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SANTA CLAUS is based on the real historical figure of Saint Nicholas, a Byzantine bishop born in modern-day Turkey. Due to the extraordinary legends and miracles attributed to him, he became one of the most popular saints in Europe.
Dutch migrants probably spread his fame to the US and there the patron saint of children was transformed through books, magazines and films into the well-known Santa Claus, or Father Christmas. figure we know today.
There is the story about Sinterklaas that everyone knows – the story about giving gifts to the poor in the dead of night – the story about the origins of Santa Claus. But there is another story that is probably less known to most of us.
It’s a story about how Nicholas fought against a miscarriage of justice. The story begins when a local businessman visits the provincial governor. For reasons lost to history, he wants three innocent men, Nepotian, Ursyna and Apolyn, killed. The governor, a notoriously dishonest man named Eustathios, is only too happy to help.
The earliest writing about the life of Nicolaas can be found in the Bibliotheca Hagiographica Graecaand probably written in the first half of the 9e through the century Michael the Archimandrite. It suggests that after the bribes were paid, the men were sentenced to death.
News of what happened reached Nicholas and he ran to the square. Just as the executioner raised his sword to send away the first prisoner, Nicholas threw himself between the executioner and the condemned man. He grabbed the executioner’s arm snatched the sword awayuntied the innocent men and set them free.
He then warned the governor. When confronted with Nicholas’s righteous anger, Eustathios fell to his knees and repented, vowing to change his behavior, sources suggest.
This is a very different image of Sinterklaas than most people in the 21st century are used tost century. This is not the friendly and humble 4ecentury bishop, the proto-Sinterklaas. Instead, this is the action hero, Sinterklaas, who is not afraid to face an executioner’s sword.
As bishop of Myra – a coastal town in what is now Turkey – Saint Nicholas was a leading Christian figure in an empire increasingly concerned about the rising power of Christianity.
Roman Emperor Diocletian decided it was time to send out a message. He ordered the torture of every Christian who refused to worship the Roman gods. It unleashed a reign of terror. Nicholas was one of the prisoners and tortured. The persecution of Diocletian lasted between eight and ten years.
When Bishop Nicholas was finally released, he was a changed man. Risking his life for people he had never met could have been simply because he knew what it felt like to be innocent and have your freedom taken away.
And so, while the story of Sinterklaas is secretly distributed bags of gold to a poor family is to be remembered and ultimately become the inspiration for the cheerful, rosy-cheeked figure of Santa Claus, there are other aspects to this character.
Nicholas was a wealthy man and when he gave away his gold it was an act of kindness, but nothing he couldn’t afford. That he chose to do this anonymously showed his humility. These were the actions of a compassionate bishop, of a man who would soon become celebrated, then famous, and finally a saint.
And as the centuries passed, the legend of Saint Nicholas continued to grow, as did the powers attributed to him. From controlling the weather to appearing to Roman emperors in dreams, there seemed to be little that Saint Nicholas couldn’t do.
He became the patron saint of children, pawn shops, unmarried women, sailors, remorseful criminals, studentsbusiness people and countless European cities. And of course, he would eventually be reimagined as Santa Claus.
But there is something about the story of the rescue of the three innocent men and Nicholas’ fight for justice that stands out against all the embellishments, the Christmas movies and the myths. It is a story that shows how and why the legend of Nicholas spread around the world. — The conversation via Reuters Connect
Brian Thornton is a senior lecturer in journalism at the University of Winchester.