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<< Sites under Threat >> Mystery of the erotic symbol smashed in church

Submitted by coldrum on Saturday, 04 December 2004  Page Views: 20162

Site WatchCountry: England County: West Sussex Type: Carving

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The provocative sexuality of an ancient pagan symbol finally proved too much for one disgruntled visitor to a small church in rural Sussex. 1,000 years of history were destroyed when someone took a hammer to the lewd pagan carving in Buncton Church near Wiston, smashing it to smithereens.

The vandal's actions have horrified archaeologists who say it was the only example of a rare sheela-na-gig carving in Sussex. The overtly erotic pagan symbols have been described as medieval morality figures and are believed to have once served as warnings against lust.

Yet parishioners in the small rural hamlet are divided over the fate of the controversial figure, which was carved into an archway high on a wall close to the altar.

While some mourn the loss of a part of their history, others are shedding few tears at the disappearance of the etching.
More: The Argus.
Picture of the ex-Sheela: Megalithica

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"Mystery of the erotic symbol smashed in church" | Login/Create an Account | 14 News and Comments
  
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Re: Mystery of the erotic symbol smashed in church by greenmanhill on Monday, 05 September 2005
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Thanks for that gem of knowledge.. I'm not a Pseudo-pagan or any other kind of Pagan, I just think that something so important should still be in place for everyone to enjoy in the future, everyone knows that its a mystery as to why it was there in the first place, and as the press said and the locals, it must have been some-one who didn't like the fact that something classed as Pagan was in a christian place, unless you can think of any other reason it was de-faced, if it had been classed as a Christian image to warn against sin then it would still be in place today... because it wouldn't have been singled out.

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Re: Mystery of the erotic symbol smashed in church by Thorgrim on Friday, 26 August 2005
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Carvings such as these are not Pagan. They are Christian and warn against the sin of lust. Other carvings warn against sloth, gluttony and other "deadly sins". Pseudo-pagans like to see them as ancient pagan goddesses, but they ain't.
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Re: Mystery of the erotic symbol smashed in church by greenmanhill on Friday, 26 August 2005
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I discovered today after a return visit that this important piece of history had been vandalised and in my mind by someone not happy that a 'Pagan symbol' was in a Christian place.
I think a replica should be put in its place for future visitors

I think more should have been made of the fact as I live local and only discovered myself that it had been distroyed, Looking back at the the date that its took place, it was a new moon so i would think that a light would have been needed to chisel out the figure, funny no-one saw that!!
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Re: Mystery of the erotic symbol smashed in church by Anonymous on Wednesday, 19 January 2005
*I have nothing to say*
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Re: Mystery of the erotic symbol smashed in church by Anonymous on Wednesday, 19 January 2005
i think that its very unfair that no-one even tryed to understand the value of such an amazing piece of PAGAN history!! just because it's pagan, theres no need to destroy it. the church should re-think its policies and not destroy anything thats non-christian. they might not have agreed with the craving, but to thers it was a piece of their ancestrial heritage.
i'm soooooooo dissapointed with that church......
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    Re: Mystery of the erotic symbol smashed in church by Thorgrim on Wednesday, 19 January 2005
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    Why do you think the carving is Pagan? These sheelas are Christian sermons in stone against the sin of Lust. The church did not destroy the carving - it was done by a loony vandal.
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Re: Mystery of the erotic symbol smashed in church by Anonymous on Saturday, 01 January 2005
That carving may not be here physically, but emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
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Re: Mystery of the erotic symbol smashed in church by Anonymous on Friday, 24 December 2004
Someone should carve an exact replica to replace the damaged one.
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Re: Mystery of the erotic symbol smashed in church by Anonymous on Thursday, 23 December 2004
The imposition of Order is proportional to the Chaos released. In apocalyptic times like those we live in, organized religion tends to spawn zealots by the score. The more the percieved need for "traditional values", the more monstrous the deeds done to impose those values. I am sure the vandal thought s/he was doing "the Lord's work."
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Re: Mystery of the erotic symbol smashed in church by Anonymous on Thursday, 23 December 2004
This is what gives Christians a bad name in the eyes of Pagans.

-Fang of Loki [Asatru Pagan]
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Re: Mystery of the erotic symbol smashed in church by Anonymous on Thursday, 23 December 2004
That guy's an idiot. screw the bloody religion he practises. hope someone go smash up all the artifacts of his damned religion.
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Re: Mystery of the erotic symbol smashed in church by Anonymous on Wednesday, 22 December 2004
that Vandal should be locked up, typical of a minority trying to impose thier will on everybody else
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Re: Mystery of the erotic symbol smashed in church by Anonymous on Wednesday, 22 December 2004
Leaving aside the multifarious elements adopted from Paganism(s) into Christianity as it evolved (Deities transformed into Saints, Seasonal celebrations Christianised, the concept of the Trinity introduced by a Celtic [Druid?] theologian, etc), I would dispute that we can really state that the 'sheela-na-gig' images are 'Pagan'.

My current understanding is that no-one has any idea what these images were originally intended to mean, and that the name itself originated relatively recently from one old Irishman with no meaning explained or subsequently discovered - it might well have been his smutty joke! That the carvings were made, not necessarily conspicuously but certainly not secretly either, in the fabric of a number of Christian churches, and allowed to remain, suggests that their presence and connotations might have been acceptable to the Church authorities of the time.

To assume that, because these images have some unexplained sexual meaning, they are 'Pagan' is merely to...

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