Avening

The Church

This figure resides high in the roofbeams of Avening Church Gloucestershire and has been described as a male exhibitionist by Malcom Thurlby in his paper on Studland church ¹. The church at Avening is unique in being the only church commissioned by a queen. Namely Queen Matilda wife of William the conqueror. The story of the founding of the church has all the hallmarks of a romantic tragedy.

A Jilted Queen

In the year 1050, Brittric of Avening, Lord of Gloucester was sent by Edward the Confessor as an ambassador to Baldwin, Count of Flanders. It was here that he met Matilda who fell in love with Brittric despite him being married. However Brittric, who was said to be very pale (his nickname was Snow) rejected her advances much to the annoyance of Matilda. shortly after she became queen,she had the King disposses Brittric of the manor of Avening and had him thrown into prison at Worcester, where he died. Rumours have it that the death sounded very much like poisoning. Some years later the queen deeply regretted her actions and built a church at Avening in penance. The Queen consecrated the church in 1080 and gave a feast of a pigs head to the builders. This feast is still commemorated in the village as Pig Face Day on September the 14th where the villagers “feast” in the village hall.

The Figure

The figure is an acrobatic type with the head peering from between the legs with the hand gripping the knees. The “penis” juts out from the wall and enters the mouth of the figure. The contorted position of the figure makes it very hard to work out where exactly the penis is coming from. In fact the “penis” is not particularly phallic especially with the lack testes which are usually shown. This figure is a good example of the variety of explicitness in Romanesque figures. While its very hard to see the gaping vulva of the Kilpeck figure as anything but a vulva the impaled figrue at Rock is altogether more ambiguous yet still seems to have some sexual characteristics. This figure equally ambiguous in its representation. “Penis swallowers” are not unknown in Romanesque carving with worn but still explicit example at Denton in the Midlands. The later worn Scottish figure in Glasgow may also be another example of a penis swallower. Another interpretation of the figure is that rather than being a penis it may in fact be a musical instrument. However if this is the case it seems more likely that it would be holding the instrument rather than its knees.

Another Penis Swallower? — Another Penis Swallower or bagpipe player?

The Corbel outlined to make the figure clearer

Another corbel in the church which I first thought appeared to be eating. However on closer examination and darkening the more deeply carved parts of the figure it turns out that the figure could be a muscian playing a bagpipe. However as Pat O’Halloran (www.danu.co.uk) has pointed out to me the fingers are in the wrong place for a bagpipe player. Anthony Weir is of the opinion that that this is another phallic sucking figure. In this case the pipe of the arm could be holding back a spindly leg. The damaged end of the leg couldbe a snapped off foot. Click on the image on the left to outline the figure and hopefully the carving will be a little clearer and you can decide for yourself.

1 The Romanesque Church of St Nicholas, Studland (Dorset), Malcom Thurlby and Karen Lundren in Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society.

John Harding

Directions

Wells

The Figures

Updated 16-04-2006. These figures are mentioned in Cave’s Roof Bosses of the Churches of England. Rather surprisingly they can be found in the cafe and near the Gift shop in Wells cathedral. The figure to the right can be found in the foyer between the gift shop and cafe. Look up as you enter the foyer and you should see the figure in front of you on the ceiling. The second figure can be found inside the cafe about half way down. This figure is not so distinct as the first and is badly weathered.

The Foyer figure. I recently revisited this figure and came away with better photographs. As you can seen from the above picture the figure seems to be fully clothed without any overt display of genitalia. There is a small lump in the groin area which may indicate that the figure is meant to male. Either way this figure is definitely not sheela na gig or a male exhibitionist.

The second alleged sheela na gig in the cloisters (now a cafe). As you can see from the photos above and below this figure appears to be a splay legged possible angel rather than an exhibitionist. You can make out two wings either side of the head and the groin is most definitely covered by a loin cloth.

The loin cloth covering the groin area.

Are these sheelas?

Cave mentions the figures in passing “as two sheela na gigs of an unusual type”. He does not give an exact position other than the cloister area. These two figures seem to fit his description. When Keith and myself the first visited the figures we both came away thinking that foyer figure was an exhibitionist, however on closer inspection this does not seem to be the case. We were more doubtful about the second figure and as it turns out with good cause. Neither of the figures is Romanesque and the carving appears later in style which further counts against them.
As can be seen with the Bristol figure and to a lesser extent the figure at South Tawton, Cave’s definition of a sheela na gig is idiosyncratic to say the least. With the better photographs above I think it is safe to say that both of the Wells figures are definitely not sheela na gigs or exhibitionists of any type, if of course these are the figures that Cave was referring to. If any knows of any better candidates for Cave’s figures then please let us know.

