Question about an icon

[irishseventysix]

Hey guys, I have been trying to understand something for a while now.

If you'll notice, my patron saint, Jude the Apostle, is my avatar. Or, at least, his icon is. Anyhow, it appears in his icon that he's blessing people behind him because he's holding his hand palm-in and making what I assume to be the sign, which is why you see only half of his ring finger?

I've asked around my parish and no one seems to know what it means, if anything at all.

Any guesses?

 

[choirfiend]

It is not very well known that St Jude was in fact well versed in swing dances. What he is showing there is the "gang sign" for the dance called Balboa, which translates into "doot doot AHHHH doot, " with each finger being a doot and the ring finger down being the AHHH, which are the sounds that audibly demonstrate the rhythm of the steps necessary to complete one basic balboa step.

Or at least, that's how I learned balboa.



Honestly, I have no idea. Ive never seen one like that. Anything in his life story?

 

[Michael G]

He is not blessing people behind him. Icons do not face backward, into the past, but face forward, gazing quietly into eternity. Nothing is to be read into the posture of the hand giving the blessing other than the fact that he is giving a blessing.

 

[tidbit]

While we're on the subject, in the icon of Jesus (the Pantocrator, I think), He's holding His right hand funny. Like His thumb and pinky finger are together. What does that mean?

 

[Michael G]

While we're on the subject, in the icon of Jesus (the Pantocrator, I think), He's holding His right hand funny. Like His thumb and pinky finger are together. What does that mean?

In the Pantocrator, as in all icons of Christ, Christ is blessing you with a monogram of his name: ICXC.

 

[Kgreg]

In the Pantocrator, as in all icons of Christ, Christ is blessing you with a monogram of his name: ICXC.

What's ICXC?

 

[Michael G]

What's ICXC?

ICXC is the Greek Monogram for the name of Jesus Christ.

 

[Ilian]

While we're on the subject, in the icon of Jesus (the Pantocrator, I think), He's holding His right hand funny. Like His thumb and pinky finger are together. What does that mean?

He's holding his pinky, ring finger and thumb together to apply a blessing. The Old Believer's still make the sign of the cross in this manner, with those fingers joined and two fingers raised. The raised fingers represent the two natures of Christ.

 

[eoe]

It is not I C X C - it is iota sigma chi sigma

ιησους χριστος

when written in all caps the first and last letters of Jesus Christ in greek look like the english IC XC. The sigma does not look like Σ because it is a final sigma.

 

[Michael G]

It is not I C X C - it is iota sigma chi sigma

ιησους χριστος

when written in all caps the first and last letters of Jesus Christ in greek look like the english IC XC. The sigma does not look like Σ because it is a final sigma.

How is what you said any different than what I said? IC XC (I can't make the contraction marks on my computer) is the abbreviated Greek form of the name of Christ.

 

[eoe]

I was simply expanding on your explanation Michael. Take a deep breath bro.

 

[Michael G]

I was simply expanding on your explanation Michael. Take a deep breath bro.

Sorry, it read like you were contradicting me, and I was wondering where the difference was in what we said.

 

[irishseventysix]

He is not blessing people behind him. Icons do not face backward, into the past, but face forward, gazing quietly into eternity. Nothing is to be read into the posture of the hand giving the blessing other than the fact that he is giving a blessing.

So there is no significance in his hand position, which is with its back to us?

I was just saying that it appears like he's blessing behind him, kinda like when our priest is facing our icon of Christ on our iconostasis and blesses the congregation. I forget at what point and in which service he does this. But it was just a guess.

 

[Michael G]

So there is no significance in his hand position, which is with its back to us?

I was just saying that it appears like he's blessing behind him, kinda like when our priest is facing our icon of Christ on our iconostasis and blesses the congregation. I forget at what point and in which service he does this. But it was just a guess.

No, the hand position is a stylistic element and nothing should be read into it.