Not sure who reads this blog and cares to know this (and doesn't already), but during handbells today we were wondering what this symbol meant, and now I know.It's called the labarum, and it's the first two letters for "Christ" in Greek.
It's also the origin (wikipedia says, anyhow), for the use of the letter "X" as an abbreviation for the word "Christ."
So, to my pastors who read this blog -- sorry, this is a boring post.
To my fellow handbell ringers, here's the answer.
Except I don't think any fellow handbell ringers read this blog except Aaron and Allison.
And Allison didn't know we were wondering and Aaron probably looked it up already.
Alas.
On a related note, I need to learn Greek.
5 comments:
I miss bell practice already. *sigh*
Actually, No. 3 reads your blog, and she's a fellow handbell ringer.
We miss you too. I especially miss you during "Psalm 9." :]
You're right about No. 3. I guess I excluded her half because she said she hadn't really cared to know the answer and half because she was there when I found it.
ah, wikipedia...
It is actually called "Chi Pho", chi and rho being the first two letters of Christ in Greek. It is was first seen on the Labarum, the standard of Constantine, in the early 4th century. The two have seem to become synonomous, which I think is erroneous and all other sorts of "-ous" words.
and by Pho, I meant "Rho".
And with that, Aaron wins the "wikipedia is not reliable" debate. I didn't think it would happen so soon.
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