ticularly afraid of a certain deity, Neck.[1] Besides Nicor and Neck, who remind us of St. Nicolas as a sea-monster, the very name of Nicolas is used in a similar signification, but only in its diminutives. For instance, in Germany the sea-deity is sometimes called Nickel or Nickelmann,[2] and in England Old Nick is a familiar name of the Evil Spirit.[3] The third diminutive of St. Nicolas, Klaus, is only found in the child-cult of our saint—"der böse Klaus."[4]
Artemis of Ephesos, as most sea-deities, is sometimes represented on horseback[5]; so is also sometimes St. Nicolas, he being a patron of horses.[6]
After all that has been said, we may, I think, draw the conclusion that the Christian cult of St. Nicolas has, as a whole, replaced that of Artemis of Ephesos. We must bear in mind that the position of the town of Myra as a sea-station between Antioch, Alexandria, and Jaffa from one side, and Constantinople and Italy from the other, was particularly favourable[7] to a sea-cult.
In the description of sea-miracles ships are generally supposed to sail from Venice, Antioch, Alexandria, or Constantinople, laden with corn; they sail from east to west, passing Myra[8] on the way. St. Paul was twice in Lycia, and on both occasions saw at Myra, or at Patara, ships
- ↑ E. H. Meyer, Germanische Mythen, Berlin, 1891, S. 131.
- ↑ Simrock, l. c; and Grimm, Deutsches Wörterbuch, 1889, S. 733.
- ↑ "Several appellations are proper names of men bestowed on the Evil Spirit …… such are the Engl. 'Old Davy', 'Old Nick' (Nicolas), though there may be also allusion to Hnikor." (Grimm's Mythology, Engl. ed., p. 1004.)
- ↑ Ibid., p. 514.
- ↑ "Diese Artemis Potamia war, wie alle Wassergottheiten, auch Rossegöttin." (Mueller, Ant., § 363; Guhl, ibid.)
- ↑ See Zingerle, l. c., S. 411; and Mikola Ugodnik, etc., pp. 39-40. I was told by Prof. Volodimirof of Kief that there is an image in the West of Russia representing St. Nicolas on horseback; but, personally, I have never seen such an image.
- ↑ See Mikola Ugodnik, etc., p. 14.
- ↑ See my Syriac legend, quoted above, and Wace's St. Nicolas; Legenda Aurea, p. 24, and other sea miracles quoted above.
