SOMERSET FOLKLORE internationaltimes.it - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from internationaltimes.it Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Last modified on Mon 8 Mar 2021 09.07 EST
Carved into stone, these women squat, naked, sometimes cackling, pulling open their enlarged labia: it’s no wonder Victorian clergymen attempted to destroy or hide the glorious, mysterious figures known as sheela na gigs.
The carvings are found on medieval churches, castles and even gateposts in Ireland, the UK and much of mainland Europe. They seem to have their origins in the 11th century; the oldest discovered in the British Isles so far dates back to the 12th century, the youngest to the 16th. Yet their beginnings are an enigma. Early theories from art historians claimed they were grotesque hag figures to warn against the sins of lust – a way of keeping the minds of churchgoers and monks pure. Others suggest they are a talisman against evil: the act of women flashing their genitals has been believed to scare off demons as far back as the ancient Greeks. More recently, researchers have leaned towards the idea that the sheela is a pre
Kevin Kline, Phylicia Rashad, Bobby Cannavale & More Will Take Part in Broadway s Best Shows SPOTLIGHT ON PLAYS Spring Season
Plays for the 2021 Spring season will include The Thanksgiving Play, Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous, Watch on the Rhine, and more.by BWW News Desk
Jeffrey Richards has just announced Broadway s Best Shows will continue its Spotlight on Plays series this spring on Thursday, March 25, 2021 to benefit The Actors Fund.
The star-studded series will begin with The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa Fasthorse (March 25), directed by Leigh Silverman (Lifespan of a Fact); Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous by Pearl Cleage (April 9), directed by Camille A. Brown (Choir Boy). Future dates will be announced soon for Watch on the Rhine by Lillian Hellman, directed by Sarna Lapine (Sunday in the Park with George); Ohio State Murders by Adrienne Kennedy, directed by Kenny Leon (A Soldier s Play); Dear Elizabeth by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Kate Whoriskey (Ruined)