Saint Nick Was A Baddie
Early Christianity was chaotic, with little consensus about the new faith’s doctrine. In 325 AD, Emperor Constantine the Great convened bishops in Nicaea to sort things out in what came to be known as the First Council of Nicaea. It settled some core issues, such as the divine nature of Jesus and his relationship to God, the first part of the Nicene Creed, and when to celebrate Easter.
The debates en route to consensus were heated, though. They were not like Ivy League discussion panels, whose professors in bowties and thick glasses fear and abhor violence. Participants at the Council of Nicaea could and did settle debates with their fists. Forget passive aggressive cutting remarks: early church fathers could pull out knives in the middle of discussions to literally cut each other.
Saint Nicholas was one of the bishops at Nicaea, and settled a discussion there with his fists. His victim was a priest named Arius, whose teachings had roiled Christianity and caused the convocation of the council in the first place. Arius, who was accused of heresy, was invited by Emperor Constantine to defend his position.
He got up and began to do so, but his speech angered opponents. Said opponents included Nicholas – by then middle-aged, and apparently with a short fuse when it came to heresy. He reportedly did a Will-Smith-at-the-Oscars, rose from his seat, rushed Arius, and interrupted his speech with a punch to the face. For that, Nicholas was stripped of his bishopric, and imprisoned for a time.
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Where Did We Find This Stuff? Some Sources and Further Reading
Ancient History Encyclopedia – Prometheus
Aquamermaid – 21 Facts About Mermaids
Beer Connoisseur – The Myth of St Bernards and Barrels
Bulfinch, Thomas – Bulfinch’s Mythology (2010)
Daily Beast – The Myth of the St Bernard & the Brandy Barrel
Daily Beast – Was Santa Actually a Badass Who Beat Up a Priest?
Dodwell, Henry – The Founder of Modern Egypt: A Study of Muhammad Ali (1931)
Encyclopedia Britannica – Cronus
Encyclopedia Britannica – Saint Bernard Breed of Dogs
English Heritage – Dragons and Their Origins
Fry, Stephen – Mythos: A Retelling of the Myths of Ancient Greece (2017)
Heritage Daily – The Origins of Dragon Mythology
Historic Royal Palaces – Historic Hauntings at Hampton Court Palace
History Collection – 5 Fantastic Medieval Beasts Based on Folklore
Japan Talk – 8 Common Ninja Myths
Jones, David E. – An Instinct for Dragons (2000)
Keefer, Professor Julia, New York University – The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus
Kerenyi, Karl – The Gods of the Greeks (1951)
Live Science – Dragons: A Brief History of the Mythical, Fire-Breathing Beasts
Live Science – Santa Claus: The Real Man Behind the Myth
Military History Now – Enter the Ninja: Facts and Myths About Japan’s Most Mysterious Warriors
Mount Vernon – Ghost Stories: Washington’s Ghost Haunts Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon – Great George’s Ghost: Josiah Quincy III and His Fright Night at Mount Vernon
National Ocean Service – Are Mermaids Real?
Rawi, Egypt’s Heritage Review – Coffee With the Pasha: The Story of Egypt’s Most Famous Massacre
Royal Museums, Greenwich – What is a Mermaid and What Do They Symbolize?
