What do you think?
Rate this book
Saint Nicholas: Life and Legend
It is a long, long journey from the pious, thin Bishop Nicholas of Myra to the roly-poly dispenser of gifts on Christmas Eve. At various stops along the way, Saint Nicholas was invoked as the patron of a motley array, including (among others) maidens and barren wives, sailors and infants, thieves and financiers, even pirating Vandals! Why the tremendous appeal of a bishop in one of the remote corners of the Roman Empire? How did he become the jolly denizen of the North Pole?
Here, lavishly illustrated with pictures that allow us to see as well as to read about Nicholas's transformation, is the story of an enigmatic figure. In many ways, Nicholas was a paradox: the same man who saved three young girls from being sold into slavery publicly slapped the face of a suspected heretic at the Council of Nicaea.
Martin Ebon peppers his lively tale with other little-known facts and legends. In these pages, the dead are raised, ships are steered without rudders, apparitions appear to condemned men, demons set the sea boiling, and a temple is singlehandedly razed. Ours is not the first age to regard Nicholas with wonder.
As important as the legends themselves are the reactions and emotions they arouse. What has been called "the most famous editorial ever written" contains the often repeated line: "Yes, Virginia, there is as Santa Claus!" One of the most familiar poems in the English language is "A Visit from Saint Nicholas," known to many as "The Night Before Christmas." Both appear here as well as the appealing stories behind them.
As the years flow by, the author points out, we come to know both less and more of this most popular of saints. We lose and forget the details of his life, what he did and did not do, what he looked like when he walked the streets of Myra. But paradoxically, with the accumulation of time it seems the spirit of the man drops its legendary, miraculous trappings and shines forth the more beautifully. We partake yearly of what must have been Nicholas's childlike joy, generosity, and concern for others: the soul of the saint himself. As Saint Nicholas persuasiviely argues, we have won the better part.
Here, lavishly illustrated with pictures that allow us to see as well as to read about Nicholas's transformation, is the story of an enigmatic figure. In many ways, Nicholas was a paradox: the same man who saved three young girls from being sold into slavery publicly slapped the face of a suspected heretic at the Council of Nicaea.
Martin Ebon peppers his lively tale with other little-known facts and legends. In these pages, the dead are raised, ships are steered without rudders, apparitions appear to condemned men, demons set the sea boiling, and a temple is singlehandedly razed. Ours is not the first age to regard Nicholas with wonder.
As important as the legends themselves are the reactions and emotions they arouse. What has been called "the most famous editorial ever written" contains the often repeated line: "Yes, Virginia, there is as Santa Claus!" One of the most familiar poems in the English language is "A Visit from Saint Nicholas," known to many as "The Night Before Christmas." Both appear here as well as the appealing stories behind them.
As the years flow by, the author points out, we come to know both less and more of this most popular of saints. We lose and forget the details of his life, what he did and did not do, what he looked like when he walked the streets of Myra. But paradoxically, with the accumulation of time it seems the spirit of the man drops its legendary, miraculous trappings and shines forth the more beautifully. We partake yearly of what must have been Nicholas's childlike joy, generosity, and concern for others: the soul of the saint himself. As Saint Nicholas persuasiviely argues, we have won the better part.
- GenresChristmas
119 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1975
17 people want to read
About the author
Martin Ebon
128 books3 followersMartin Ebon was a German American author of non-fiction books from the paranormal to politics.
Born in Hamburg, Germany, Ebon immigrated to the United States in 1938.
Ebon worked for twelve years as Administrative Secretary for the Parapsychology Foundation and worked closely with its founder, Eileen J. Garrett.
Ebon died in Las Vegas, Nevada.
-Wikipedia
Born in Hamburg, Germany, Ebon immigrated to the United States in 1938.
Ebon worked for twelve years as Administrative Secretary for the Parapsychology Foundation and worked closely with its founder, Eileen J. Garrett.
Ebon died in Las Vegas, Nevada.
