Saturday, June 7, 2008

What Do All Those Letters On The Cross Mean?

There are four sets of letters inscribed on the cross over our altar.

They are, in no particular order, XPC, IHC, INRI, and NIKA.

IHC is an alternate version of IHS dating from the Middle Ages. These letters represent the first three Latin letters in the name of Jesus: iota eta sigma. More popular elucidations of these letters such as "I have suffered," or "In His service" entirely post-date the origin of the monogram.

The same is also true of the more common INRI, which does not mean "Iron Nails Ran In" as popularized by James Joyce, but is rather the acronym for the Latin words meaning "Jesus Nazarene, King of the Jews." These are, of course, the words inscribed by Pilate on the cross of Christ, though the exact wording is subject to some scholarly dispute. They were also written in Hebrew and Greek.

XPC, is linked, along with IHC, as abbreviation for IHCOYC XPICTOC, the common transliteration in Medieval Greek of the words for Jesus Christ. Its usage is more common in the Eastern Orthodox churches than in the West.

Linked also with the aformentioned NIKA, the entire phrase means "Jesus Christ Conquers".

Like all such monograms, especially the Icthys, these were used to signify the meaning and power of the Name of Christ, and a unifying influence amidst the early Christianities.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I remember once upon a time suggesting that you needed to do a blog because you always have so many interesting things to say.

Not to say "I told you so," but umm.....

Curious Monk said...

well, to be sure, but i needed it not to be...a forum on how interesting my life actually is? not narcissistic? you know, not the (stereo)typical blog.

it took me a while to realize that i could actually write in response to OTHER people's interests. but i'm glad i did.

Anonymous said...

You write very well.