a stone version of the fool ?

Bernice

I enlarged nail-area of the pic. I'm sure it's a nail now.

Just as a matter of interest, would anybody know when the 3-leaved clover was first recognised, or documented, as being representative of *something* (special)?

I don't think that clover grew in or around Jeruslem, never heard a mention of it. In which case it's probably a later European thing, but where or when.......?


Bee :)
 

gregory

That looks like a scythe over his shoulder, though..... rather than a nail....
 

Bernice

gregory said:
That looks like a scythe over his shoulder, though..... rather than a nail....
I thought that at first :). But then saw that it's the bunny-ears on his hat. I also thought he was naked (a bare-bunny man), but he does have clothes on.

Bee :)
 

gregory

Fair cop. I need new VDU glasses !
 

Rosanne

I cannot see a scythe, as it is hollow like Hare ears Gregs, and it would be angled in a different way maybe. I said Shamrock, but I think it is a clover.
I know absolutely nothing about clover in a French Church, maybe it is a fleur de Lis? or trefoil that Moonbow mentioned. But the round thing(bell?) on the forehead top of the hat? makes it look like the jester type cap. A scythe would not have that cap on the stem? Looks like a fool whatever he is holding.
~Rosanne
 

gregory

I think you are right about the Fleur de Lys.

There are loads on line that are that chunky ! and the "stalk" looks a different shape from the three "petals".

Though come to think - it looks JUST like the trefoil of the Girl Guides....
 

Bernice

Re. the 3-petalled emblem.
I originally thought it might be the tri-colour, i.e the fleur de Lis or trefoil. But I don't know when that motif first appeared in France. Which is why I guessed the Trinity ('cos it's on a church/catherdral).

Maybe it was the tri-colour that came with the French Revolution. Please do correct me if you know the date/time of when the french first used this symbol.
Would it date back to the very early thirteenth or the late twelfth century?

Bee :)
 

gregory

The fleur-de-lys goes WAY back. DEFINITELY as early as the 12th century. It was on old sceptres and I have seen it carved on early churches all over. It was also on old Egyptian carvings. It isn't always thought to be meant to be a lily as such, but the shape holds up, whatever. I think Clovis - a King of France - used to use it as his emblem and that was around 500 AD, as I recall. (had daughter who looked this up when she was a Guide....)
 

firemaiden

I do believe the hat is a medieval hood with two points, a sort of the precursor to the fool's cap. The bowl looks like it is holding the "hostie" (the biscuit you get in a french catholic church)

The website linked has pictures of medieval jester clothing :

http://www.3owls.org/sca/costume/jester.htm
 

firemaiden

I think the stick is much too big to be a nail, and the way he is holding it and leaning on it, I think it has to be a walking stick, which of course, I would much prefer, because it fits in perfectly with the fool, however the idea of the nail of the cross is very interesting, Rosanne ! It could however also be a sort of phallus.

I think he is wearing a sort of bunny suit though, very funny, and only his feet are not covered.

edited to add: I've noticed after taking hundreds and hundreds of photographs of these cornice sculptures (modillons) that the artists of the time love to depict all kinds of monsters that are half this, half that ... The posture of this guy is crouching - almost animal (a choice partly imposed by the shape of the stone !) -- we could say half man, half bunny.