Cynghordy

The Cynghordy figures are mentioned in the book The Visual Culture of Wales : Medieval Vision. They are currently housed in Camarthenshire County Museum but were originally from an mansion house in Cynghordy. The figures were donated to the Camarthenshire Antiquarian Society and Field Club by a Captain Walter P. Jefferys but the date of the donation is not known. The figures were found embedded in the porch of the house when extensive alterations were made to it in 1886. The house was also said to contain a “disturbing phantom” in one of the rooms. The figures were originally painted and were cleaned by the society ¹. It’s not stated whether the painting was whitewash or something more along artistic lines.

The Figures
The figures appear to be part of two pillars possibly from a doorway as there is carving on three sides of each figure (see below). Each of the front facing figures (left) gesture towards the pubic area. One figure holds something between its hands (an erect penis?) the other gestures towards the groin where a small rounded oblong lies, possibly a pudenda. Confusingly the “male” figure also has something between its legs which does not appear to be testicles and the female “pudenda” does not have a slit or opening which would definitely make it a representation of female genitalia. Both figures have vestigal nipples. On the right hand side of the “female” figure an animal with a long tail clings to her back. This has been interpreted as a monkey in The Visual Culture of Wales. One of the monkey’s lower legs could be interpreted as erect penis however this open to debate. On the left hand side of the “female” there is a figure with raised arms which appears to be standing on something. The groin is represented by a small incised triangle which may indicate the figures is meant to be female. On the right hand side of the “male” figure there is what appears to be another male figure with a large nose who appears to be holding a now broken erect penis. On the left hand side there are two figures and animal of some type which has been interpreted as Adam and Eve in The Visual Culture of Wales. The “male” figure is also standing on a tube like structure which wraps round to both sides of the figure. This could be interpreted as a serpent with the head of the animal being the head of the serpent. However the carving is not clear and again this is open to interpretation. The “serpent” could equally simply be a piece of decoration for the male figure to stand on.

All in all these figures are puzzling, while the sexual organs have definitely been carved they have been done in an ambiguous way which leaves the sex of the figures open to question. The “male” figure has a lozenge between it’s legs which could indicate it is meant to be female yet it also holds a stubby “penis” in it’s hands. The “female” figure’s “pudenda” lacks a defining opening and could equally be interpreted as a flacid penis. The single side figures are a little more definite but even they are open to interpretation. Interestingly another set of Welsh figures in Llanhamlach are also ambiguous, along with the questionable “vulvar phallus” in Raglan.

Thanks go to Gavin Evans of Camarthenshire County Museum for giving us a private viewing of the figures while the museum was closed and allowing us to take pictures of these remarkable figures. Copyright of the pictures remains with the museum and any enquiries for use should be addressed to them.

1. The Eleventh Year’s Transactions of the Camarthenshire Antiquarian Society and Field Club

Male figure side view. Possible broken phallic figure

“Monkey” on female figure’s back.

