Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: whalebone

Venice (ital. Venezia) is one of the most important tourist destinations worldwide with about 30 million visitors each year. I have already uploaded dozens of shots from previous visits, so I´ll try to cut down the number of uploads this time. Murano consists of seven individual islands separated by canals and connected by eleven bridges. Tradition knows, that the foundation of the church is attributed to a vow made by Otto I after he was rescued from a sea storm. The present church with its campanile was completed in 1140. The interior of the basilica is famous for its colorful mosaic floor from 1140. I have taken and uploaded many shots earlier, that you can find. I had learned about whalebones in the basilica. It took me a while to find them behind the altar.

A baroque statue of a bishop to the right, a whalebone to the left. A curiosity in the Magdeburg Cathedral. I have no idea, what a whalebone "means" or what it stands for. It may be connected to Matthew 12:38-41 "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." There are a couple of churches, that display whalebones. Cologne (Germany): www.flickr.com/photos/roland-rossner/2786317321/ Herford (Germany): www.flickr.com/photos/martin-m-miles/4765219389/ Gandersheim (Germany): www.flickr.com/photos/martin-m-miles/5706420469/ Rieupeyroux (France): www.flickr.com/photos/lionfranc37/5340136898/in/contacts/ Krakow (Poland) www.flickr.com/photos/tanya780/2740547999/

Built within the 13./14. century, for hundreds of years this church was used by the many pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. Pope Julius II confirmed in 1510 the status of "St. Jakobi" as a church just for the Santiago-pilgrims. Due to the "Herford Vision", the oldest known Marian apparition north of the Alpes (940 or 1011), Herford had a great attraction to these. The town offered four hospitals to the pilgrims at that time. After the reformation, when catholic pilgrims were not favourable visitors any longer, the city-council closed the church - and was used as a stable. In 1590 it was reopened - as a lutheran church, what it still is. A strange object shown in the St. Jakobi church is this rib of a whale. It was given to the church by the former mayor of Herford Anton Brudtlacht in 1589. It is not the only whalebone in german churches Even bigger bones can be seen in "St. Maria im Kapitol" in Cologne. www.flickr.com/photos/roland-rossner/2786317321/ another is displayed in the Cathedral of Magdeburg: www.flickr.com/photos/martin-m-miles/4795593117/ A huge whale-rib can be seen in Gandersheim abbey www.flickr.com/photos/martin-m-miles/5706420469/ Meanwhile I have learned that these bones are called "hierozoika" a Greek word designating items from the animal world hallowed by being mentioned in the bible. Hundreds of such bones still hang in european churches. Mr. Nicholas Redman has published several books about. Here is his website: www.whalebones.co.uk/index.html