. Symbolism of animals and birds represented in English church architecture . ok a fancy to these additions, theywould accept them without criticism orhesitation. A great deal of confusion was dueto mistranslations of the names of variousBiblical animals, or to a natural desire toidentify the fabulous animals derived fromthe classics with others mentioned in theBible. Yet the Bestiaries will not enable usto identify all the beasts and birds which arerepresented in our churches, for in manycases the carvings are so rough, or so far-fetched and fanciful that we cannot tell whatwas the artists in
. Symbolism of animals and birds represented in English church architecture . ok a fancy to these additions, theywould accept them without criticism orhesitation. A great deal of confusion was dueto mistranslations of the names of variousBiblical animals, or to a natural desire toidentify the fabulous animals derived fromthe classics with others mentioned in theBible. Yet the Bestiaries will not enable usto identify all the beasts and birds which arerepresented in our churches, for in manycases the carvings are so rough, or so far-fetched and fanciful that we cannot tell whatwas the artists intention. Yet we are surethat, where investigation and comparisonenable us to fix for certain the identity of theanimal, the religious, moral or doctrinallessons attached will generally be found inour Bestiaries, or more easily still in ourBibles. To take just two examples. Where a littlepractice has enabled us to identify theAgnus Dei or Lamb of God as Itstands or reclines holding a Long Cross inIts forepaws, we shall be able to find in the 18 ^ K ft^.-^^ . -j^^ f-^n ^■^. 5b THE NEW YOi\APUBLIC LIBRARY ASTOn, LENOXTILDfN FOUNDATIONS ENGLISH CHURCH ARCHITECTURE Bible the reference to Our Lord, the Lamb ofGod that taketh away the sins of the world,the Lamb that was slain of the Revelation. Or when again we have performed thecomparatively easy task of recognising thecarvings of the lion, we shall in all probabihtyfind its exact meaning in most examples,either in the pages of the Bestiaries, or in theOld Testament, or perhaps in the interpreta-tion which has been assigned by mediaevalcommentators to the lion of Revelation iv,which they held to signify the Evangelist,S. Mark. It has often been surmised that the wholefabric of a church signifies the human soul,and that the good and bad animals carvedinside and out represent the good and evilpresent in the soul. Some have suggestedthat the evil beasts carved outside a building(such as those under the eaves of the NormanChurch of Kil
Size: 1360px × 1838px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidsymbolismofanima00coll
