Saint Nicholas

This article is about the 4th-century saint. For thepopular figure in Western folk-legend, see Sinterklaas.For other uses, see Saint Nicholas (disambiguation).“San Nicola” redirects here. For other uses, see SanNicola (disambiguation).

Saint Nicholas (Greek: Ἅγιος Νικόλαος, HagiosNikólaos, Latin: Sanctus Nicolaus); (15 March 270 –6 December 343),[3][4] also called Nikolaos of Myra,was a historic 4th-century Christian saint and Greek[5]Bishop of Myra (Demre, part of modern-day Turkey)[6]in Lycia. Because of the many miracles attributed tohis intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Won-derworker (Νικόλαος ὁ Θαυματουργός, Nikolaos hoThaumaturgos). He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those wholeft them out for him, and thus became the model forSanta Claus, whose modern name comes from the DutchSinterklaas, itself from a series of elisions and corrup-tions of the transliteration of “Saint Nikolaos”. His rep-utation evolved among the faithful, as was common forearly Christian saints.[7] In 1087, part of the relics (abouthalf of the bones) were furtively translated to Bari, inApulia, Italy; for this reason, he is also known as Niko-laos of Bari. The remaining bones were taken to Venicein 1100. His feast day is 6 December.The historical Saint Nicholas is commemorated andrevered among Anglican,[8] Catholic, Lutheran, andOrthodox Christians. In addition, some Baptist,[9]Methodist,[10] Presbyterian,[11] and Reformed churcheshave been named in honor of Saint Nicholas.[12] SaintNicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers,repentant thieves, children, pawnbrokers and students invarious cities and countries around Europe. He was alsoa patron of the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine emper-ors, who protected his relics in Bari.

1 Life

Nicholas was born a Greek[13][14][15] in Asia Minor dur-ing the third century in the city of Patara (Lycia et Pam-phylia),[16][17] which was a port on the MediterraneanSea,[17] and lived in Myra, Lycia[18] (part of modern-day Demre, Turkey), at a time when the region wasGreek in its heritage,[17] culture, and outlook and polit-ically part of the Roman diocese of Asia.[17] He was theonly son of wealthy Christian parents named Epiphanius(Ἐπιφάνιος) and Johanna (Ἰωάννα) according to some

accounts[19] and Theophanes (Θεοφάνης) and Nonna(Νόννα) according to others.[17] He was very religiousfrom an early age[15] and according to legend, Nicholaswas said to have rigorously observed the canonical fastsof Wednesdays and Fridays. His wealthy parents died inan epidemic while Nicholas was still young and he wasraised by his uncle—also named Nicholas—who was thebishop of Patara. He tonsured the young Nicholas as areader and later ordained him a presbyter (priest).In 325, he was one of many bishops to answer the requestof Constantine and appear at the First Council of Nicaea.There, Nicolas was a staunch anti-Arian and defender ofthe Orthodox Christian position,[20] and one of the bish-ops who signed the Nicene Creed.[21]

2 Translation of the relics

Basilica di San Nicola in Bari, Italy where most of the relics ofSt. Nicholas are kept today.

On 26 August 1071 Romanus IV, Emperor of theByzantine Empire (reigned 1068–1071), faced SultanAlp Arslan of the Seljuk Turks (reigned 1059–1072) inthe Battle of Manzikert. The battle ended in humiliat-ing defeat and capture for Romanus. As a result the Em-pire temporarily lost control over most of Asia Minor tothe invading Seljuk Turks. The Byzantines would regainits control over Asia Minor during the reign of Alexius IComnenus (reigned 1081–1118). But early in his reignMyra was overtaken by the Turks. Nicholas’ tomb inMyra had become a popular place of pilgrimage. Be-cause of the many wars and attacks in the region, someChristians were concerned that access to the tomb mightbecome difficult. For both the religious and commercial

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2 3 LEGENDS AND FOLKLORE

The church of San Nicolò al Lido (Venice), hosts half of Nicolas’relics

advantages of a major pilgrimage site, the Italian cities ofVenice and Bari vied to get the Nicholas relics.[3] Takingadvantage of the confusion, in the spring of 1087, sailorsfrom Bari in Apulia seized part of the remains of the saintfrom his burial church in Myra, over the objections of theGreek Orthodox monks. Returning to Bari, they broughtthe remains with them and cared for them. The remainsarrived on 9 May 1087. There are numerous variationsof this account. In some versions those taking the relicsare characterized as thieves or pirates, in others they aresaid to have taken them in response to a vision whereinSaint Nicholas himself appeared and commanded that hisrelics be moved in order to preserve them from the im-pending Muslim conquest. Currently at Bari, there aretwo churches at his shrine, one Roman Catholic and oneOrthodox.Sailors fromBari collected just half of Nicholas’ skeleton,leaving all the minor fragments in the grave. These werecollected by Venetian sailors during the first crusade andbrought to Venice, where a church to St. Nicholas, thepatron of sailors, was built on the Lido. This traditionwas confirmed in two scientific investigations of the relicsin Bari and Venice, which revealed that the relics in thetwo cities belong to the same skeleton.[22][23] In our time,many churches in Europe, Russia and the United Statesclaim to possess small relics, such as a tooth or a finger.[24]

