signorformica:Orthodox icon, probably Russian, of St Christopher depicted with the head of a dog &

signorformica: Orthodox icon, probably Russian, of St Christopher depicted with the head of a dog —or of a jackal.From the 5th century on, it was widely believed in Byzantium that the saint was one of the mythic cynocephalus (Greek: κῠνοκέφᾰλοι,“dog-headed”), a barbarian race without the gift of human speech.In May 1722 the Holy Synod prohibited the representation of St Christopher “with the head of a dog” because, in the opinion of the leaders of the Orthodox Church, it would be “contrary to nature, history and the truth itself.” • Bibliothèque Infernale on FB -- source link
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