From: jack@cee.hw.ac.uk (Jack Campin)
Subject: Re: sheela-na-gigs
Date: Wed, 4 May 1994 17:49:31 GMT

bbeistle@mail.sas.upenn.edu (Bronwyn S. Beistle) wrote:
> My friend and I, who are in Irish Studies, are wondering about sile.
> (Sorry about the cheesy spelling in the header). Does anybody know
> about her origins, or about her possible relationship to the green
> man who also turns up all over European churches? or about how
> either or both relate to gargoyles? Inquiring minds want to know.

This looked like an interesting book on this stuff:

     LC Call Number: NB1952.E76 W45 1986
             Author: Weir, Anthony.
              Title: Images of lust : sexual carvings on medieval churches /
                      Anthony Weir and James Jerman.
   Publication Info: London : B.T. Batsford, 1986.
  Phys. Description: 166 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.

I only looked at it briefly before giving it to a stonecarver friend a
few years ago; it documents all known sexual images on churches in
England and France (lots of pictures).  I don't recall what his theory
of their purpose was.

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