Location

Directions

West Knoyle

The Figure

The architecture of the church at West Knoyle is of the decorated period (late 12th early 13th centuries) and adorning the tower on the corner directly opposite the main entrance to the churchyard is this monstrous testicle licking anus shower. This figure is posed in much the same position of feet to ears as another testicle licking anus shower at nearby Mere some 3 miles distant. on the right adjacent corner there is a carving of a dog with it’s head to tail. On closer inspection this figure too is licking its genitals. This could be an indication of how we are supposed to interpret this figure. A man acting like a dog perhaps? Possibly indicating a sinful, bestial nature?

Unfortunately I have not been able to find out much about the church or its figure to date. If you have any information please get in touch.

Location

Directions

Ansford

This figure is located on the gate post of a private house in the small village of Ansford which adjoins Castle Cary in Somerset

The figure appears to be a corbel (see below) and the local town guide states that the figure originates from Glastonbury abbey. From the style of the figure it would appear to be from the 15th century and it similar to other carvings at nearby Castle Cary Church (see below)

The motif seems to be popular in the area with similar anus showers at Mere and West Knoyle

The local guide Welcome to Castle Cary and Ansford can be bought from the Castle Cary Living History Group website

The following information comes from Adrian V Pearse Chairman of the Castle Cary Living History Group

“This carving was installed in its present position at his home by my grandfather, Wosson John Barrett, assisted by local builder G. Stockley, in the late 1930s or 1940s – I have several photos of this being done. The Barrett family had a number of grocery and confectionery shops in both Castle Cary and Glastonbury – it is believed this carving came from the garden of one of the Glastonbury shops, no. 10 High Street – the garden was a plot detached from the actual building plot, to the south and a little to the east, bordering the north side of the abbey site. These plots were full of rubble and material from the ruins. The grotesque as now sited is combined with the top part taken from a staddle stone, and the weather vane came from the remains of a nearby demolished house, the ‘Lower House’ at Ansford mentioned in the Woodforde diaries. All three items were installed here at the same time. We have recently been informed that the symbolism of the grotesque comes from Revelation chapter 12, and that there are other Somerset examples also associated with Glastonbury Abbey.”

Glastonbury Carvings
There are at least two carvings mounted above some of the shops in the main street in Glastonbury. These appear to be made from the same material and are similar in style

Side view of the figure. The flat top may indicate that it is a re-used corbel with separate finial cemented on top. Conversely the figure may just be a decorative feature. Examples of this can be seen on the church at Castle Cary which only have a decorative function. There appear to be worn animal heads on each side of the finial

Monster at Ansford — Monster at Castle Cary

Figure at nearby Castle Cary church dating from the 15th century. The eyes are treated in a similar way to the anus shower though other figures eyes have drilled pupils. This figure is purely decorative.

Male and Female monsters at Castle Cary church circa 15th century (notice the breasts on the left hand figure). Compare these to the monstrous anus shower at Mere.

John Harding

Directions

Mere

Testicle Licking Monster — Testicle Licking Anus Showing Monster

The Figure

I heard of a possible sheela in the church at Mere from someone on the internet. I finally managed to get down to the village only to find out that unfortunately while the figure is exhibitionist it is definitely not a sheela. Nevertheless it is interesting and deserves a mention. The carvings can be found in the Church of St. Michael in Mere Wiltshire in the Bettesthorne chapel. The carvings have obviously been moved but due to the lack of weathering it seems likely that they have been indoors for most of their life. A possible indication of them having had to have been moved some point can been seen in the original roof line of the chapel which is still visible on the inside wall (See below). The church itself is thought to be around 900 years old. The earliest records date to around 1091.

There are guides to the church available but no mention is made of the carvings despite other interesting features being mentioned.

The figure does not fit the usual sheela type and may in fact be male there are two “stones” which the monsters tongue is licking but there seems to be a distinct lack of any other genitalia. I think the safest categorisation would be that of an “anus shower” rather than a Sheela. There is also another similar figure on the opposite wall which appears to be holding a scroll or shaft of some type. I got the distinct impression that this figure was meant to be holding something in between its legs and arms though what that could be I have no idea.

A similar “testicle licking” figure can be found on the Church Tower at West Knoyle some 5 miles away to the east

SheelaMereSide — A side view of the figure

Companion Figure Opposite. The bar between the hands appears to be made of wood.

Location

Directions

Abson

The Figures

Test

In addition to the male figure on Abson Church The Divine Hag of the Christian Celts also mentions a figure (above) on the tower as a possible sheela.