It is said that in Myra the relics of Saint Nicholas eachyear exuded a clear watery liquid which smells like rosewater, called manna (or myrrh), which is believed by the

faithful to possess miraculous powers.[25] After the relicswere brought to Bari, they continued to do so, much tothe joy of the new owners. Vials of myrrh from his relicshave been taken all over the world for centuries, and canstill be obtained from his church in Bari. Even up to thepresent day, a flask of manna is extracted from the tombof Saint Nicholas every year on 6 December (the Saint’sfeast day) by the clergy of the basilica. The myrrh is col-lected from a sarcophagus which is located in the basil-ica vault and could be obtained in the shop nearby. Theliquid gradually seeps out of the tomb, but it is unclearwhether it originates from the body within the tomb, orfrom the marble itself; since the town of Bari is a harbor,and the tomb is below sea level, there are several naturalexplanations for the manna fluid, including the transfer ofseawater to the tomb by capillary action.[26]

In 1993, a grave was found on the small Turkish islandof Gemile, east of Rhodes, which historians believe isthe original tomb of Saint Nicholas.[27] On 28 December2009, the Turkish Government announced that it wouldbe formally requesting the return of St. Nicholas’s skele-tal remains to Turkey from the Italian government.[28][29]Turkish authorities have asserted that St. Nicholas him-self desired to be buried at his episcopal town, and thathis remains were illegally removed from his homeland.An Irish tradition states that the relics of Saint Nicholasare also reputed to have been stolen from Myra by lo-cal Norman crusading knights in the twelfth century andburied near Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, where a stoneslab marks the site locally believed to be his grave.[30]This is not widely accepted beyond local tradition.

3 Legends and folklore

One legend[31] tells how during a terrible famine, a ma-licious butcher lured three little children into his house,where he killed them, placing their remains in a barrel tocure, planning to sell them off as ham. Saint Nicholas,visiting the region to care for the hungry, not only sawthrough the butcher’s horrific crime but also resurrectedthe three boys from the barrel by his prayers. Anotherversion of this story, possibly formed around the eleventhcentury, claims that the butcher’s victims were insteadthree clerks who wished to stay the night. The man mur-dered them, and was advised by his wife to dispose ofthem by turning them into meat pies. The Saint sawthrough this and brought the men back to life.In his most famous exploit,[32] a poor man had threedaughters but could not afford a proper dowry for them.This meant that they would remain unmarried and proba-bly, in absence of any other possible employment, wouldhave to become prostitutes. Hearing of the girls’ plight,Nicholas decided to help them, but being too modest tohelp the family in public (or to save them the humilia-tion of accepting charity), he went to the house under the

3

Supposed effigy of St. Nicholas near Thomastown, Ireland.

The dowry for the three virgins (Gentile da Fabriano, c. 1425,Pinacoteca Vaticana, Rome).

cover of night and threw three purses (one for each daugh-ter) filled with gold coins through the window openinginto the house.One version has him throwing one purse for three consec-utive nights. Another has him throwing the purses over aperiod of three years, each time the night before one of

the daughters comes of age. Invariably, the third time thefather lies in wait, trying to discover the identity of theirbenefactor. In one version the father confronts the saint,only to have Saint Nicholas say it is not him he shouldthank, but God alone. In another version, Nicholas learnsof the poor man’s plan and drops the third bag down thechimney instead; a variant holds that the daughter hadwashed her stockings that evening and hung them overthe embers to dry, and that the bag of gold fell into thestocking.

A key ring with the image of Nikolaos of Myra as patron of thesailors

According to another legend, during a great famine thatMyra experienced in 311–312, a ship was in the port atanchor, which was loaded with wheat for the Emperor inConstantinople. Nicholas invited the sailors to unload apart of the wheat to help in time of need. The sailorsat first disliked the request, because the wheat had to beweighed accurately and delivered to the Emperor. Onlywhen Nicholas promised them that they would not sufferany loss for their consideration, the sailors agreed. Whenthey arrived later in the capital, they made a surprisingfind: the weight of the load had not changed, althoughthe wheat removed in Myra was enough for two full yearsand could even be used for sowing.[33]

The legends with the most likely historical basis arethe stories of Nicholas helping three girls and stories ofNicholas helping sailors. Others, especially the legend ofthe three murdered children, are much later additions toNicholas lore, historian Dr. Adam English concludes[34]in a new biography of Nicholas for Baylor UniversityPress based on a four-year study of current historical re-search into Nicholas of Myra.

4 5 FORMAL VENERATION

4 Face of the historical saint

Saint Nicholas, Russian icon from first quarter of the eighteenthcentury (Kizhi monastery, Karelia).

Whereas the devotional importance of relics and the eco-nomics associated with pilgrimages caused the remainsof most saints to be divided up and spread over numer-ous churches in several countries, St. Nicholas is unusualin that most of his bones have been preserved in one spot:his grave crypt in Bari. Even with the allegedly contin-

uing miracle of the manna, the archdiocese of Bari hasallowed for one scientific survey of the bones. In the late1950s, during a restoration of the chapel, it allowed ateam of hand-picked scientists to photograph and mea-sure the contents of the crypt grave.[35]

In the summer of 2005, the report of these measurementswas sent to a forensic laboratory in England. The reviewof the data revealed that the historical St. Nicholas wasbarely five feet in height and had a broken nose. The facialreconstruction was produced by Dr. Caroline Wilkin-son at the University of Manchester and was shown ona BBC2 TV program 'The Real Face of Santa' [36]

5 Formal veneration

Among the Greeks and Italians he is a favorite of sailors,fishermen, ships and sailing. As such he has becomeover time the patron saint of several cities maintainingharbors. In centuries of Greek folklore, Nicholas wasseen as “The Lord of the Sea”, often described by mod-ern Greek scholars as a kind of Christianized version ofPoseidon. In modern Greece, he is still easily amongthe most recognizable saints and 6 December finds manycities celebrating their patron saint. He is also the pa-tron saint of all of Greece and particularly of the HellenicNavy.[37]

