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1423 woodcut of St. Christopher & Child

The real world origins of In Nomine‘s Demon Princes are fairly easy to figure out. Take a quick look through the Goetia and you’ll find almost all of them. Things get a little more complicated when you turn to the Archangels. Some are clearly part of angel lore, others are inspired by saints, and a third group are pulled from wherever it’s convenient. Christopher was most likely inspired by Saint Christopher, a giant of a man (perhaps a Child of the Grigori) frequently depicted as carrying a child. However, he is not the patron saint of children (that would be Saint Nicholas, ho ho ho), he is the patron saint of travelers. The image of a child comes from a story about Saint Christopher set after the giant had turned himself to the service of God. In the story he had vowed to serve whatever was strongest. When this vow turned him to the service of god he was given the task of using his great stature to help travelers ford a river. One of those travelers wore the form of a child. During the crossing the water rose, and the child grew more heavy, and Christopher feared he would be able to finish the crossing. When he made it to the other side he vowed to follow the child, who had put him in greater mortal danger than anyone else, at which point it was revealed that he already did, as the child embodied creation and he who made it. So, if Saint Christopher is not the Archangel of Children (and in truth, In Nomine has some fairly strong words about men becoming angels), then the Angel Christopher is not the man from that story, but the child. Using this interpretation, it’s safe to say that Christopher would have access to the Songs of Harmony and Water, and probably encourages his Servitors to take on the Roles as children.