치아 고통의 종교적 표현: 성 아폴로니아 숭배를 중심으로

Abstract

The cult of St. Apollonian is one of the most important religious expressions related to toothache. Apollonia was a female Christian who was reported to have been martyred in 249, and was canonized in the early church. She was stood out as the saint for patients with toothache at the late Middle Ages, and to this day, various forms of faith for her, such as relics and religious paintings, have been practiced. Official documents about St. Apollonia, such as The Church History by Eusebius and The Golden Legend by Jacobus, highlight her voluntary martyrdom. However the medieval popular tradition paid attention to the details in which she was damaged by teeth before the martyrdom. She was expected to appeal to Jesus by empathy for the suffering of toothache. Apollonia depicted in pictures represents the painful experience of the medieval Europeans who lived in a poor dental medical environment with no treatment other than extraction. She is represented by forceps which externalizes the pain of a patient with toothache. Due to the iconic similarity of holding tongs, Apollonia became a patron saint of dentists who were formed as medical professionals in modern times. She is accepted as a symbol for both patients and doctors and has remained with multi-layered symbols.