The Tympanum over the entrance to St Nikolaus Chapel at the Cathedral, Worms, Rheinland Pfalz, Germany

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The Tympanum over the entrance to St Nikolaus Chapel at the Cathedral, Worms, Rheinland Pfalz, Germany depicts two acts attributed to St Nicholas of Myra. Here he is depicted as the Bishop of Myra. On the right he is seen holding the sword of the executioner who is about to execute three men condemned to death for something they didn't do. The three "people" are actually three children, so the depiction might conflate the saving of the innocent men with the resurrection of the pickled children who were killed by a malicious butcher. On the left one can see a boat with many occupants looking frightened, with a devil atop the mast. This may be an allusion to the story of St Nicholas calming the waves during a storm on the way to the holy land, or perhaps for being the patron saint of sailors and fishermen.

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Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Worms, Rheinland Pfalz, Germany
Photo credit: © Powered by Light/Alan Spencer / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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