As Christmas is around the corner, the character of Santa Claus has started to gain traction. Traditionally, Santa Claus has been known to be a patron saint of children, who has, by virtue of books, magazines and films, been transformed into the familiar Santa Claus, whom we have known since childhood. While the story of Santa Claus which is about giving gifts to the poor is well-known, there is another lesser-known, but prominent story, regarding St Nicholas. The story is about St Nicholas, who fought against a miscarriage of justice.
It is to be noted that the earliest writing on the life of Nicholas can be traced to the Bibliotheca Hagiographica Graeca. It is believed to have been written in the first half of the 9th century by Michael the Archimandrite. It suggests that once the bribe was paid to corrupt authorities, the men were condemned to death.
What's the story?
The story starts when a businessman visits the provincial governor. The visit's purpose was to get three men- Nepotian, Ursyna and Apollyn, killed. The reason why he wanted to have them killed seems to have been lost in the realms of history. Eustathios, the governor, was however ready to help.
Upon being aware of the entire incident, Nicholas reached the square where the men were supposed to be executed. The moment the executioner raised his sword to kill the first prisoner, Nicholas threw himself between the executioner and the condemned man. He then grabbed the executioner’s arm and ripped the sword away, ultimately freeing the innocent men.
When St Nicholas humbled the governor
Sources suggest that Eustathios, when admonished by Nicholas and faced with the righteous fury of Nicholas, went down to his knees and repented, promising to change his ways.
Importantly, this image of Nicholas is different from what we have known so far in the 21st century. This is clearly not the humble bishop of the 4th Century, the proto-Santa Claus. The story establishes St Nicholas as the action hero, who is fearless and indomitable, being not afraid to face down an executioner’s sword.
