Over the weekend, news broke of a possible significant archeological discovery in the Antalya province of Turkey. The limestone sarcophagus could possibly have been the original burial site of the fourth century Christian bishop, Saint Nicholas. Saint Nick is best known for the character his life story elements evolved into: Santa Claus. The recent discovery is interesting on its own, but the story of the bishop and how it evolved into something so different is fascinating as well.
The sarcophagus was unearthed near Saint Nicholas Church within the two story annex to the building itself. The find is significant because the church itself is the traditional site for the burial. Archeologists hope to learn additional information from a more in depth analysis of the artifact. They are hopeful they will find some sort of inscription or marker identifying it. The find is part of an excavation that his been underway since 1989.
According to ancient historians, the saint’s burial site was honored by the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II when he ordered the construction of a church over the site where Nicholas had served as Bishop in the port city city of Myra. Construction began in the early 400s, less than 200 years after Saint Nick’s death. Ancient sources also report that the remains of the saint were placed in a sarcophagus and moved to the church. It is not entirely clear where the remains ultimately wound up, Though there is a prominent tale involving a group of Italian merchants who took Saint Nick’s remains to their home to the west in 1087 when the Turks temporarily wrested control of the region from the Byzantine Empire. In an effort to protect the relics, they took the bones and and interred them at the Basilica di San Nicola in Bari, Italy. Another tale says that during the first crusade, more of Saint Nick’s remains were brought back to Italy, where they were interred in Venice. A 1953 scientific analysis found that the remains in both Italian Cities came from the same person, suggesting that there may be some credibility to the story. Incidentally, the stories of Saint Nicholas that circulated in Europe popularized Saint Nick in the west.
The details of life of Saint Nicholas is subject to some controversy, with scholars arguing that they had been combined with later accounts of another saint in the region. I will do my best to relay a few of the earlier accounts and the ones that evolved into Santa stories. The saint himself lived from 270 to 343. He was likely imprisoned and tortured for his faith under Emperor Diocletian. He was later ordered released by Emperor Constantine when the Edict of Milan made Christianity legal in the Roman Empire.
Early lists mention Saint Nick as an attendee of the Counsel of Nicaea, the first church council after the legalization of the faith, when many important doctrinal matters were settled, the cannon of scripture began the process of finalization, etc. A later story reports that Saint Nicholas became so upset when arguing with the heretic, Arius, about the divinity of Christ that he punched him. The act led to his brief imprisonment and removal of his bishop title.
Many stories have circulated regarding miracles and other acts, but the ones ones that have had the longest lasting impact are associated with Saint Nick’s habits of secret gift giving and charity. In one famous incident, the Bishop knew of a very poor man who had 3 daughters. He did not have enough money to pay dowries for their marriage and lived in fear that they would be forced into prostitution because they were too destitute to wed. The bishop saved the young ladies by coming by the home at night and throwing 3 bags of gold through the window enabling each of the young ladies to marry. There are other accounts of generosity, care for orphans, the poor, etc. It is likely that these elements of the saint’s story evolved into the gift giving components of the Santa character.
Other stories about the Bishop tell of his intervention on behalf of innocent men who have been condemned to death, towns subject to pillaging by soldiers, etc. In each Saint Nick intervenes with those in authority on behalf of the innocent or helpless to rescue them. In one account he goes all the way to Emperor Constantine to save three innocent men.
Interestingly, modern incarnations of Santa come about as a result of Dutch Immigrants bringing their embellished version of the Saint to the United States, where various authors American authors took up the story and mixed in various elements, like the North Pole or Flying Reindeer, toy making elves, etc. However, all of the basic elements grew out of the core story of the obscure bishop of Myra, Greece.
