Napoleon Bonaparte once said that “It is the cause, not the death, that makes the martyr.” Although this statement leaves sparse room for argument, it does little to define who can really be called a martyr. Are the soldiers fighting in Iraq martyrs or is Osama Bin Laden, who once said that “I'm fighting so I can die a martyr and go to heaven to meet God”, a real martyr? Let’s try to find the answer by looking at changes in the definition of the word martyr from the time the word first existed. It is a seemingly difficult task to define the word martyr by looking at the history, but I will try my best to make its meaning as clear as possible.
The word martyr was originally taken from the Greek word martur. Martur literally means "a witness." This generated later forms of the word in Old French and Old English, eventually influenced by Christian traditions and used to refer to "those who performed special deeds in the name of this religion, specifically the sacrifice of life," as these martyrs were "witnesses" on behalf of their faith. In bible, martyr was described as the one who bears witness of the truth and suffers death in the cause of Christ. The bible also went on to say that Stephen was the first martyr. In 978 King of England was murdered by his stepmother. Miracles were reported at his grave and he was popularly regarded as a martyr. During the next few years the definition of the word underwent a sea-change. In 1340 a martyr was described as someone who dies in an evil cause, or in a cause perceived as opposed to right, usually with modifying word such as devil. In 1661 a martyr was defined as a person who chooses to suffer death rather than renounce faith in Christ or obedience to his teachings. This definition was formerly applied to Charles I by those members of the Anglican Church who regarded his execution in 1649 as an act of religious persecution. Then about one hundred years’ later in 1751 Richardson Clarissa replicated the 1340 definition of martyr when he quoted that, “He who perishes in needless dangers, is the Devil's Martyr.” In Roman Catholic liturgy, martyrs rank before all other saints. Ironically a martyr has also been described as a person who dies in an evil cause, or in a cause perceived as opposed to right. Later in 1834 “tolpuddle martyrs” was the name given to British farm laborers in Dorset, S England, who were sentenced to transportation for forming a trade union. There have also been a lot of quotes which make fun of the word. As in 1847 F. A. Kemble said, “She is a martyr to dyspepsia and bad cooking.” Also as recently as in 1988 a scientist was quoted as saying, “A lot of famous names are cited as martyrs to the creative malady.” At present, martyr can best be described as someone who sacrifices something of great value and especially life itself for the sake of principles. Sarcastically, at the same time, it is also defined as a person who ostentatiously displays their distress to gain sympathy.