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Saint Nicholas’ mem-ory is celebrated on almost every Thursday of the year(together with the Apostles) with special hymns to himwhich are found in the liturgical book known as theOctoechos. Soon after the transfer of Saint Nicholas’relics from Myra to Bari, a Russian version of his Lifeand an account of the transfer of his relics were writtenby a contemporary to this event.[38] Devotional akathistsand canons have been composed in his honour, andare frequently chanted by the faithful as they ask forhis intercession. He is mentioned in the Liturgy ofPreparation during the Divine Liturgy (Eastern Ortho-dox Eucharist) and during the All-Night Vigil. Many Or-thodox churches will have his icon, even if they are notnamed after him.In Oriental Orthodoxy, the Coptic Church observesthe Departure of St. Nicholas on Kiahk 10, or 19December.[39][40]

In late medieval England, on Saint Nicholas’ Day parishesheld Yuletide "boy bishop" celebrations. As part of thiscelebration, youths performed the functions of priests andbishops, and exercised rule over their elders. Today, SaintNicholas is still celebrated as a great gift-giver in sev-eral Western European and Central European countries.According to one source, in medieval times nuns usedthe night of 6 December to deposit baskets of food andclothes anonymously at the doorsteps of the needy. Ac-cording to another source, on 6 December every sailor orex-sailor of the Low Countries (which at that time was

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Saint Nicholas Saves Three Innocents from Death (oil paintingby Ilya Repin, 1888, State Russian Museum).

virtually all of the male population) would descend to theharbour towns to participate in a church celebration fortheir patron saint. On the way back they would stop atone of the various Nicholas fairs to buy some hard-to-come-by goods, gifts for their loved ones and invariablysome little presents for their children. While the real giftswould only be presented at Christmas, the little presentsfor the children were given right away, courtesy of SaintNicholas. This and his miracle of him resurrecting thethree butchered children made Saint Nicholas a patronsaint of children and later students as well.AmongAlbanians, Saint Nicholas is known as Shen'Kollëand is venerated by most Catholic families, even thosefrom villages that are devoted to other saints. The Feastof Saint Nicholas is celebrated on the evening before 6December, known as Shen'Kolli i Dimnit (Saint Nicholasof Winter), as well as on the commemoration of the in-terring of his bones in Bari, the evening before 9 May,known as Shen'Kolli i Majit (Saint Nicholas of May).Albanian Catholics often swear by Saint Nicholas, say-ing “Pasha Shejnti Shen'Kollin!" (“May I see Holy SaintNicholas!"), indicating the importance of this saint inAlbanian culture, especially among the Albanians ofMalësia. On the eve of his feast day, Albanians will light acandle and abstain frommeat, preparing a feast of roastedlamb and pork, to be served to guests after midnight.Guests will greet each other, saying, “Nata e Shen'Kollitju nihmoftë!" (“May the Night of Saint Nicholas helpyou!") and other such blessings. The bones of Albania’sgreatest hero, George Kastrioti, were also interred in theChurch of Saint Nicholas in Lezha, Albania, upon hisdeath.

6 Iconography

St. Nicholas, the patron saint of Russian merchants. Fresco byDionisius from the Ferapontov Monastery.

Saint Nicholas is a popular subject portrayed on countlessEastern Orthodox icons, particularly Russian ones. He isdepicted as an Orthodox bishop, wearing the omophorionand holding a Gospel Book. Sometimes he is depictedwearing the Eastern Orthodox mitre, sometimes he isbareheaded. Iconographically, Nicholas is depicted as anelderly man with a short, full white fluffy beard and bald-ing head. In commemoration of the miracle attributedto him by tradition at the Ecumenical Council of Nicea,he is sometimes depicted with Christ over his left shoul-der holding out a Gospel Book to him and the Theotokosover his right shoulder holding the omophorion. Becauseof his patronage of mariners, occasionally Saint Nicholaswill be shown standing in a boat or rescuing a drowningsailor.In Roman Catholic iconography, Saint Nicholas is de-picted as a bishop, wearing the insignia of this dignity:a bishop’s vestments, a mitre and a crozier. The episodewith the three dowries is commemorated by showing himholding in his hand either three purses, three coins orthree balls of gold. Depending on whether he is depictedas patron saint of children or sailors, his images will becompleted by a background showing ships, children orthree figures climbing out of a wooden barrel (the threeslaughtered children he resurrected). In medieval paint-ings, Saint Nicholas is depicted as a dark-skinned man,as in Pietro di Giovanni d'Ambrogio's Saint Nicholas ofBari, a 1430s painting held at the Metropolitan Museumof Art, or Francesco di Giorgio e di Lorenzo's 1461Altarpiece with the Annunciation made for the church ofSpedaletta.[41]

In a strange twist, the three gold balls referring to thedowry affair are sometimes metaphorically interpreted asbeing oranges or other fruits. As in the Low Countries inmedieval times orangesmost frequently came fromSpain,this led to the belief that the Saint lives in Spain andcomes to visit every winter bringing them oranges, other'wintry' fruits and tales of magical creatures.

6 9 REFERENCES

7 In music• San Nicola di Bari, an oratorio composed byGiovanni Bononcini (1693).

• St. Nicolas, a choral song for male choir by EdwardPurcell (1730).

• Saint Nicolas, a Christmas cantata by Benjamin Brit-ten (1948).