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Llanbadarn Fawr

The Figure

Location: ///absorbing.education.shutting

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N.B. This site should not be confused with the large Norman church at Llanbadarn Fawr near Aberystwyth. This figure lies in the church of St Padarn to the North of Llandrindod Wells near the village of Llanbadarn Fynydd in Mid Wales. The church can be found on the side of the A438 near the village of Llanbadarn Fynydd on the way to Newtown. The church is reasonably modern in appearance (Victorian) with the main doorway holding most of the Romanesque carving. The alleged sheela figure is high on the right inside wall of the porch. This figure is reported as being a sheela na gig in the booklet outlining the history of the church and is also cited as such in Romanesque Architecture And Sculpture in Wales by Malcolm Thurlby ¹. Little explanation is given for this definition as the bottom half of the carving is missing (or never existed). While the carving is not exhibitionist it does bear some stylistic similarities to the nearby Llandrindod Wells Sheela Na Gig. The breasts are treated in a similar way being flattened cones and the figure has ribs inscribed on the chest in the same way as the Llandrindod figure.The breasts differ slightly from the Llandrindod figure as they seem to be somewhat concave. The face differs from the Llandrindod figure being round and having a much more jolly smile than the enigmatic and rather peaceful expression on the Llandrindod figure. The arms of the figure are held tightly into the body but the figure is truncated at the elbows so we cannot tell if the arms originally crossed the body like the Llandrindod figure. If the figure is truncated and was originally a sheela na gig then it would quite possibly be the biggest figure ever found. The existing sculpture is quite large and if we extrapolate the rest of the figure then it would between 3 and 4 ft high. This would however tie in with the nearby Llandrindod figure which is also large for a sheela na gig. The porch also contains a double headed corbel, a carved tympanum and other carving on the doorway
Llanbadarn Fawr and the Hereford School
In addition to the alleged sheela carving there is a wealth of other carving in the porch of the church. Most notable is the doorway which has a number of figures carved on it including tympanum the symbolism of which is confusing to say the least. Its central motif is a cats head out which grows a tree or plant. This flanked either side by a lion to the right and a wolf or dog to the left. To the immediate left of the cats head lies a sun or sun wheel symbol. Malcom Thurlby in his book The Herefordshire School of Sculpture cites the carving on this doorway as being a poor copy of Herefordshire School work in the not too distant East. Other churches in Wales such as St Woolos in Newport and Brecon Cathedral also contain examples of Herefordshire School inspired work. If this influence holds true then it would seem to suggest that the Llandrindod Figure and the figures at Kilpeck and Rock are all connected and the inspiration for the motif may have come from the same source.

Gerald of Wales

The existence of the church in the 12th century is further confirmed in the writings of Gerald of Wales (Giraldus Cambrensis). His duties as Archdeacons of Brecon included the inspection of churches. However some of the clergy between the Wye and Severn rivers resented this interfernce. This attisude is born out by the low level warfare that existed at the time between the Lords of Marches to the East and the Welsh of the West. In Geralds own words :

“Every door in the town was barred against him, and there being no other place for him he took up his abode in the church which he chanced to find open, and ordered his horses to be picketted in the churchyard. After these outrageous proceedings, he straightway sent two clerks with a message to the prince of that land, Cadawallon ap Madog, his kinsman, telling him of his coming and how he was surrounded and besieged in the church. On hearing this the prince at once sent a sufficiency of victuals to the Archdeacon, with the message that he would come to him the next morning and take sharp vengeance on his wrongs, as if they were his own. But on receipt of this news the siege was raised at once, and six or seven clerks, who after the Welsh fashion shared the church between them came one after the other and bowed themselves humbly at the Archdeacon’s feet, seeking pardon and receiving it, but only after they had given due satisfaction for their disobedience, or rather their insolence.”

It is fascinating to think that Gerald may have used the same doorway to enter the church which exists to this day.

Typnanum at Llanbadarn Fawr. The figures either side of cat head/tree motif are a lion and lioness. (The trefoil tails looping under the bodies indicate that they are lions and the spoon like indentation on the neck of the right hand figure are meant to indicate a mane)

Double head corbel in the porch. This seems to have been taken from the original Norman (Romanesque) building. Double head corbels such as these are fairly common on Romanesque churches.

Capital possibly showing Adam and Eve. The odd hairstyle on the right hand figure is duplicated in another strange figure on a font at Hook Norton in England.

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Llandrindod Wells

The Llandrindod Sheela. Copyright John Harding The Sheela Na Gig Project

The Figure

Location: ///removes.viewer.chitchat Inside museum.

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The Llandrindod Wells sheela is one of best preserved, probably due to the fact that it has spent the greater portion of it’s life buried face down in the wall of the local parish church . (For another figure that was buried face down see Braunston) Despite the church being a fairly modern construction its is still known as the Old church and lies almost 1000 ft above sea level. The first mention of the church in documents is in 1291 and it is built on what appears to be a natural mound. When I visited the church I asked an old lady in the churchyard if she knew anything about the figure. She replied that it had been found face down in the place where the coal was kept to heat the church.