Keith Jones investigated Abson on the strength of a mention of a sheela na gig from the Erotic Traveller website, convinced that there was a sheela at the site, he came up with the figure on the tower (which from a distance could be mistaken for a sheela similar to that at Church Stretton). Keith has visited the site fairly recently with improved equipment and has begun to have doubts himself. It seems that the figure that the Erotic Traveller website was referring to was in fact the male figure. I recently re-visited the church with an improved telephoto lens on the camera and managed to get the above shot of the figure. As you can see there is nothing really to suggest that the figure is a sheela let alone exhibitionist. In fact it appears to holding a model of something possibly a building or ship. In addition the figure appears to be wearing a feather in a hat. In retrospect and with the new photo and details both myself and Keith are now of the opinion that the figure is not a sheela at all.

The Abson figure in sheela na gig literature.

This figure now appears in two books on sheela na gigs namely Jack Robert’s “The Divine Hag of the Christian Celts” and Barbara Freitag’s “Sheela na gigs : Unravelling an enigma”. What is not as well known is that this figure only got into the “Divine Hag” because of Keith’s initial mistaken visit. Jack Roberts credits Keith with the discovery in the “Divine Hag. Barbara Freitag admittedly describes the figure as dubious but I feel this one figure we can discount as being a sheela with some certainty.

John Harding

The Abson "Female" figure — The Abson “Female” figure

Location

Directions

Bishopstone

Possible Female Figure

Possible Male Figure

The church of St Andrews at Bishopstone Sussex has Anglo Saxon origins as can be seen in the sundial above the main door of the church which bears the name Eadric.The church houses a number of Norman and pre Norman features and is thought to date from the 8th century. The church also bears on the corbel table of the tower two very worn figures which may be male and female exhibitionists. The female is the more convincing of the two with the remains of a shallow oval on the underside. The legs are practically worn away but it was likely that they were bent and the feet faced towards the wall. You can also still faintly make out the arms gesturing the groin possibly in a “hands in lap” pose. The face is faint but can still be made out in the picture above. The jaw is fairly square unlike its companion two corbels to the right who’s head is much rounder in comparison. The “male” figure, if male it be, is somewhat less convincing than its female companion. It has a similar pose with the legs arranged in the same way and what appears to be the remains of a scrotal sack. This is however open to interpretation. There does appears to be a large bulge between the legs and small worn protruberance emantes from this bulge The arms of the figure seem to be laid across the chest rather than pointing to the groin.
It’s hard to tell if both these figures were once exhibitionist due to weathering, which has probably been accelerated by the coastal location of the church. The CRSBI site mentions both figures as a “sheilanagig” sic but puts a question mark against both.
The context of these corbels i.e. on a Romanesque corbel table counts in favour of these orginally being exhibitionist but while likely it’s impossible to be sure due to the weathering. (For an example of a worn figure which has all the attributes, but is unlikely to be exhibitionist, see the Gloucester Annus Figure)

The church tower. The arrows indicate the two possible exhibitionist figures. The rest of the corbels include many common Romanesque motifs such as double heads and beasts. The main porch lies to the right of the picture.

End view of the church. Notice that the decorated tower corbels go right round the tower.

The main door of the church bears a Romanesque archway. The sundial above the door is thought be Saxon and bears the inscription ‘Eadric’ preceded by an equal armed cross.

John Harding

Directions

Grain

The Figure

The Grain figure has been reported quite a few times as a sheela na gig. When Keith Jones visited the site the local vicar told him the congregation wanted the figure moved as they considered it obscene. When I visited he was under the impression it was a pagan idol. What it actually is, is a fine example of a beard puller which is a common motif in Romanesque church carving (See Images of Lust or Anthony Weir’s website for other examples there is a good example of a mega-phallic beard puller in Santander Spain here). The figure is mistakenly referred to as a “Sheila-na-gig” here. One more example of the term fast coming to mean any anomalous or unusual church carving.

From Keith’s initial photographs there appeared to be faint knotwork or cross hatching in the space between the beard. When I actually visited the figure however I found this was not the case. The figure is very well carved with over long hands and a friendly expression. It has pointed ears and there appears to be some damage to the left hand. There is no other significant carving on the church although there are obvious indications on the walls of the church of a previous structure which appears to be at right angles to the current building. The chancel arch has some zig zag decoration on the pillars which may or may not be Norman but the chancel possesses two small round-headed Norman windows. The tower which appears to be Norman in fact only dates from the 1905. Strangely for a small country church there are no pews nor have there ever been any.

