The face that inspired Santa Claus revealed for the first time

The face of the character who inspired the image of Santa Claus has been revealed for the first time in nearly 1,700 years, after scientists reconstructed his image from a skull.

Saint Nicholas of Myra was a famous Christian saint known for his generosity and giving gifts to the poor. He inspired the Dutch folk character Sinterklaas , later known as Santa Claus in the United States.

In Britain , this legendary character, known as Father Christmas , is often associated with parties and games, becoming a favorite of children today.

However, there are no depictions of this legendary figure. Most depictions of Santa Claus appeared centuries after Saint Nicholas' death in 343 AD.

The face of Saint Nicholas of Myra. (Photo: Cicero Moraes/Pen News).

The true face of the figure has now been revealed  for the first time since the late Roman Empire, after forensic experts reconstructed his features using his skull.

Santa's face shows a strong personality but also a gentleness, said Moraes, the lead author of the new study.

'The skull has a very large shape, suggesting a face with a strong personality, as the size of the skull on the horizontal axis is larger than average. This feature, combined with the thick beard, is very reminiscent of the image we think of when we think of Santa Claus ,' said Mr Moraes.

To recreate the face of Saint Nicholas , Mr. Moraes and his team used data collected by researcher Luigi Martino in the 1950s, with permission from the Nicolaiani Research Center.

'We first reconstructed the skull in 3D using this data, ' says Moraes . 'Then we tracked the shape of the face using statistical projections. We added an anatomical deformation technique, in which a CT scan of the living head was adjusted so that the virtual donor's skull matched the skull of the Saint. The final face was an interpolation of all this information, looking for anatomical and statistical consistency.'

As a result, the scientists created two sets of images: one objective grayscale image and one more artistic image – adding features such as beard and clothing, inspired by the icon of St. Nicholas.

Remarkably, the remains of Saint Nicholas reveal more than just his face.

'It was clear that he had severe osteoarthritis in his spine and pelvis, and his skull showed bone thickening which could have caused frequent headaches. Based on this information, it is reasonable to assume that his diet was predominantly plant-based,' said Mr Moraes.

José Luís Lira, co-author of the study and an expert on the lives of saints, described the importance of St. Nicholas of Myra . During his lifetime, St. Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra, in what is now Turkey.

'St Nicholas was a bishop who lived in the early centuries of Christianity. He courageously defended and lived by the teachings of Jesus, even at the risk of his own life. He challenged the authorities, including the Roman Emperor, for this choice. The memory of St Nicholas is popular not only among Christians, but among all people,' he said.

The remains of Saint Nicholas were originally buried in Myra, then his bones were moved to Bari (Italy) where they remain to this day.

Mr Moraes explains that the Santa Claus symbol as we know it today is based on an illustration by Thomas Nast for Harper's Weekly Magazine in early 1863. The symbol was inspired by descriptions in Clement Clarke Moore's 1823 poem 'The Night Before Christmas' .

The poem features many of the popular images of the folk character we know today – including the rosy cheeks, reindeer, sleigh, bag of toys, and large face described earlier.

Mr. Moraes, Dr. Lira and co-author of the study, Thiago Beaini, published this new research in the journal OrtogOnLineMag.