The Peacock

Hi All,
The peacock was once a symbol of Lucifer, but here we find it
is also connected with the Manicheans:
http://www.geocities.com/easo4/NAZARANIANDSYRIANCHRISTIANSOFKERALA.htm

"Incidentally it is worth mentioning that St.Thomas in Mylapore is
connected with a peacock and the Bleeding Cross itself shows carved
images of peacock. It was Mani and his disciples who knew the art of
transforming themselves into peacocks and fly in the air. Hence
Subhra-Mani (light- Mani) was always associated with a peacock .It
was Mani's chief disciple Ammon while attempting to fly as a peacock was shot by an arrow by a hunter and he died. He was buried in Mylapore, which in olden times was a trading centre known for export of peacocks and peacock feathers. The Armenian merchants who used to trade with Middle East countries were followers of Mani and had long established trade connections with the Chettys in Tamil kingdoms, like Chola, Chera and Pandy.Their head quarter was Kanchipuram; In the 3rd centuryAD they had established a Church in Mylapore, which was later destroyed due to persecution of Mani followers by Hindu and Muslim Rulers. The Portuguese excavated this area in the 16th century and hit history when they found remnants of an Armenian Church and a cross. They proclaimed them as of St. Thomas origin though the evidences unearthed clearly pointed towards Manachean origin. Even the sacred relics of St. Thomas were not spared from the heresy of Mani, which the Roman Catholics had added to the list of venerated relics."

The Thomas Christians of India have long been connected with Mani it seems. The peacock here represents the Redeemed Lucifer.