Saint Christoffer

St Christopher has not stood the test of time. This clearly explains why marl was hardly ever used to make gable stones. The material was too susceptible to the influence of the weather.

‍

Archive photo taken in 1912. It is clear to see that the stone was already badly affected and originally had a trapezoid shape. This was lost when the stone was later relocated in a new facade.

‍

The statue of St Christopher in the OL Vrouwe basilica is the patron saint of baggage carriers.

The gable stone depicts St Christopher in his characteristic pose as the carrier of Christ.
According to legend, Christopher was a giant from Canaan who wanted to serve only the most powerful ruler. His first master was a king, but Christopher discovered that he was afraid of the devil. He concluded that the devil must therefore be even more powerful than the king and decided to enter the devil's service. Then Christopher noticed that the devil was afraid of Christ. He therefore left the devil and went in search of Christ to serve him.
On the way Christopher met a hermit and asked him how he could serve Christ. The hermit told him about Christ and knew a way for Christopher to serve Christ. He took him to a wild, dangerous river, in which many people drowned when they tried to cross it. With his exceptional height and strength, Christopher was able to get the people across safely.
One night there was a child standing on the bank of the river. The child asked Christopher to get  him across safely. Christopher carried the child on his shoulders, but with every step he took, the child became heavier. After he had crossed the river with difficulty, the child told Christopher that he was Christ and that, by carrying him, he had felt the sins of the world on his shoulders. The name Christopher is derived from the Greek Christophorus, meaning Christ-bearer.