Without a doubt, the most depicted figure in art is Jesus. But have you seen him depicted as a three headedhybrid? A strange multiheaded being with one body, three noses, and four eyes. It’s one of the most peculiar examples of Christian iconography. So peculiar in fact, that they were even banned by the Catholic Church. Perhaps because they stem from ancient pagan mythologies, or that they appear in portraits of the Devil. Welcome to Strange Christian Art. This Episode: Three Headed Jesus.

This bizarre icon is an attempt to illustrate a core Christian belief about God: The Trinity. The seemingly paradoxical idea that one God exists as three distinct persons. These kinds of images (known as tricephalics if you want to seem smart) appear in a number of European mythologies. Gods like Janus, Lugus, Triglav, and Hecate all have three heads. Not to forget the many outside Europe too like the Hindu deity Brahma. The idea that Satan too has three heads comes from Dante's Inferno, who offered a chilling, multifaceted, description of Lucifer.

I have been planning this series for a while now and have collected so many more strange artworks that I hope to explore. Stick around for more! Oh, and thank you for 566,000 subscribers. Wow!

H.


Sources & Further Reading:

The ThreeFaced Representation of the Holy Trinity by Zoe Goedecke. Kerver Book of Hours: Senior Capstone. 2018.

Not So Unorthodox: A Reevaluation of Tricephalous Images of the Trinity by Gesa E. Thiessen. Theological Studies. 2018.

Triple Deity Wiki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_...


Music:

Intro Epic of Gilgamesh in Sumerian by Peter Pringle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUcTs...

The Inspector by David Celeste
Via Epidemic Sound

Erudition by Ambre Jaune
Via Epidemic Sound

Wandering Soul by Gabriel Lewis
Via Epidemic Sound

My Kind of Illusion by Jay Varton
Via Epidemic Sound

Mastermind by David Celeste
Via Epidemic Sound

Outro Peaceful Ambient Music by CO.AG
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcav...
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...


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