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St Christopher (Big Kristaps)
St Christopher (Big Kristaps), early 16th century.
St Christopher, Kristaps (Christophorus in Greek - Christ-carrier) - in mythology the protector against the water hazard, patron of travellers, later of water-related craftsmen and porters. In Livonia St Christopher’s cult emerged in the first half of the 15'" century. The Christopher Day (June 25) in the 15th century was a holiday, but in the early 16th century Christopher was worshiped as “a helper in distress". The medieval Riga Latvian transport workers' associations chose St. Kristaps as their guardian. ln Latvian folklore the name of Kristaps associated with the emergence of Riga. “Once upon a time in Riga, about where the castle ditch now is, there was a stream, called Ridzina. When people wanted to get across the stream, a huge giant carried them over on his shoulder, a there was neither a bridge nor a raft. The giant lived in a cave at the Karla Gate at the fortifications. Once, on a very dark night, he was awakened by the sound of cries. He got up, but he could not make out anything in the dark, so he lit a lantern and let its light shine in the darkness of the night. Suddenly, he saw a poor child standing on the other bank of the river. The child was weeping and begging to carry it across the river. The giant waded across the river, took the child on his shoulder and carried it over to his cave and put the child to sleep overnight. The next morning the child was missing, but where it had lain there was a pile of pure gold. The giant kept the gold in a barrel in his cave. But when the giant died soon after, the gold was used to build the city of Riga. The image of the giant with the child and all was put up for eternal memory around the place his cave had been located.”
Riga Museum of History and Navigation
Post je objavljen 31.01.2017. u 22:27 sati.