Lautenbach - Collégiale Saint Gangolph

Manegold of Lautenbach, a celebrity of his time, lived here in the 11th. century. During the Investiture Controversy, Manegold sided strongly with Pope Gregory VII. Emperor Henry IV was so annoyed about this, that he sent an army to Lautenbach, to destroy the monastery and churches. About 50 years later Augustinian Canons settled here - and rebuilt the church, reusing a lot of old material. Many changes took place in and around the building (now the parish church) over the time, but the ground floor of the westwork seen here, seems still unchanged.

Having seen the delicate structure of the narthex with slim pillars -and fine capitals, both friezes are kind of shocking. The naiv style of these carvings differs totally from the others. These friezes may have been part of the church destroyed 1086 - and be reused here.

Here is the left side of the "smiling-devil-frame", seen before.
A giant snake feeds on that babylike body, symbolising the soul, that the devil is holding by the right arm. The snake has a very strange head and snout, like biblical snakes often have.
The carver tried to give the giant moving snake a three-dimensionality, but it does not really work.
So - for a certain kind of sin - the souls are eaten up by a giant snake. This sin should depicted be on one of the two friezes.