The figure can be found in the porch of St James, Grain in Kent (pictured below) above the main door. From its construction it appears to be a corbel (flat back and top) which has been moved to the porch from somewhere else. The door itself is interesting as it is thought to be very old. Damage on the door was caused by Dutch sailors in 1667 who attempted to break into the church with a view to looting it. The repair to the door was made by the same sailors who were caught and punished by their own officers for the attempted break in. The wood used to make the repair is thought to come from a Dutch man-o-war. Thanks go to the wife of the vicar who showed us round the church on a bitterly cold day. Interestingly she was not aware of the figure even though they had lived there for some time.

The Internet Mystery of The Grain Beard

Every year I get a burst of hits on this webpage from people searching for a “Grain Beard” which was very puzzling. After putting up a note on this page a number of people contacted me with the solution. It turns out that “Grain Beard” is a clue in a crossword book and it seems a syndicated crossword. The answer seems to be “Awn” so please look no further.

Location

Directions

Bredwardine

The Figure

This figure is situated above a low blocked doorway on the Church of St Andrew’s at Bredwardine in Herefordshire. Described in the church pamphlet as a “monkey” figure it displays a definite exhibitionist type pose. Unfortunately the stone is weathered but there does seem to be an indication of some carving between the legs which is unfortunately now missing or damaged. It’s hard to say whether or not this figure was a sheela/exhibitionist but the overall pose does seem to suggest it. The figure has appears to be wearing a headress and/or has very large ears strengthening its monkey like appearance. The figure also appears to have two breasts and has one hand touching the mouth while the other is held aloft. There is also a strange bird/snake headed figure adjacent to the “monkey” carving. This can be seen in the picture below. (It’s worth comparing the head of this figure to the snakes head on the Rock figure.) Both figures are flanked by two geometric floral carvings. The right hand pillar is topped and tailed by two very worn faces. The bottom face being inverted. Was the figure originally exhibitionist? Hard to say but I think it’s worth including it in the “possible” file. If you visit this figure be sure to look underneath the lintel as it is carved too.

The Sheela of the Baskervilles?

To the south of the churchyard lie the now scant remains of Bredwardine castle. It consists of a motte with an irregular oblong bailey. The keep seems to have separated from the bailey by a ditch. The castle would not have been overly large with the remains only measuring 78 x 45 feet. At the time of the Norman conquest Bredwardine was granted to John de Bredwardine but by the early 1200s had passed into the hands of the Baskerville family. It is interesting to note that like nearby Kilpeck, Devizes and Holdgate to the North the church appears to be part of or at l east very near to a significant Norman fortification. Due to the nature of the carving and the geometric floral ornament its thought that this is an eary carving possibly even 11th century which would not make this figure the Sheela of the Baskervilles.

For more information on Bredwardine Castle including a map showing the castles proximity to the church look here
http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/castles/castlesdata_az/bredwardine.htm

The church at Bredwardine is also famous for one of it’s previous vicars, the Victorian diarist Rev. Francis Kilvert who is buried in the churchyard.

Update 26th Nov 2005
The CRSBI site has a page dedicated to the carvings on Bredwardine church and also comes to the conclusion that the figure may be an exhibitionist or Luxuria figure.

Malcom J. Watkins of Gloucester City Museum is also of the opinion that this figure is a possible exhibitionist and mentions this briefly in connection with the Annus tablesman piece at Gloucester museum.

John Harding

Location

Directions

Margam

This figure can be found in the Margam Stones Museum at Margam Abbey near Port Talbot S.Wales. It’s mentioned in Images Of Lust as a possible corbel and the photo in the book does seem to display him like that. However as you can see from the photographs below the figure is a lot more complex and is in fact a gargoyle (i.e. water spout). Anthony Weir has a page on this figure including a correction to Images of Lust here.

Images of Lust describes the as having bent arms which appear to be holding two phalluses or candles. As you can see in the image below these “candles” are in fact the figure’s feet. The figure is actually sitting on its buttocks holding them apart (where the water comes out) with its legs splayed and up in the air. The figure could be said to be a “Man at Stool” figure. The arms and legs on one side of the figure are badly worn which at first gave me the impression that there might have been another figure on top but as it turned out this was not the case. The figure has a celtic feel to it despite it being thought to have originated in the 15th or 16th centuries. This is another example of where Images of Lust is disappointing, anyone visiting the figure can quickly ascertain that it is indeed a water spout not a corbel. Images of lust also shows the figure sitting on its buttocks upright unlike how it should have been displayed head first into a wall with the carving being visible only from below.

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Male

Avening

The Church

A Jilted Queen

The Figure

Wells

The Figures

Are these sheelas?

Location

West Knoyle

The Figure

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Ansford

Mere

The Figure

Location

Abson

The Figures

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Bishopstone

Grain

The Figure

The Internet Mystery of The Grain Beard

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Bredwardine

The Figure

The Sheela of the Baskervilles?

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Margam

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