-Wikipedia
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 8, 2023
A HISTORICAL TRACING OF THE DEVELOPMENT FROM A SAINT TO A LEGEND
Popular author Martin Ebon wrote in the first chapter of this 1975 book, “Once there was a Saint Nicholas… whose very name inspired pious devotion and trust in Christian society… Today, we are familiar with the red-coated figure of Santa Claus… who is said to come down a chimney to leave Christmas presents for boys and girls. Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus are the same. With the evolution of the name has come, through the centuries, a changed image: the revered saint is now a jolly friend of children… What links the Byzantine saint… and the white-bearded, portly figure we know so well? How, across sixteen centuries, did we happen to inherit the Saint Nicholas traditions in our own specific way?...
“By his very humanity, the saint reflected popular hopes and fears. He changed because needs changed. He is what he is today, as Santa Claus, because we yearn for a season of altruism, childlike innocence, and
Peace on Earth. We look for the visitation of a kindly, familiar figure who makes children of us all.” (Pg. 1-2)
He observes, “The historical Saint Nicholas… reached religious maturity at an early age. From his legendary childhood self-deprivation to acts of generosity in his years as a young man, then on through his pilgrimage to the Holy Land and the miracles at sea, Nicholas passed into mature years of service as a dignitary of the church.” (Pg. 15)
He suggests, “If Nicholas was Bishop of Myra during the closing years of the reign of Diocletian, his community was doubtlessly affected by these decrees. The persecutions lasted, beyond Diocletian’s resignation (305), until 311, when Nicholas may have been thirty-one years old. If he had suffered the violence inflicted by predecessors of Constantine, his anger directed against the Temple of Artemis becomes understandable.” (Pg. 39)
He summarizes, “Saint Nicholas emerges from these legends as a forceful and resourceful protagonist, a fighting saint who defeated his enemies, and who stood by his people in times of need---by normal as well as miraculous means, during his lifetime and even after his death.” (Pg. 42)
He explains, “three men created the modern image of Santa Claus: Washington Irving (1783-1859)… He was only in his early twenties when he concocted ‘Diedrich Knickerbocker’s A History of New York’… Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863)… If Washington Irving created a nineteenth-century Vita of Saint Nicholas-Santa Claus, Moore created the memorable cadences… the images so vivid, strong, and seemingly rooted in a long tradition, that he brought Santa Claus to life… Thomas Nast (1840-1902)… Nast’s black-and-white drawings added an indelible visual dimension.” (Pg. 91-92)
He says of the famous ‘Yes, Virginia’ column, “This affirmation of the power of ‘love and generosity and devotion’ was written by Francis Pharcellus Church. Later his colleagues said that he had not at first cherished the editorial assignment which was forwarded to him by the Question and Answer department of the newspaper… Church, the son of a Baptist minister, was ‘a man of sardonic bent whose personal motto was, ‘Endeavor to clear your mind of cant.’” (Pg. 107)
This book may appeal to some seeking more information about Saint Nicholas, and the evolution and development of the Santa legend.
Popular author Martin Ebon wrote in the first chapter of this 1975 book, “Once there was a Saint Nicholas… whose very name inspired pious devotion and trust in Christian society… Today, we are familiar with the red-coated figure of Santa Claus… who is said to come down a chimney to leave Christmas presents for boys and girls. Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus are the same. With the evolution of the name has come, through the centuries, a changed image: the revered saint is now a jolly friend of children… What links the Byzantine saint… and the white-bearded, portly figure we know so well? How, across sixteen centuries, did we happen to inherit the Saint Nicholas traditions in our own specific way?...