7.1 Operetta St. Nicholas arrives

Salesian priest Jerko Gržinčič wrote a Christmas operettain three acts entitled Miklavž prihaja (St. Nicholas ar-rives). The premiere took place before World War II intheUnionHostel in Ljubljana (now in Slovenia) with greatsuccess.[42]

8 Demre

Russian Orthodox statue of Saint Nicolas, now in a corner nearthe church in Demre.

In the saint’s home town of Demre, Turkey, the moderncity is built near the ruins of ancient Myra, and attractsmany Russian tourists as St. Nicholas is a very popularOrthodox saint. Restoration to Saint Nicholas’ originalchurch is currently underway, with the Ministry of Cul-ture and Tourism in 2007 permitting Divine Liturgy tobe celebrated at the site, and contributing 40,000 TurkishLira to the project.A solemn bronze statue of the saint by Russian sculptorGregory Pototsky was donated by the Russian govern-ment in 2000, and was given a prominent place in thesquare fronting the medieval Church of St. Nicholas. In2005, mayor Süleyman Topçu had the statue replaced bya red-suited plastic Santa Claus statue, because he wantedan image more recognisable to foreign visitors. Protestsfrom the Russian government against this were success-ful, and the bronze statue was returned (albeit without itsoriginal high pedestal) to a corner nearer the church.

9 References[1] Book of Martyrs. Catholic Book Publishing. 1948.

[2] “Serbia”. Saint Nicholas Center. Retrieved 4 April 2012.

[3] “Who is St. Nicholas?". St. Nicholas Center. Retrieved7 December 2010.

[4] “St. Nicholas”. Orthodox America. Retrieved 7 Decem-ber 2010.

[5] Cunningham, Lawrence (2005). A brief history of saints.Wiley-Blackwell. p. 33. ISBN 978-1-4051-1402-8.“The fourth-century Saint Nikolaos of Myra (in present-day Turkey) spread to Europe through the port city of Bariin southern Italy… Devotion to the saint in the Low coun-tries became blended with Nordic folktales, transformingthis early Greek bishop into that Christmas icon, SantaClaus’.”

[6] Lloyd, John; Mitchinson, John (December 2008). Thebook of general ignorance (Noticeably stouter edition).Faber and Faber. p. 318. ISBN 978-0-571-24692-2.

[7] Jones, Charles W. (1978). Saint Nikolaos of Myra, Bari,and Manhattan: Biography of a Legend. University ofChicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-40700-5.

[8] “The Calendar [page ix]". Prayerbook.ca. Retrieved 12December 2013.

[9] “St. Nicholas Bethel Baptist Church”. Stnicholasbethel-baptist.com. 2 June 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.

[10] “St. Nicholas United Methodist Church - ChurchGazetteer”. Stnicholascenter.org. Retrieved 12 Decem-ber 2013.

[11] “St Nicholas’ Cardonald Parish Church - ChurchGazetteer”. Stnicholascenter.org. Retrieved 12 Decem-ber 2013.

[12] “New York’s Dutch Cathedral: The Collegiate Church ofSt. Nicholas, Fifth Avenue”. Andrewcusack.com. Re-trieved 12 December 2013.

[13] Domenico, Roy Palmer (2002). The regions of Italy: areference guide to history and culture. Greenwood Pub-lishing Group. p. 21. ISBN 0-313-30733-4. “SaintNicholas (Bishop of Myra) replaced Sabino as the patronsaint of the city… A Greek from what is now Turkey, helived in the early fourth century.”

[14] Burman, Edward (1991). Emperor to emperor: Italy be-fore the Renaissance. Constable. p. 126. ISBN 0-09-469490-7. “For although he is the patron saint of Rus-sia, and the model for a northern invention such as SantaClaus, Nicholas of Myra was a Greek.”

[15] Ingram, W. Scott; Ingram, Asher, Scott; Robert (2004).Greek Immigrants. Infobase Publishing. p. 24. ISBN9780816056897. “The original Santa Claus, SaintNicholas, was a Greek born in Asia Minor (now modernTurkey) in the fourth century. He was very religious froman early age and devoted his life to Christianity.”

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[16] Lanzi, Gioia (2004). Saints and their symbols: recognizingsaints in art and in popular images. Liturgical Press. p.111. ISBN 0-8146-2970-9. “Nicholas was born around270 in Patara on the coast of what is nowwestern Turkey.”

[17] Collins, Ace (2009). Stories BehindMen of Faith. Zonder-van. p. 121. ISBN 9780310564560. “Nicholas was bornin the Greek city of Patara around 270 AD. The son of abusinessman named Theophanes and his wife, Nonna, thechild’s earliest years were spent in Myra… As a port onthe Mediterranean Sea, in the middle of the sea lanes thatlinked Egypt, Greece and Rome, Myra was a destinationfor traders, fishermen, and merchant sailors. Spawned bythe spirit of both the city’s Greek heritage and the rul-ing Roman government, cultural endeavours such as art,drama, and music were mainstays of everyday life.”

[18] Faber, Paul (2006). Sinterklaas overseas: the adventuresof a globetrotting saint. KIT Publishers. p. 7. ISBN9789068324372. “The historical figure that served asmodel for the Dutch Sinterklaas was born around 270 CEin the port of Patara in the Greek province of Lycia inAsia Minor (present-day Turkey). His Greek name Niko-laos means something along the lines of “victor of the peo-ple”.”

[19] Lanzi, Gioia (2004). Saints and their symbols: recognizingsaints in art and in popular images. Liturgical Press. p.111. ISBN 0-8146-2970-9. “Nicholas was born around270 in Patara on the coast of what is now western Turkey;his parents were Epiphanius and Joanna.”

