Saturday 19 September 2009

A Carver with 'Attitude'

In the small church at Brent Knoll (near the M5 Sedgemoor Services) are some wonderful mediaeval pew ends. The carver obviously had little respect for mitred abbots (or is it a bishop?). He is shown as a fox preaching to an audience of animals including geese. Above him is a 'monk'(ey) holding a moneybag while underneath two monks (sorry monkeys) grill a goose on a spit. The fox (abbot) is then shown in chains, under judgement (owl in top section) and finally he is hung by the geese with the dogs applauding underneath. The whole seems to be a commentary on the greed of the monastic system!



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