medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
I have recently been investigating the pre-17th century history of
Stafford and Staffordshire in England for a background paper (I've
found quite a few books and websites, but more would be very welcome,
BTW).
It occurs to me that someone on this list may be able to help with an
explanation for the rather peculiar baptismal font in the main church
in town (dedicated to St. Mary).
Physically and probably artistically (for all I know) it's actually
not too atypical for its presumed date, ca. 1200. It's carved from a
single block of stone. The base is composed of three apes lying on
their stomachs, who support a flat tablet on which are perched four
lions. The lions support another flat tablet which actually holds the
basin, which has more human and animal figures and four large lobes.
There's an image at (apologies for the long link)
http://www.search.staffspasttrack.org.uk/engine/resource/default.asp?theme=223&page=2&records=42&direction=2&pointer=8028&text=0&originator=%2Fengine%2Ftheme%2Fdefault%2Easp&resource=2223
Around the top of the font is the inscription "Tu de Jerusalem
ror....alem me faciens talem tam pulchrum tam specialem " (translated
by Pevsner as "Thou bearest from Jerusalem the divine fount, endowing
me with beauty and grace.")
However nearer the bottom is a second inscription: "Discretus non es
si non fugis ecce leones " ("You are not wise if you don't flee from
the lions.")
I don't know whether it's possible to recover the story behind this,
but it sounds like it might be fascinating :)
(P.S. Neither quote appears in the Vulgate concordance I consulted,
so I'm not sure how to go about looking for them.)
--
_________________________________________________________
O Chris Laning
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+ Davis, California
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