The sheela has been moved recently to the Radnorshire Museum on long term loan apparently for security reasons. The address is listed below.

Radnorshire Museum,
Temple Street,
Llandrindod Wells,
POWYS
LD1 6BA

Tel: 01597 824513
Fax: 01597 825781

This is one of the few sheelas in Wales the only others being in Penmon, Anglesey far to the North and two possible sheelas in the Camarthen and Ceredigion museums . The carving is crude but the lines are sharply delineated. The vulva is deeply incised and ribs can be seen either side of the torso, the freshness of the carving is remarkable given its age.

Email: radnorshire.museum@powys.gov.uk
Musem Website http://www.powys.gov.uk/index.php?id=2118&L=0

As you can see from the photo below above the sheela was originally kept in a window in the local church it is quite large being over two foot high.

Connections with the Herefordshire School of Sculpture.

The Llandrindod sheela is a loose piece of sculpture no longer in its original setting and such is hard to date. The style of the carving is crude which could indicate a date anywhere from the dark ages to the late medieval. The church in which the figure was found is first mentioned in church documents in the 13th century. However there is some evidence which seems to suggest a romanesque date for the carving sometime during the 12th century. The church of Llanbadarn Fawr a few miles to the north of Llandrindod Wells holds a broken figure, also recorded as a sheela na gig, which bears some similarities to this figure in style. The breasts on both figures are an unusual truncated cone, both are quite large and both feature ribs. It would seem likely that both figures share the same influences or even the same sculptor. The carving at Llanbadarn Fawr is placed firmly in a Romanesque context along with a carved door and tympanum that Malcolm Thurlby suggests shows Herefordshire School influence.

It is interesting that this figure, the only unequivocal sheela in Wales, should have a link with the school that carved Kilpeck however slight. There is also a corbel at the museum from Cwm Hir Abbey which shows distinct Romanesque features. Given both the nearby church and St Padarn and Cwm Hir abbey there seem to be plenty of potential Romanesque sources for the sheela even if it did not originally come from the church where it was found.

The Llandrindod Sheela in its original position

The sheela in the window of the local church circa 1999.

The Romanesque head found at Ty Faenor is thought to have originally been a corbel from the Abbey of Cwmhir (Abatty Cwmhir) one mile distant. The head shows classic Romanesque features though the accompanying sign at the museum says its shows celtic influence.

SheelaLlandrindodCase — The figure at the museum in its case

The Sheela in its case at the museum. Probably one of the best looked after sheela’s in the world.

The Church where the figure was originally housed

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Holdgate

The Figure

Location: ///volcano.apprehend.madder

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Holdgate is a tiny village in Shropshire, Tugford lies a mile away and it is not too far away from Church Stretton. The church is quite old and fairly decrepit though it is still in use.

The sheela can be found on the south facing wall of the church over a small doorway. It is quite easy to miss as a large tree obscures both the sheela and doorway. The Carving is, as usual, quite weathered and is quite large especially in comparison to the nearby Tugford Sheelas.

I originally thought that figure lacked legs but this is not actually the case. The figure is described by some authors as “pugilistic” which is understandable given the weathering on the figure. In fact what at first seem to be the figures hands are in fact its knees. The arms are behind the knees with the hand holding the vagina open. You can see this in the photograph on the left. This pose is very similar to the nearby Tugford sheela. The sheela also appears to grimacing and the lips are joined in the front leaving holes either side. . You can see a similar head on the doorway (see below) which has joined lips. This may be an unusual type of beakhead but does not follow the animal theme (brought to my attention by Keith Jones but also noted by Andersen in The Witch on the Wall). The church is again of Norman origin and somewhat dilapidated. The village of Holdgate is very small consisting of a few houses a farm and the church. The font in the church is thought to be of Herefordshire school origin¹. If this is the case then this would tie this church in with Kilpeck in Herefordshire some 40 miles to the south. There is also some indication that nearby Diddlebury is also connected with the Herefordshire school of sculptors.

