Brewer's: Christopher

(St.). The giant carried a child over a brook, and said, “Chylde, thou hast put me in grete peryll. I might bere no greater burden.” To which the child answered, “Marvel thou nothing, for thou hast borne all the world upon thee, and its sins likewise.” This is an allegory: Christopher means Christ-bearer; the child was Christ, and the river was the river of death.

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language