“By his very humanity, the saint reflected popular hopes and fears. He changed because needs changed. He is what he is today, as Santa Claus, because we yearn for a season of altruism, childlike innocence, and
Peace on Earth. We look for the visitation of a kindly, familiar figure who makes children of us all.” (Pg. 1-2)
He observes, “The historical Saint Nicholas… reached religious maturity at an early age. From his legendary childhood self-deprivation to acts of generosity in his years as a young man, then on through his pilgrimage to the Holy Land and the miracles at sea, Nicholas passed into mature years of service as a dignitary of the church.” (Pg. 15)
He suggests, “If Nicholas was Bishop of Myra during the closing years of the reign of Diocletian, his community was doubtlessly affected by these decrees. The persecutions lasted, beyond Diocletian’s resignation (305), until 311, when Nicholas may have been thirty-one years old. If he had suffered the violence inflicted by predecessors of Constantine, his anger directed against the Temple of Artemis becomes understandable.” (Pg. 39)
He summarizes, “Saint Nicholas emerges from these legends as a forceful and resourceful protagonist, a fighting saint who defeated his enemies, and who stood by his people in times of need---by normal as well as miraculous means, during his lifetime and even after his death.” (Pg. 42)
He explains, “three men created the modern image of Santa Claus: Washington Irving (1783-1859)… He was only in his early twenties when he concocted ‘Diedrich Knickerbocker’s A History of New York’… Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863)… If Washington Irving created a nineteenth-century Vita of Saint Nicholas-Santa Claus, Moore created the memorable cadences… the images so vivid, strong, and seemingly rooted in a long tradition, that he brought Santa Claus to life… Thomas Nast (1840-1902)… Nast’s black-and-white drawings added an indelible visual dimension.” (Pg. 91-92)
He says of the famous ‘Yes, Virginia’ column, “This affirmation of the power of ‘love and generosity and devotion’ was written by Francis Pharcellus Church. Later his colleagues said that he had not at first cherished the editorial assignment which was forwarded to him by the Question and Answer department of the newspaper… Church, the son of a Baptist minister, was ‘a man of sardonic bent whose personal motto was, ‘Endeavor to clear your mind of cant.’” (Pg. 107)
This book may appeal to some seeking more information about Saint Nicholas, and the evolution and development of the Santa legend.
November 14, 2009
Saint Nicholas Life and Legend is wonderfully illustrated with both icons, paintings, and drawings. Chapers Two through Five provide detailed accounts of St. Nicholas's most famous intercessions: providing dowries for the three poor sisters so they could be married rather than sold into slavery, calming the storm at sea and restoring the dead sailor to life, rescuing the three innocent generals moments before their execution, multiplying grain for Lycia during a famine, returning the kidnapped boy to his family, and resurrecting the three slain and dismembered students. These chapters are clearly the heart of the book, and the rest of the book seems like an afterthought. The author skips almost straight from the descriptions of the saint's miracles in 300 A.D. to the Dutch settlement of New Amsterdam in the late 1700's.
The details of St. Nicholas's life and death are sparse, and little is said about the growth of his cult aside from aside from how St. Vladimir brought the worship of St. Nicholas to Kiev (and consequently to all of Russia) when he converted to Christianity. The translation of his relics (i.e. how they were stolen and taken to Italy) is touched upon.
The theories of how the Dutch celebration of St. Nicholas (Sinterklaas) on December 6 was absorbed into the Protestant festivities on Christmas Eve feels a bit rushed. This subject is a book in itself, but here it is crammed into a couple chapters. The poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" attributed to Clement Clarke Moore is hailed as the link between St. Nicholas and Santa Claus. In fact, Moore and the illustrator Thomas Nast are given credit for singlehandedly invented the character with a little help from Washington Iriving. And with the pronouncement, the author leaps to the end of the 19th Century and the famous editorial, "Yes, Viriginia, there is a Santa Claus!"
The final chapter returns to St. Nicholas's home of Myra and highlights contemporary pilgrimage sights in modern day Turkey in attempt to take the book full circle.
The details of St. Nicholas's life and death are sparse, and little is said about the growth of his cult aside from aside from how St. Vladimir brought the worship of St. Nicholas to Kiev (and consequently to all of Russia) when he converted to Christianity. The translation of his relics (i.e. how they were stolen and taken to Italy) is touched upon.
The theories of how the Dutch celebration of St. Nicholas (Sinterklaas) on December 6 was absorbed into the Protestant festivities on Christmas Eve feels a bit rushed. This subject is a book in itself, but here it is crammed into a couple chapters. The poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" attributed to Clement Clarke Moore is hailed as the link between St. Nicholas and Santa Claus. In fact, Moore and the illustrator Thomas Nast are given credit for singlehandedly invented the character with a little help from Washington Iriving. And with the pronouncement, the author leaps to the end of the 19th Century and the famous editorial, "Yes, Viriginia, there is a Santa Claus!"
The final chapter returns to St. Nicholas's home of Myra and highlights contemporary pilgrimage sights in modern day Turkey in attempt to take the book full circle.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews