Fig. 385.—The Father, Represented as Slightly Different to the Son. French Miniature of the Close of the XIII. Cent. From Christian Iconography (Didron).
Fig. 386.—The Divine Dove, in a Radiating Aureole. From a French Miniature of the XV. Cent. From Christian Iconography (Didron).
Among the golden treasures unearthed by Schliemann at Mykenae was a miniature “model of a temple” on which are seated two pigeons with uplifted wings:[738] among the curious and interesting happenings which occurred during the childhood of the Virgin Mary it is recorded that “Mary was in the Temple of the Lord as if she were a dove that dwelt there, and she received food as from the hand of an angel”: Fig. 380 appears to illustrate this dove dwelling in a Temple. The legend continues that when the Holy Virgin attained the age of twelve years the Angel of the Lord caused an assembly of all the widowers each of whom was ordained to bring with him his rod: the High Priest then took these rods and prayed over them, but there came no sign: at last Joseph took his rod “and behold a dove came out of the rod and flew upon Joseph’s head”.[739] It is said by Lucian that in the most sacred part of the temple of Hieropolis, the holy city of Syria, were three figures of which the centre one had a golden dove upon its head: not only was no name given to this, but the priests said nothing concerning its origin or form, calling it simply “The sign”: according to the British Bards—“To Addav came the sign. It was taught by Alpha, and it was the earliest polished melody of Holy God, and by a wise mouth it was canticled.” There is little doubt that the descending dove with wings outstretched was a variant of the three rays or Broad Arrow, that the awen was the Iona, and that this same idea was conveyed by the Three ains, or eyen, Eyes, Golden Balls, or pawnbroker’s sign. It is recorded of St. Nicholas of Bari, the patron saint of pawnbrokers, that immediately he was born he stood up in the basin in which he was being washed and remained with hands clasped, and uplifted eyes, for two hours: in later life he became wealthy, and threw into a window on three successive nights a bag of gold as a dowry for three impoverished and sore-tempted maidens. In commemoration of these three bags of gold St. Nicholas became the patron saint of pawnbrokers whose sign of the Three Golden Balls is a conversion of the three anonymous gifts.
Fig. 387.—From Christian Iconography (Didron).