. Symbolism of animals and birds represented in English church architecture . ,with the result that the ship would sink, andthe sailors would be drowned. This scene isoften depicted in its various parts in theBestiaries. The interpretation of the story is not diffi-cult. The whale is the devil, the sea is theworld, and the ship with its freight of humansouls signifies ourselves. The devil, by hisdeceptive appearance, lures us to destructionand eternal loss. The whale has another remarkable charac-teristic. Like the panther, he has a sweetbreath when he opens his mouth ; but, unlikethe panthers
. Symbolism of animals and birds represented in English church architecture . ,with the result that the ship would sink, andthe sailors would be drowned. This scene isoften depicted in its various parts in theBestiaries. The interpretation of the story is not diffi-cult. The whale is the devil, the sea is theworld, and the ship with its freight of humansouls signifies ourselves. The devil, by hisdeceptive appearance, lures us to destructionand eternal loss. The whale has another remarkable charac-teristic. Like the panther, he has a sweetbreath when he opens his mouth ; but, unlikethe panthers, the whales breath has a badinterpretation. When the latter opens hisjaws, and the odour comes forth, shoals offish come and enter the huge jaws whichsuddenly close on them, and prevent theirescape. So the gates of hell will one day close onheedless souls, and hope of escape will begone for ever. In the carving at Alne, the ship and thesailors are represented, but the whale itselfhas been omitted. The remains of the inscrip-tion, aspido, show what the artist intended, 102. 1 r ^,4*it^ ■■^f ^ ■ ■A-^/W; >»^ ^M-
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, booksubjec, booksubjectchristianartandsymbolism