[20] Federer, William J. (2002). There Really Is a Santa Claus- History of St. Nicholas & Christmas Holiday Traditions.Amerisearch, Inc. p. 26. ISBN 978-0965355742.

[21] Davis, Leo Donald (1990). The First Seven EcumenicalCouncils (325-787) Their History and Theology. Liturgi-cal Press. p. 58. ISBN 0-8146-5616-1.

[22] Ci sono ossa di san Nicola anche a Venezia? (in Italian)

[23] Are all the bones in Bari? (in Italian)

[24] “Relics of St. Nicholas - Where are They?". SaintNicholas Center. Retrieved 11 February 2014.

[25] de Ceglia, Francesco Paolo: “The science of Santa Claus: discussions on the Manna of Nicholas of Myra in themodern age”. In Nuncius - 27 (2012) 2, p. 241-269

[26] Girling, Richard, 2004-12-12, Talking Point: Now do youbelieve in Santa Claus?, The Times

[27] Santa’s tomb is found off Turkey The Independent, 17 De-cember 1993. Retrieved 10 June 2012.

[28] “Turks want Santa’s bones returned”. BBC News. 28 De-cember 2009. Retrieved 23 May 2010.

[29] "‘Santa Claus’s bones must be brought back to Turkeyfrom Italy’". Todayszaman.com. 28 December 2009. Re-trieved 12 December 2013.

[30] http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/fileadmin/user_upload/conservationplans/Newton_Jerpoint.pdf (pg.79)

[31] http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=409(Dutch)

[32] Bennett, William J. (2009). The True Saint Nicholas: WhyHe Matters to Christmas. Howard Books. pp. 14–17.ISBN 978-1-4165-6746-2.

[33] Le Saux, Françoise Hazel Marie (2005). A companion toWace. D.S.Brewer. ISBN 978-1-84384-043-5.

[34] English, Adam, and Crumm, David (2 December 2012).“Adam English digging back into the real St. Nicholas”.ReadTheSpirit online magazine.

[35] “Anatomical Examination of the Bari Relics”. SaintNicholas Center. Retrieved 6 December 2013.

[36] http://www.atlanticproductions.tv/productions/specials/the-real-face-of-santa/. Missing or empty |title= (help)

[37] “Greece”. St. Nicholas Center. Retrieved 12 December2013.

[38] “Feasts and Saints, Commemorated onMay 9”. OrthodoxChurch in America. Retrieved 4 April 2012.

[39] “St. Nicholas the Wonderworker”. Synaxarium (Lives ofSaints). Coptic Orthodox Church Network. Retrieved 13December 2013.

[40] “Commemorations for Kiahk 10”. Coptic OrthodoxChurch Network. Retrieved 13 December 2013.

[41] “People of Color in European Art History”. Retrieved 20December 2013.

[42] This operetta is translated in Croatian as: “Sveti Nikoladolazi” and partly in Hungarian: “Jön a Mikulás".

10 Further reading

• Jones, Charles W. “Saint Nicholas of Myra, Bari,and Manhattan: Biography of a Legend” (Chicago:University of Chicago Press) 1978.

• ASANO, Kazuo ed., The Island of St. Nicholas. Ex-cavation and Research of Gemiler Island Area, Ly-cia, Turkey (Osaka University Press) 2010.

• English, Adam C., “The Saint WhoWould Be SantaClaus: The True Life and Trials of Nicholas ofMyra” (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press) 2012.

11 External links

• St. Nicholas Center: Who is Saint Nicholas?

• Biography of St. Nicholas

• The History of Santa Claus and Father Christmas

• Saint Nicholas at DMOZ

8 11 EXTERNAL LINKS

• Translation of Grimm’s Saga No. 134 about St.Nicholas

• Comprehensive St. Nicholas-related informationand resources.

• 130 pictures of the church in Myra

(original tomb at Church of Saint Nicholas, Myra,Turkey)

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12 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

