Saint Nicholas
Life and Legend
Description:... It is a long, long journey from the pious, thin Bishop Nicholas of Myra to the roly-poly dispenser of gifts on Christmas Eve. Why the tremendous appeal of a bishop in one of the remote corners of the Roman Empire? How did he become the jolly denizen of the North Pole? Here, lavishly illustrated with pictures that allow us to see as well as to read about Nicholas's transformation, is the story of an enigmatic figure. As the years flow by, the author points out, we come to know both less and more of this most popular saint. We lose and forget the details of his life, what he did and did not do, what he looked like when he walked through the streets of Myra. But paradoxically, with the accumulation of time it seems the spirit of the man drops its legendary, miraculous trappings and shines forth the more beautifully. We partake yearly of what must have been Nicholas's childlike joy, generosity, and concern for others: the soul of the saint himself. As "Saint Nicholas" persuasively argues, we have won the better part. -- From publisher's description.
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