The Tugford, Holdgate and Church Stretton Sheelas are all in the same vicinity as well as the Diddlebury Figures. Holdgate and Tugford being a mile distant from each other while Church Stretton is about 10 miles away.

There is more information on the Shropshire group of sheelas at the Shropshire Promotions website

sheelaholdgateN2 — The head on the church which is similar to that of the Sheela na Gig

SheelaHoldgateElyJoinedMouth — Ely Cathederal Corbel with Joined Mouth

1 .This information was taken from www.british-history.ac.uk. after Zarnecki. It does not explicitly say that the work is Herefordshire school but compares the font (right) to those at Eardisley and Castle Frome which definitely is Herefordshire school work. The sheela is also thought to be 12thC which would make this contemporary with the Kilpeck sheela and may have been carved by the same people. There is also a bear head at near by Diddlebury which is very similar in style to a bear head at Kilpeck and English Bicknor.

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Kilpeck

The Famous Sheela Na Gig — The Famous Kilpeck Sheela Na Gig

Location : ///puncture.without.informs

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The Sheela on Kilpeck Church near Hereford is probably the most famous sheela image. The sheela is not above a door like the sheelas in Tugford, Holdgate and Church Stretton but it does lie adjacent to one. Of all the sheela sculptures this is the one that is most copied and photographed

The Church

The name Kilpeck is derived from Kil or Cell and the name of the saint Pedic or Pedoric. The church is dedicated to St Mary and St David. This St David is not the patron saint of Wales but another local St David. The church at Kilpeck is quite fascinating in it’s own right. The ornately carved door contains elements of Celtic, Saxon and even Scandinavian (Viking) art and is seen as the epitome of the Herefordshire school of sculpture. It is built on a seven sided or egg shaped mound which may indicate the site was used in antiquity but this is open to debate. The church is ornately carved with no less than 89 corbels. The Sheela right is the 28th corbel on the south side of the church. Some of the corbels have been removed, this is supposedly due to a Victorian lady who objected to their subject matter, if this is true, why the Sheela remained is something of a mystery. One explanation may be that the carving has been described as a fool opening his heart to the devil. Other corbels, pictured below, are quite curious and often comical (see the dog & hare). Several of the heads depict monsters who appear with human heads in their mouths. All in all Kilpeck church is absolutely fascinating and well worth a visit.

The Figure

The Kilpeck sheela is undeniably the most well known sheela image and is often referred to as a “goddess”. However despite it’s fame (or notoriety) the figure is rarely seen in it’s actual setting. Once we take the sheela in the context of the rest of the carving on the church then it is a good example of a figure which refutes the “goddess” theory. It is one of a series of corbels each of which are examples of sculptural motifs repeated throughout western European churches. The sheela na gig is just another of those motifs, a very memorable one agreed, but just another motif. It’s origin is firmly rooted in medieval Christianity rather than it being some archaic survival of a goddess figure from antiquity.

Folklore

There is short discussion about some dubious folklore surrounding the sheela na gig here. J.M. Forbes of the University of Toronto was told a story explaining the sheela: “an erotic sculpted corbel of a woman at Kilpeck was a carving of the patron’s wife and was put up after the patron refused to pay for the carving at the church.” Forbes also relates that he or she was told more or less the same story at three other sites in England as an explanation for “rude” pieces of sculpture.

Roy Palmer in his book Herefordshire Folklore (Logaston Press 2002) relates the story of an old man in the 1920’s who was apparently present at the destruction of a number of obscene figures. “Ah that wur Miss – – -. A never could suffer that un, so a get her a pole and a pothered un off” Palmer speculates that the figures may have been male exhibitionist figures “in a state of arousal” which led to their destruction by the unnamed Miss – – –

A Phallic Counterpart?

