1700 · Ikonen-Museum, Recklinghausen

Unlike the Western depictions, which show St Christopher as a giant carrying the young Jesus across a river on his shoulders, most icons show him with an animal's head. Although his nickname kynokephalos means dog-headed, there are numerous variations ranging from a horse's or pig's head to one which, while human, is deformed. According to legend, the future saint came from a race of dog-headed cannibals and was originally called Reprobus (Lat: the cursed).Show more