to Nicolas. Two important items of medieval art depicting Saint Nicolas have survived. The font at Winchester cathedral and an ivory crosier at the Victoria and Albert Museum are both masterpieces of fine carving dating to the 12th century.
In 1948, Benjamin Britten completed a cantata, Saint Nicolas on a text by Eric Crozier which covers the saint’s legendary life in a dramatic sequence of events. It was commissioned for Saint Nicolas College, Lancing. A tenor soloist sings the part of Saint Nicolas, with a mixed choir, boys singers, strings, piano duet, organ and percussion.
Christopher Jobson
Featured Image: St. Nicholas Providing Dowries, Bicci di Lorenzo, 1433-35, PD, WikiCommons Images
Image: Stained Glass window, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nicholas Church (Osgood, Ohio) PD, WikiCommons
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