The above story begs the question what offended the Victorian lady so greatly? Roy Palmer conjectures that the corbel held a male exhibitionist possibly in a state of arousal which would be incredibly offensive to the Victorian mindset. This raises another question. Why did the Sheela survive? Again this might be down to the Victorian mindset. George R Lewis did a study of the church in 1842 in his snappily titled Illustrations of Kilpeck Church, Herefordshire: In a Series of Drawings Made on the Spot. With an Essay on Ecclesiastical Design and Descriptive Interpretation, described the figure as a fool opening his heart to the devil. It may well be that the destructive Victorian lady saw the Sheela she simply didn’t understand what she was looking at.

Other Sculptures

The Ibex corbel

Malcolm Thurlby puts forward a convincing argument in The Herefordshire School of Romanesque Sculpture to link this corbel to the Ibex in medieval bestiaries. The Ibex is portrayed in these bestiaries as having very strong horns which can support the ibex if he falls. The ibex is portrayed as being upside down in these books. This corbel provides evidence that the sculptors used bestiaries as inspiration for motifs and that this piece was intentionally inverted. The church leaflet mentions this corbel but also points out that the figure has antlers rather than the smooth horns that the bestiary portrayals possess and as such this interpretation is open to debate.

The Dog and Hare

The Lovers

The Fiddle Player

The Falling Man or Miser

Bear eating Sinners

Beakhead Eating a Sinner

The Church Website

The church now has a website which discusses the church in detail and has some links to a guided tour of the church.

www.kilpeckchurch.org.uk

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What 3 Words : ///puncture.without.informs

Church Stretton

The Figure

Location: ///bogus.refuse.stack

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The church of Church Stretton is a large 14th century building with elements of previous Norman architecture in
keeping with the nearby churches of Holdgate and Tugford.. The Sheela can be found on the north face of the building over an old Norman doorway. As you can see from the photograph it is quite weathered, the stone has a reddish tinge which is dissimilar from the surrounding stones but is similar to the red sandstone which incorporated from an earlier Norman chapel. Just below the carving is another small carving of a flower which appears to be of the same stone.. This would seem to indicate that this was not it’s original position and might have been taken from an earlier structure. The vagina has been filled in with a small stone this may be an attempt to make the image a little less “crude”. An unusual feature of this figure is the fat thighs or knees. You can just make out vestigal ribs on the chest of the figure. All in all the carving is quite crude which again makes it look at odds with the rest of the church. It is quite high up on the church and appears to be guarding the door below it. This is also the case with the Tugford figures and to a lesser extent the Holdgate Sheela. Another feature of the carving is that it has been dressed only on the left hand side the other sides being left rough. This may indicate it was once part of an opening such as a window or doorway

SheelaChurchStrettonDoor — The blocked up Norman North Door. Sheela Na Gig above.

The Shropshire Group

The Tugford, Holdgate and Church Stretton Sheelas are all in the same vicinity. Holdgate and Tugford being a mile distant from each while Church Stretton is about 10 miles away. You can see the positioning of the sheela below, the flower carvings are just to the right of protruding black stone above the middle of the arch. The door is no longer in use and if you go into the church you can see that it is in fact blocked up. To the right of the doorway is a Saxon stone coffin thought to be one of the oldest artefacts the church owns.

There is more information on the Shropshire group of sheelas at the Shropshire Promotions website

John Harding

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Search

Wales and the Marches

Cynghordy

Location

Llanbadarn Fawr

The Figure

Gerald of Wales

Location

Llandrindod Wells

The Figure

Connections with the Herefordshire School of Sculpture.

Location

Holdgate

The Figure

Location

Kilpeck

The Church

The Figure

Folklore

A Phallic Counterpart?

Other Sculptures

The Ibex corbel

The Dog and Hare

The Lovers

The Fiddle Player

The Falling Man or Miser

Bear eating Sinners

Beakhead Eating a Sinner

The Church Website

Location

Church Stretton

The Figure

The Shropshire Group

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