Keep in mind, Hil, that understanding Christian iconography is an involved subject. If you're wondering why someone is standing in a picture holding a wagon wheel or gazing up beatifically while having tons of arrows in him, then you're getting into the various saints and martyrs and how they're portrayed over about 1500 years. If you do get interested in saints and their symbols, there's a good Oxford Guide to Saints out there, plus oodles of websites on "Who is that woman and why is she carrying two bells on a plate?" and such.

"Who is that woman and why is she carrying two bells on a plate?"

Those aren't bells...

Those aren't bells...

I know.

Margaret, I think you're dead right on the HP thing.

I'm a Cahill fan, so Desire of the Everlasting Hills is not a bad book for early Christianity, Hil

Thanks, guys. That documentary looks pretty interesting -- I'll check the library.

While in Italy, I tried buying a book about the saints, but it was a cheap one and mostly gave "Born in Russia in 1642, martyred in 1682, preserved her virginity through many trials, performed many miracles" or similar for most of them, which didn't really answer many of my "Why is she always wearing a necklace and holding a spoon?" or whatever questions. (The only two saints I was consistently able to identify in pictures were St. Christopher and St. Nicholas, but then I realized that St. Zachary was always wearing a pointing hat and holding a twisty cane, which was what I'd been using to identify St. Nicholas, so then I got confused.)

The Cahill book looks pretty good. Thanks. I've read a few of his others before and liked them.

Oxford Guide to Saints (not sure if that's the real title) should tell you what their various symbols are.

edit: [link] is a big website at catholic.org that will overwhelm you with stuff. Go to the Patron Saint section, and you'll find a spreadsheet with various causes and their saints. Somewhere in there you should be able to find their symbols.

ION, saints are cool.

Reposted here - where I meant to:

Somebody just asked on WX if The Song of Fire and Ice is appropriate for a 16 year old.

What do you guys think?

OK I'll bite:

"Who is that woman and why is she carrying two bells on a plate?"

And what are those if they aren't bells?

And what are those if they aren't bells?

Her breasts, of course. Don't you know your bizarro saints?

Hil, I've got that documentary on VHS, if you'd like to borrow it. (Profile addy is good.)