Murbach - Abbaye de Murbach

The church of the former Murbach Abbey was constructed around 1150 got consecrated 1216 and dedicated to Saint Leger. The naves got knocked down 1738, to give room for a baroque church, that never got built. Since 1760 it serves as a parish church, what did not prevent it from getting devasted by rioters during the French Revolution. So all that left is the transept - and the choir. The place of the former naves, behind the facade, is a cemetery today.

The facade is really impressive. The choir is "flat", following architecural traditions from Cluny and Hirsau. Some of the carvings are artistic and pretty extraordenary. This craving is high in the trangel under the roof. A top position.

A priest (?), sitting comfortably, is listening to a man on his knees, who holds a rope, that even runs around his neck. Robert Will in "Alsace romane" (Éditions Zodiaque) interprets this as a confession. A little devil on the shoulder of the confessing man tries to hinder him, by pulling that rope. The priest has the typical posture of somebody hearing a confession.

I agree with Robert Will´s interpretation, that this carving depicts the "Sacrament of Penance",
but have the impression, seeing the other carvings here, that this carving was originally produced for another place.

Unfortunately this photo is - pretty blurry. Sorry!