Sheela na gig

thumb|right|A 12th-century sheela na gig on the [[SS Mary and David's Church, Kilpeck|church at Kilpeck, Herefordshire, England]]

thumb|Sheela na gig from Ireland in the [[British Museum (12th century)]]

A sheela na gig is a figurative carving of a naked woman displaying an exaggerated vulva. These carvings, from the Middle Ages, are architectural grotesques found throughout most of Europe and 45 examples in Britain. One of the best examples may be found in the Round Tower at Rattoo, in County Kerry, Ireland. There is a replica of the Round Tower sheela na gig in the County Museum in Tralee town. Another well-known example may be seen at Kilpeck in Herefordshire, England.

The carvings may have been used to ward off death, evil and demons. Other grotesque carvings, such as gargoyles and hunky punks, were frequently part of church decorations all over Europe. It is commonly said that their purpose was to keep evil spirits away (a practice known as apotropaic magic). They often are positioned over doors or windows, presumably to protect these openings.

Origin

thumb|Sheela na gig on the south-west pillar of the presbytery in [[St Magnus Cathedral|St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, Orkney, ca. 12th to 13th centuries, Norman and Romanesque.]]

Scholars disagree about the origins of the figures. James Jerman and Anthony Weir believe the sheela na gigs were first carved in France and Spain during the 11th century; the motif eventually reached Britain and then Ireland in the 12th century. almost all of the surviving in situ sheela na gigs are found in areas of Anglo-Norman conquest (12th century). The areas which remained governed by native Irish have few sheela na gigs.

thumb|right|Sheela na gig on town wall in [[Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland]]

Jørgen Andersen writes that the name is an Irish phrase, originally either Sighle na gCíoch, meaning "the old hag of the breasts", or Síle ina Giob, meaning "Sheila (from the Irish Síle, the Irish form of the Anglo-Norman name Cecile or Cecilia) on her hunkers". Other researchers have questioned these interpretations

Barbara Freitag devotes a chapter to the etymology of the name in her book Sheela-Na-Gigs: Unravelling an Enigma. She documents references earlier than 1840, including a Royal Navy ship Sheela Na Gig HMS Shelanagig (1780), and an 18th-century dance called the Sheela na gig. The Irish slip jig, first published as "The Irish Pot Stick" (c.1758), appears as "Shilling a Gig" in Brysson's A Curious Collection of Favourite Tunes (1791) and "Sheela na Gigg" in Hime's 48 Original Irish Dances (c.1795). These are the oldest recorded references to the name,

Mircea Eliade's The Encyclopedia of Religion (1993) draws parallels between the sheela na gig and the ancient Irish myth of the goddess who granted kingship. She would appear as a lustful hag, and most men would refuse her advances, except for one man who accepted. When he had relations with her, she was transformed into a beautiful maiden who would confer royalty onto him and bless his reign. There are additional variants of this common Northern European motif (see "Loathly lady"). Andersen devotes a chapter to this theory, entitled "Pagan or Medieval". While suggesting possible pagan influences on Irish sheela na gigs, he considers them as having a medieval context. This theory does not seem to apply to all the figures: some are thin with their ribs showing and thin breasts, which do not suggest fertility. Others are plump and are shown in a sexual context with a partner (as at Whittlesford). Theresa Oakley and Alex Woodcock recently discovered an exhibitionist couple at Devizes, who seem to represent fertility. The faces of some figures are striated, indicating scarring or tattoos. Irish writer Molly Mullin's essay Representations of History, Irish Feminism, and the Politics of Difference claims that the image of the Sheela na gig has almost become emblematic of Irish feminism as a force for hope and change. Scholar Georgia Rhoades argues that for many contemporary feminists the gesture of the Sheela's unapologetic sexual display is "a message about her body, its power and significance—a gesture of rebellion against misogyny, rather than an endorsement of it".

Distribution

thumb|A sheela-like figure in a non-architectural context, the "santuario rupestre" at [[Coirós, Province of A Coruña, Galicia, Spain.]]

As noted above, Ireland has the greatest number of known sheela na gigs. At one time, they were mistakenly thought to be a uniquely Irish practice; however, scholars realized that the sheela na gig motif could be found all over western and central Europe. With renewed interest in the topic, scholars have recently identified previously unknown figures, so more could be discovered.

A significant number of figures are found in Romanesque contexts,

Parallels

The Encyclopedia of Religion, Power and Watts, the authors provide suggestive evidence that this decorated cave may have been used as a conveniently secluded venue for performing women-only ceremonies connected with menstruation.

References

External links

SheelaNaGig.org A guide to sheela na gig carvings and sheela na gigs in the United Kingdom
Ireland's Sheela Na Gigs A comprehensive guide to all the Sheela na Gigs in Ireland
Hortusdeliciarum A guide to exhibitionist figures in France
Satan in the Groin An extensive guide to male and female exhibitionist carvings in Western Europe by the co-author of "Images of Lust".
Excerpt from The Story of V: A Natural History of Female Sexuality by Catherine Blackledge Includes several references to apotropaic exposure of female genitalia
The Anatomy of a Church – Part 2 by Ernest L. Martin, Ph.D., 1998 Female symbolism in church architecture, with several references to sheela na gigs
Igrejas Românicas em Portugal A guide to Romanesque churches in Portugal. Includes male and female exhibitionist figures.
Sheela na Gigg from 48 Original Irish Dances (score). (because References [8] above has a broken link)

Origin

Distribution

Parallels

See also

References

Further reading

Articles

External links