The snail, icon/blazon of Saint Anthim the Iberian
The snail, icon/blazon of Saint Anthim the Iberian

Summary/Abstract: Buffon’s remark about personal expression, i.e. The style is the man himself /Le style est l’homme même has long stepped out of the literary field and come to define anyone’s personality, in particular, the way of expressing themselves, their behaviour, their manner of dressing or eating. In addition to all these, certain people, usually those who enjoy a special political, social, cultural and/or religious status have adopted a particular emblem, a blazon meant to represent them, which appears on most of their personal belongings. Their choice is not accidental, but rather based on certain complex considerations, whose reasons may be known, overtly confessedor, on the contrary, only presumed; in the latter case, the symbolic decyphering plays a major role. More often than not, the blazon was seen not only as an emblem of the person who adopted it, but also as his own mirror, which could reveal certain hidden psychological facets of its holder. The present study aims at highlighting certain aspects of the snail, considered to be not only the personal blazon of the Metropolitan Anthim the Iberian, but also his icon, his manner of self-representation, humble but very resolute as well.

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