The face of the man who inspired the legendary figure Santa Claus was revealed for the first time in almost 1,700 years. Reportedly, scientists used data from the skull of Saint Nicholas of Myra, the real-life bishop who inspired the concept of Santa Claus, to “forensically recreate” his face.
Who was Saint Nicholas of Myra?
He was a Christian saint, and his penchant for gift-giving inspired the Dutch folk figure of Sinterklaas, who later became Santa Claus. Over the years, this mythical figure merged with English Father Christmas to become the character who is adored by children worldwide.
Despite his immense popularity, there is no proper description of Saint Nicholas of Myra. Now, people can see his “living face” for the first time.
Cicero Moraes, the lead author of the new study, told the Mirror that the facial construction revealed that the saint had a "strong and gentle face”, adding that it is "curiously compatible" with the face described in the 1823 poem A Visit From St Nicholas - which is popularly known as 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.
“The skull has a very robust appearance, generating a strong face, as its dimensions on the horizontal axis are larger than average. This resulted in a 'broad face' curiously compatible with the 1823 poem. This characteristic, combined with a thick beard, is very reminiscent of the figure we have in mind when we think of Santa Claus,” Moraes said.
How was the face created?
{{/usCountry}}“The skull has a very robust appearance, generating a strong face, as its dimensions on the horizontal axis are larger than average. This resulted in a 'broad face' curiously compatible with the 1823 poem. This characteristic, combined with a thick beard, is very reminiscent of the figure we have in mind when we think of Santa Claus,” Moraes said.
How was the face created?
{{/usCountry}}Moraes told the outlet that he and his team used the data collected by Luigi Martino in 1950, adding, “We initially reconstructed the skull in 3D using this data.”
"We then traced the profile of the face using statistical projections. We supplemented this with the anatomical deformation technique, in which the tomography of a living person's head is adjusted so that the virtual donor's skull matches that of the saint. The final face is an interpolation of all this information, seeking anatomical and statistical coherence,” he explained.
Moraes took to Instagram to share a series of photos:
“He was a bishop who lived in the early centuries of Christianity and had the courage to defend and live the teachings of Jesus Christ, even at the risk of his life,” Jos Luis Lira, the study's co-author and an expert on the lives of saints, told the outlet while talking about the significance of the real-life saint.
Also Read: How do cicadas make their ‘eerie, amazingly loud' signature song? Scientists reveal
"He challenged the authorities, including the Roman Emperor, for this choice. He helped those in need so frequently and effectively that when people sought a symbol of kindness for Christmas, the inspiration came from him. His memory is universal not only among Christians, but among all peoples,” the co-author continued.