12.1 Text• Saint Nicholas Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas?oldid=633533808 Contributors: Eloquence, Wesley, Ap, KF, Olivier,Rickyrab, NTF, Patrick, Boud, Michael Hardy, Chuck SMITH, Sannse, GTBacchus, Delirium, Ihcoyc, Ahoerstemeier, Bogdangiusca,Nikai, Csernica, Jengod, Ptoniolo, Timwi, WhisperToMe, Haukurth, Dogface, Thue, Joy, Dbabbitt, Mtcv, Wetman, Calieber, Puz-zletChung, Dimadick, Donarreiskoffer, Gentgeen, Karolkalna, The Phoenix, Altenmann, Sam Spade, Panthouse, Postdlf, Pingveno, Jhi,Baloo rch, Hadal, JackofOz, Robinh, Carlj7, Lupo, Wonder al, Tom harrison, Martijn faassen, Lupin, Leflyman, VPeric, TomViza, Mahats, Gilgamesh, Kpalion, Matthead, Edcolins, Gyrofrog, Utcursch, SoWhy, Andycjp, Antandrus, Estel, Paedia, Känsterle, Jossi, Rdsmith4,Sam Hocevar, FoeNyx, Neutrality, Oknazevad, Quota, Didactohedron, Gerrit, Writer@Large, Cwoyte, Mike Rosoft, Pasquale, Dis-cospinster, Rich Farmbrough, Guanabot, Cnyborg, Foonly, Dbachmann, Flapdragon, Elwikipedista, MBisanz, Shanes, Ajunne, V3rt1g0,Markussep, Bobo192, NetBot, Infocidal, Cesar Moura, Smalljim, Stephenparsons, MacFreek, Cmdrjameson, Reuben, Man vyi, Nk, Cher-lin, Martg76, Polylerus, Jonathunder, Grutness, Alansohn, Korin, Walter Görlitz, Arthena, Andrew Gray, Swarve, Bz2, Fritz Saalfeld,Bart133, DreamGuy, Velella, BBird, Colin Kimbrell, Earpol, Ilse@, Harej, RainbowOfLight, Sciurinæ, Versageek, Bobrg, Ghirlandajo,Postrach, Spartacus007, Angr, Velho, Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ), TSP, Woohookitty, Concombre Masqué, Stolee, WadeSimMiser,Chochopk, Kelisi, Lensovet, Tomlillis, Steinbach, LadyofHats, Zzyzx11, Jdemarcos, Mandarax, Cuchullain, Qwertyus, NoPuzzleStranger,Chun-hian, Dosseman, Kbdank71, Grammarbot, Rjwilmsi, Nightscream, Саша Стефановић, Jake Wartenberg, Ceinturion, DeadlyAs-sassin, Amire80, Bruce1ee, Reedbraden, 25, Tixity, Funnyhat, Ligulem, Afterwriting, Bhadani, DirkvdM, MWAK, Florihupf, Janothird,Allycat, SchuminWeb, Starky, Doc glasgow, Latka, Nihiltres, Nivix, RexNL, RobyWayne, TheDJ, Str1977, Nick81, Glenn L, Baszoetek-ouw, Valentinian, King of Hearts, Chobot, DTOx, Celebere, Bgwhite, Noclador, Jimp, RussBot, Sarranduin, Hede2000, Agentrelaxed,Gateman1997, Gaius Cornelius, Eleassar, Morphh, Wimt, Anomalocaris, NawlinWiki, Wiki alf, Veledan, CulturalUniverse, ANDRÉSNÚÑEZ, JelloSheriffBob, Moe Epsilon, Mlouns, DeadEyeArrow, Theodore W., Asarelah, Evrik, Phenz, Danflave, Nick123, Wknight94,Ms2ger, Searchme, Whitejay251, Arthur Rubin, KGasso, Petri Krohn, Chriswaterguy, Shyam, Afn, Nimbex, Allens, Bluezy, Katieh5584,Demdem, Nick Michael, The Claw, Attilios, KDevaney, SmackBot, MattieTK, CJLippert, Moeron, Honza Záruba, Reedy, Knowledge-OfSelf, Jinxmchue, Pgk, Lawrencekhoo, AndreasJS, Agarvin, HeartofaDog, Shai-kun, TypoDotOrg, Deadpunk, Commander Keane bot,Peter Isotalo, Algont, Hmains, Skizzik, Matty2112, Carl.bunderson, Chris the speller, Bluebot, Skookum1, Adrian fromLausanne, RexGer-manus, Bistropha, Moogle001, Miquonranger03, MalafayaBot, SchfiftyThree, Hibernian, Donnie Love, TheLeopard, Jeff5102, Whisper-ing, DHN-bot, A. B., VirtualSteve, Rdelrossi, BigMike81, Can't sleep, clown will eat me, Aquarius Rising, Vegard, KerathFreeman, Lyran,Celarnor, SundarBot, JeffHolton, Wandering Writer, Jmlk17, Skatendrum, TGC55, Cy Guy, RandomP, IrisKawling, Dantadd, Weregerbil,Andrew c, Chipgreene, Bdiscoe, Panserbjorn, Santa on Sleigh, Swedenman, Ck lostsword, Ohconfucius, Jstamos, SashatoBot, Lambiam,Euchiasmus, Lazylaces, AB, Minna Sora no Shita, Giamgiam, PseudoSudo, Mr. Vernon, A. Parrot, BillFlis, Apcbg, NJMauthor, Merewyn,Eezie, Spcheng, Dslawe, Cratylus3, Neddyseagoon, RMHED, NeroNBG, Hectorian, Dl2000, Hu12, Tawkerbot, DabMachine, Metb82, Iri-descent, JMK, Toddsschneider, Metre01, Jwalte04, Charangito, CapitalR, Az1568, Courcelles, Anger22, Longlivefolkmusic, Chovain, An-geldeb82, Ouishoebean, WolfgangFaber, JForget, Adam Keller, Fetofsbot2, Moss Ryder, Crownjewel82, Maester mensch, Rwflammang,R9tgokunks, Avmatso, Fitzaubrey, Iokseng, Hippolyte, Cydebot, Future Perfect at Sunrise, Kirkesque, Reywas92, Gogo Dodo, Travelbird,Red Director, BlueAg09, Arthurian Legend, Huysman, Soetermans, B, Manfroze, DumbBOT, Asenine, Optimist on the run, Jguard18,Thijs!bot, Epbr123, Pajz, Qwyrxian, Sagaciousuk, Lanky, Mojo Hand, Savasci, Marek69, Vertium, James086, Merkurix, K. Lastochka,GKoUtSo201, SomeHuman, Escarbot, EmRunTonRespNin, Trengarasu, Mentifisto, Ania