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What are we looking at here?
First, look on either side of the main figure. These strange figures
are called Blemyahs.
[click image for larger view] |
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For European people of the Middle Ages, the world outside Europe was an
uncertain place. They imagined it as full of fantastical and frightening
creatures. Travellers' tales about real animals quickly became distorted
and exaggerated. Who knows what real creatures lay behind the unicorns,
dragons and blemyahs that we see in their illuminated manuscripts, maps
and carvings.
Perhaps such creatures may have existed…who knows? Perhaps, they still
do, tucked away somewhere. What do you think? If they still do exist, what
chance have they got of lasting much longer?
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The central scene shows a Bible story from the Old
Testament: Caleb and Joshua are bringing grapes back to Moses from
the 'Promised Land' - a sign that there was a rich, fertile land
awaiting the Hebrew tribes that had fled from Egypt. The story dates
from thousands of years ago. Christians interpret the 'Promised
Land' as a symbol of heaven.
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Is there anywhere left in the earth that could still offer such a sense
of hope and excitement?
| In Lent, Christians ask themselves hard
questions, and look for ways of putting right what they have done
wrong. Maybe it's a good time for us all to ask: Is it just other
people who are responsible for the destruction of the natural environment?
What role do we play? And what can we do about it? |
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