Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all! We have been experiencing an issue on site where threads have been missing the latest postings. The platform host Vanilla are working on this issue. A workaround that has been used by some is to navigate back from 1 to 10+ pages to re-sync the thread and this will then show the latest posts. Thanks, Mike.
Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Questions for Church historians and archaeologists?

  • 19-07-2013 9:23pm
    #1
    upncmnhistori
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 234 ✭✭


    1. In some churches including old ruined Abbey's what was the purpose of head sculputres. You can seem them in St. Nicholas Church Galway and at one of the windows of Athenry Dominican Priory?

    2. Why do the Protestant churches have commemoration plaques and Catholic ones don't?

    3. After the Cromwellian invasion would items like baptismal fonts be moved around. In Athenry there is a baptismal font in stone that dates back to 1760. Just wondering?


Comments

  • #2
    Tiercel Dave
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 797 ✭✭✭Tiercel Dave


    I may have an explanation for the 'heads' that I must have come across somewhere. Back in the times of rival chieftains etc. it was the norm to display the severed heads of vanquished rivals on spikes to discourage further dissent and to boast of military prowess. When paying a visit to a chieftain you might have to pass by two or three of these heads but when visiting a great chieftain you might have to pass a lot more. These would be spiked in on either side of approach to form a sort of avenue. A great number of heads equated to an equally great leader. So when it came to church architecture, to convey the notion that God was the 'King of Kings' severed heads were included in the ornamentation. Hence the often grotesque nature of the carvings. The doorway at Clonfert being the consummate example. Dave


    zmfh.jpg


  • #3
    upncmnhistori
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 234 ✭✭upncmnhistori


    Tiercel Dave wrote: »
    I may have an explanation for the 'heads' that I must have come across somewhere. Back in the times of rival chieftains etc. it was the norm to display the severed heads of vanquished rivals on spikes to discourage further dissent and to boast of military prowess. When paying a visit to a chieftain you might have to pass by two or three of these heads but when visiting a great chieftain you might have to pass a lot more. These would be spiked in on either side of approach to form a sort of avenue. A great number of heads equated to an equally great leader. So when it came to church architecture, to convey the notion that God was the 'King of Kings' severed heads were included in the ornamentation. Hence the often grotesque nature of the carvings. The doorway at Clonfert being the consummate example. Dave


    zmfh.jpg



    Thank you. On the Athenry Dominican Priroy in Co. Galway there is two heads at the East Window facing towards Cloonan's garage. One head looks like an ordinary head another stone head looks like a head with some sort of hat or similar to a bishops hat.


Advertisement