Occupy, AntiVandalBot, WinBot, Luna Santin,Fnerchei, NeilEvans, StringRay, CZmarlin, Prolog, Atavi, Fayenatic london, Drumhollistan, LibLord, Danny lost, Hoponpop69, Jon Kay,Gökhan, Res2216firestar, Blueil77, JAnDbot, Leuko, Mcorazao, Liverpoolpaddy, RedZebra, PhilKnight, Jahoe, Xact, LittleOldMe, Siob-hanHansa, Magioladitis, Connormah, Bennybp, VoABot II, DFS, IshikawaMinoru, AuburnPilot, RBBrittain, HHWhitePony, Fenitharbour,Wikidudeman, Wryta, Skew-t, Jvhertum, Chemical Engineer, Jkuefler, Cpl Syx, Am86, Chris G, Clerey, DerHexer, JaGa, Edward321,Daemonic Kangaroo, Patstuart, Seba5618, FisherQueen, Leaderofearth, MartinBot, STBot, Tomtom08, Jona Lendering, Linaduliban,Odin of Trondheim, Kostisl, Kateshortforbob, CommonsDelinker, AlexiusHoratius, Band anatomicbomb, Frightner, Gligan, J.delanoy,Pharaoh of the Wizards, Trusilver, Sideshow Bob, Terrek, Maurice Carbonaro, Ginsengbomb, Reedy Bot, Didgeman, Jazz4kurt, Lassbol,Katalaveno, DarkFalls, Mkruijff, Spacehusky, Jayden54, M-le-mot-dit, Disco79, NewEnglandYankee, Lygophile, Student7, Tophatdan,Fjbfour, Han Solar de Harmonics, Smirnoffoglu, Juliancolton, WJBscribe, Tiggerjay, Ivan1997, Jevansen, Pastordavid, Basheer Abueid,Dutch8857, MishaPan, Ergotelina, Pdcook, Archangel77, Halmstad, Kcs32787, Idioma-bot, Funandtrvl, Deor, VolkovBot, Jeff G., Tess-cass, Majoreditor, JeffGalpin, Scipex, Irish Pearl, Philip Trueman, Nyyankees003, Kostaki mou, TXiKiBoT, GDonato, Andres rojas22,BenedictX, Anna Lincoln, John Carter, Lradrama, Corvus cornix, Ferengi, Martin451, Laparaparapa, IvanMalone, Seb az86556, Pishogue,Doug, Dirkbb, TML, DJBarney24, Mallerd, Thanatos666, 11godfreje, Lkleinow, Nagy, Quantpole, Mirandacurrie, NHRHS2010, Red,Hmwith, SieBot, Calliopejen1, Ori, Tonyak, BloodDoll, J.M.Domingo, Bozaci, Arda Xi, Keilana, Happysailor, OdaMari, Nopetro, Rosspz,Jack1956, Hello71, AnonGuy, Angel David, Orion3, Tombomp, Gyrorobo, Techman224, KathrynLybarger, BenoniBot, Rosiestep, Ash-tooamax, Vanished user ewfisn2348tui2f8n2fio2utjfeoi210r39jf, Philly jawn, Anchor Link Bot, Mygerardromance, Paulinho28, Tomsv 98,EveryDayJoe45, Pinkadelica, Liamooliam, MissJustice116, Explicit, Gr8opinionater, Nicocanete, Atif.t2, SlackerMom, Elassint, ClueBot,GraafGeorge, The Thing That Should Not Be, Krapenhoeffer, EoGuy, TheOldJacobite, Ventusa, Skäpperöd, Boing! said Zebedee, Lkl-mail, Cx96, Piledhigheranddeeper, MaggotMelissa, Excirial, Alexbot, Jusdafax, Robbie098, EdBlonski, A282what, John Nevard, KC109,Rey2, Ziko, Rhododendrites, Yungstunna1313, Cebactokpatop, Ostalocutanje, NikNakATX, Steven Evens, Elizium23, SchreiberBike,D man guy, Magnolia31, Thingg, DerBorg, Scalhotrod, Canihaveacookie, EstherLois, DumZiBoT, Local hero, Koro Neil, Jovianeye,Ost316, SilvonenBot, NellieBly, Mifter, Noctibus, Mariobrazil, Demyra, MystBot, Thatguyflint, Esparcadia, Mbroderick271, Addbot,Geordangundelfinger, Melathron, Willking1979, Some jerk on the Internet, Atethnekos, Colibri37, Tanhabot, Ironholds, CanadianLin-uxUser, Dogs101, Krampus13, Cst17, MrOllie, TheGypsyPunk, Morning277, GK1973, Glane23, Meg994, AndersBot, Debresser, Favo-nian, Hellenic95, LinkFA-Bot, West.andrew.g, Alanscottwalker, James Balti, Bigzteve, Tide rolls, Lightbot, Luckas Blade, Teles, Grey-hood, Megaman en m, Luckas-bot, Yobot, Ptbotgourou, Jason Recliner, Esq., Victoriaearle, Agnosticaphid, Lacrymocéphale, Ngagnebin,SwisterTwister, Torydude, Gunnar Hendrich, Roltz, Eric-Wester, ElkeK, AnomieBOT, Mr Kringle, IRP, Лудольф, Galoubet, Piano nontroppo, OpenFuture, Ambrosiaster, Wouter halswijk, Kingpin13, Satrughna02, Ulric1313, RandomAct, Kavas, Materialscientist, Rtyq2,MrsSputnik, Neurolysis, Quebec99, LilHelpa, Xqbot, Wiki Hero16, TinucherianBot II, Unlikelyvirus, Mikeyshewrin, Ecclesiastes1212,Capricorn42, JohnBlood378, Lalalan, 4twenty42o, Shadowspirit101, Rushkid7, Ukussa, Loveless, Cypherinfo, Isababa7, Lerladybug, In-ferno, Lord of Penguins, Srich32977, Hatchetman17, Jdsteakley, Needclerk, Ruy Pugliesi, Eifelengel, GrouchoBot, Jeanlucnoah, Roymail,Icchocolate21, Saint miller, 212district, Typ0fr33k, Shirik, RibotBOT, Bellerophon, Goodsense 45, Mathonius, Ad Meskens, F.Pavkovic,Cyfraw, Shadowjams, Eugene-elgato, Trueeckart, Captain-n00dle, FrescoBot, Pepper, Ace of Spades, Tomica, Mijzelffan, D'ohBot,Gideon.judges7, Jamesooders, DivineAlpha, Bobbillhduhouhf, Citation bot 1, Batman223, WQUlrich, Pinethicket, I dream of horses,

