# Messiah's or Christ's - Christian words and show ownership



## subieguy2

I have a tattoo on my wrist of the Greek ichthus fish (associated with Christianity). I am looking for Greek text to place next to the ichthus symbol. Specifically I am looking for the word Messiah's or Christ's. The context I am referring to is that I am owned by the Messiah or Christ. Me being a Christian owned by God.

Hope that makes sense and thank you in advance for your time/efforts/knowledge!


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## Nikolaos_Kandidatos

subieguy2 said:


> I have a tattoo on my wrist of the Greek ichthus fish (associated with Christianity). I am looking for Greek text to place next to the ichthus symbol. Specifically I am looking for the word Messiah's or Christ's. The context I am referring to is that I am owned by the Messiah or Christ. Me being a Christian owned by God.
> 
> Hope that makes sense and thank you in advance for your time/efforts/knowledge!



Hi,
I would recommend the form Χριστοῦ / ΧΡΙCΤΟΥ, the simple genitive form of "Christ". The word Christ ("anointed"), being the literal Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, is normally used in Greek instead of Messiah, although the word Μεσσίας in theory exists as well.

As for the linguistic form, normal everyday modern Greek for "Christ's" would be του Χριστού / ΤΟΥ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ. However, ecclesiastical language tends to be more archaic in both language and writing style, so I thought you would prefer Χριστοῦ / ΧΡΙCΤΟΥ which uses the polytonic accent system and the C-shaped capital sigma often used in religious contexts and omits the definite article, which is mandatory in modern Greek but often omitted in ancient Greek with proper names (you can see this in e.g. the New Testament with the name Christ). The result is a more "religious" stylistic feel appropriate to a tattoo like yours. Although I doubt we know anything about early Christian tattoos, there is a parallel in e.g. early Byzantine lead seals with the owner's name inscribed in the genitive case without the article.


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## sotos

Just ΧΡΙCTOY is most unusual in this context. Personally, I wouldn't understand it as meaning  "ownership", but probably as "fish of God", an expression that is not used. 
If there is space you can write the formal ΔΟΥΛΟC KYPIOY which is/was used  by many, from ordinary people to emperors, after their signature. (If you are a woman, ΔΟΥΛΗ ΚΥΡΙΟΥ).


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## Scholiast

Greetings

Are you aware that the fish-symbol was an acrostic? The word ICHTHYS - in Greek ΙΧΘΥΣ - represented, read vertically downwards, the head-letters of...

*Ι*ΗΣΟΥΣ
*Χ*ΡΙΣΤΟΣ
*Θ*ΕΟΥ
*Υ*ΙΟΣ
*Σ*ΩΤΗΡ

That is, "Jesus Christ [Χριστος = 'the anointed', Messiah in Hebrew], God's Son, Saviour".

Any use?

Σ

Incidentally, as a Brother in Christ, pleased also to proclaim my faith.


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## Nikolaos_Kandidatos

sotos said:


> Just ΧΡΙCTOY is most unusual in this context. Personally, I wouldn't understand it as meaning  "ownership", but probably as "fish of God", an expression that is not used.
> If there is space you can write the formal ΔΟΥΛΟC KYPIOY which is/was used  by many, from ordinary people to emperors, after their signature. (If you are a woman, ΔΟΥΛΗ ΚΥΡΙΟΥ).



How on earth could the combination of the Ichthys symbol and the word Χριστοῦ be understood to stand for "fish of God"?

It is true that I've never seen the name used on its own in this way, but I consider the above the most suitable exact rendering of the original poster's text in ecclesiastical Greek. If other proposals are accepted as well then I too agree that ΔΟΥΛΟC ΚΥΡΙΟΥ is most appropriate and fitting. I might add another proposal: the ubiquitous ΚΥΡΙΕ ΒΟΗΘΕΙ (literally "Lord help") or if there is plenty of space, the fuller form of the same expression ΚΥΡΙΕ ΒΟΗΘΕΙ ΤΩΙ ΔΟΥΛΩΙ (male) / ΔΟΥΛΗΙ (female) CΟΥ, "Lord help your servant".


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## subieguy2

Scholiast said:


> Greetings
> 
> Are you aware that the fish-symbol was an acrostic? The word ICHTHYS - in Greek ΙΧΘΥΣ - represented, read vertically downwards, the head-letters of...
> 
> *Ι*ΗΣΟΥΣ
> *Χ*ΡΙΣΤΟΣ
> *Θ*ΕΟΥ
> *Υ*ΙΟΣ
> *Σ*ΩΤΗΡ
> 
> That is, "Jesus Christ [Χριστος = 'the anointed', Messiah in Hebrew], God's Son, Saviour".
> 
> Any use?
> 
> Σ
> 
> Incidentally, as a Brother in Christ, pleased also to proclaim my faith.


I was aware of that. I mainly was looking for something to add to the design of the tattoo. Seeing as it is on my wrist I only have maybe 1.5" to work with for text. I am unclear as to what text you are suggesting. Sorry. I know nothing about the Greek language. I do know about the fish symbol. I knew it was Greek and thought it would be appropriate to match Greek text with the Greek symbol. Thought it was a good design choice and another way to proclaim my faith. Any clarity you could provide would be appreciated! Thank you for all the responses!


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## sotos

If you have a small space, you may use abbreviations that are common in byzantine calligraphy. E.g., OY can be combined in one letter, like the one in this icon, the last on top right (a small o with a V on the top)
http://www.pigizois.net/galery/parastaseis/panagia/mitir_theou.jpg

Other small phrases commonly used are IC XC NIKA  (jesus christ wins)
http://www.diakonima.gr/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/ic-xc-nika1.gif

CΩCΩΝ ΚΥΡΙΕ etc.  Btw, if you can find an orthodox priest around, he could be very helpful


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## Scholiast

Greetings once more

Another possibility (which you can often find in inscriptions, on altar-cloths and in stained-glass windows, among other places, in Anglican and RC churches) is either or both of IHC and XPC - abbreviated from ΙΗCOYC and XPICTOC respectively (with the "open" sigma).

Σ ("C").


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