10 12 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

Masdfs, HRoestBot, Metodija69, Yahia.barie, Rlrandallx, Rudy Waltz, Tomcat7, A8UDI, Hluup, MastiBot, EdoDodo, Full-date unlink-ing bot, ΙΣΧΣΝΙΚΑ−888, December21st2012Freak, Crusoe8181, Tim1357, Gerda Arendt, FoxBot, Thrissel, ScottishBasketball, Tobe-Bot, Thestraycat57, UltimatesocCer, TheGrimReaper NS, Kitfoxxe, Ostrov, Diannaa, Tbhotch, Minimac, Keegscee, Tiffany29292929,DARTH SIDIOUS 2, Cleveracesleep, The Utahraptor, Tonydeshayes, RjwilmsiBot, JoseySmith, Bento00, NameIsRon, Davidgmyers42,Beyond My Ken, Antidiskriminator, Jacobmorris123, Instantcrazy, Jstanko, Skamecrazy123, Asqmom, Elfbunniegirl, Hasitod, EmausBot,John of Reading, Santa put me on his naughty list, WikitanvirBot, Eekerz, Immunize, Lipsio, Sophie, Flamanchti, Yabodgemaster, Ste-bunik, RA0808, Papaya90, Minimac’s Clone, RenamedUser01302013, N3rdBomb, Wikipelli, Erpert, Katiebooh98, Nniicc, Manbilong,Budija, ZéroBot, Fæ, Ziva David, Caaygun, Nicholasmyrabari, SporkBot, Bava Alcide57, Lindenator, Wayne Slam, Rod hayes, Erianna,Presbite, La Cara Salma, GeorgeBarnick, ArtfulLiving, Δ, Analbuddy, Xxxtriplexxx, Cyberdog958, Rrrrdddd, Senjuto, Willthacheer-leader18, Credit Risk, Zargabaath, Chewings72, Brian238, Smartie2thaMaxXx, Horvathr, NICKMELONMAN, Zoupan, Tacooooooo,Petrb, ClueBot NG, YagmurH, PhDSusan, Smtchahal, Heysford, Wikiphysicsgr, Jack Greenmaven, Meggaluvva, Repwa, Gracenicole,Stl32178, Schwarjm, Steffworthington, Deadratkiller, Another n00b, Delusion23, Cntras, Farrugiuh, O.Koslowski, Mannanan51, Widr,R530, PT33Judistian, Urharec, Anupmehra, MerlIwBot, Oddbodz, Helpful Pixie Bot, Novusuna, Rylinrocks, M3356, Titodutta, Cal-abe1992, Blanicky, Voldemort175, Billywcollins, BG19bot, HGK745, Cyberpower678, ElphiBot, JohnChrysostom, MusikAnimal, Frze,Fiddawn, Zinkypees, Op47, Bmbaker88, Crespatsch, Jfhutson, Nnmmegaparty, Glacialfox, Chcurtis, EdwardH, Griot-de, Cyberbot II,Khazar2, Chickensire, Tow, Rosso Veneziano, Terp05, E4024, Dexbot, Zeeyanwiki, Weetyyy, RupJana, Lugia2453, ZemplinTemplar,Lmm6877, Iaojiocoijcoij, DavidCrumm, I am One of Many, BLA12345678910, LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL123, Eyesnore, Provac-itu74, KDNDJjdjdjddj, Teripiper2012, EvergreenFir, Tresmegistus, YoshiDino90, ElHef, DavidLeighEllis, Hoho24, Babitaarora, UgogNizdast, LahmacunKebab, NottNott, CodyWUrban, Juhasaksi, Fremantle99, Stormmeteo, Elamt2001, AnarchasisClootz, Conor mc-connach, Roccoiscool, Wassguud123, Anonimus1234, Suzylou97, Ri Osraige, Yoloswagbud, User99998, Josiemax, Cocopuff88, Every-man65 and Anonymous: 1243

12.2 Images• File:Commons-logo.svg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Originalartist: ?

• File:Ferapontov.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Ferapontov.jpg License: Public domainContributors:from web Original artist: Dionisius

• File:Gentile_da_Fabriano_063.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Gentile_da_Fabriano_063.jpg Li-cense: Public domain Contributors: The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN 3936122202. Dis-tributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. Original artist: Gentile da Fabriano

• File:Ilja_Jefimowitsch_Repin_005.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Ilja_Jefimowitsch_Repin_005.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Original file: The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002. ISBN3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. Original artist: Ilya Repin

• File:Nikolas_myra.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Nikolas_myra.jpg License: Public domain Con-tributors: Own work Original artist: User:Simm

• File:Nikolaus_von_Myra.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Nikolaus_von_Myra.jpg License: Publicdomain Contributors: Own work Original artist: Horvathr

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• File:Saint_Nicholas.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Saint_Nicholas.jpg License: Public domain Con-tributors: Iconostasis of Transfiguration church, Kizhi monastery, Karelia, Russia Original artist: 18 century icon painter

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