Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: goose

The town's origins date back to the 7th century. The first known building was a church founded by John of Beverley (+ 721), the later canonized Bishop of York. Around 850, the monastery was dissolved by the invasion of the "Great Heathen Army" of Vikings, and the town became part of the new Kingdom of Jorvik. However, the veneration of John of Beverley ensured that the region's population grew steadily until the 10th century. The Archbishops of York encouraged the development of Beverley. The town, along with York, Ripon, and Southwell, became one of the most important Christian centers in England. After the Norman conquest of England, many pilgrims flocked to Beverley after hearing of the miracles performed by John of Beverley. Many people in the north of England rejected Norman rule. The Normans then ravaged the towns of Yorkshire. Beverley, however, was spared due to the sanctity of the place. Tradition attributes the refoundation of the monastery as a collegiate church of secular canons to King Æthelstan. The establishment of a significant minster and its privileges occurred gradually, but by the early 11th century, Bishop John's tomb had become an important pilgrimage center, as he was canonized in 1037, and his cult encouraged the growth of a town around the minster. A fire in 1188 seriously damaged the minster and the town. A complete rebuilding was required. During the construction, a new lantern tower over the eastern crossing designed to illuminate the shrine of St John was under construction, but it collapsed in 1219 necessitating a partial rebuild of the church. By 1260 the retrochoir, choir, chapter house, transepts, and crossing were complete. Overwhelmingly tall and spacious, and speaking to the increasing skills of the stonecarvers, this new work was radically different from the old Saxon and Norman structure it replaced. It was the product of the novel structural systems and artistic development that together define the Gothic style brought to England in the late 12th century. The choir stalls, where once the canons met to sing and pray. There are 68 misericords here. Carved in 1520, they are most probably the work of the Ripon School of Carvers A fox and two sleeping geese - A fox hanged by six geese - An ape taking the rope from the dead fox.

The Slavs built Jerichow Castle (the name is of Slavic origin - "castle of the brave" - so not biblical) to defend their western border. Jerichow was first mentioned at the end of 1144 when Premonstratensian canons founded the Jerichow Monastery. In 1148 the canons relocated the site because of the disturbing market activity. The monastery was founded in 1144 as a Premonstratensian monastery. The first Premonstratensian canons came from Magdeburg. In 1149 the construction of the collegiate church was started. In 1172 the church and the east wing were completed. Then, between 1180 and 1200, the construction of a crypt took place. In addition, the church was extended by the side choirs and the construction of the winter refectory and the office building followed. The summer refectory and the cloister were built between 1220 and 1230. Around the year 1250, the construction of the monastery buildings was finally completed. After the Reformation, Jerichow Monastery was dissolved in the 16th century. The last canons had to leave the monastery. During the Thirty Years' War, the Premonstratensians returned. In 1631 imperial and Swedish troops devastated the monastery building. In 1680 Jerichow finally became under Brandenburg rule. On the orders of Elector Friedrich Wilhelm of Brandenburg, the collegiate church was restored in 1685 and used as a new Reformed church for the Huguenot refugees. Between 1853 and 1856, the monastery and its church were restored at the request of King Frederick William IV of Prussia, but around 1870 it was used as a brewery and distillery. At the end of WWII, the western facade of the church was damaged. After the war there was a fire in the roof truss. Between 1955 and 1960, in GDR times, the monastery church was repaired and the Romanesque interior was restored. The damage to the other buildings was severe. In 1998, the entire monastery complex had to be closed by the building authorities due to structural damage. Thus, in 1998, the entire complex had to be placed under the protection of the building supervisory authority and closed as unsafe and unfit for use. Further repair and restoration work in 1999 lifted the order, but it continued for several years. The collegiate church is a five-bay, flat-roofed basilica. According to a document from 1172, it was essentially completed by this time. Despite the early construction time for Central Germany, the building already has a perfect brick construction technique. It is assumed that this technique was imparted by professionals from northern Italy, who continued to work on smaller church buildings after the completion of the collegiate church. The architecture of this church had a strong influence on the surrounding village churches, in which the building program was adopted in a reduced form.

The Slavs built Jerichow Castle (the name is of Slavic origin - "castle of the brave" - so not biblical) to defend their western border. Jerichow was first mentioned at the end of 1144 when Premonstratensian canons founded the Jerichow Monastery. In 1148 the canons relocated the site because of the disturbing market activity. The monastery was founded in 1144 as a Premonstratensian monastery. The first Premonstratensian canons came from Magdeburg. In 1149 the construction of the collegiate church was started. In 1172 the church and the east wing were completed. Then, between 1180 and 1200, the construction of a crypt took place. In addition, the church was extended by the side choirs and the construction of the winter refectory and the office building followed. The summer refectory and the cloister were built between 1220 and 1230. Around the year 1250, the construction of the monastery buildings was finally completed. The two prominent towers were built in front of the church only in 1256-1262. Accordingly, they show predominantly Gothic forms. After the Reformation, Jerichow Monastery was dissolved in the 16th century. The last canons had to leave the monastery. During the Thirty Years' War, the Premonstratensians returned. In 1631 imperial and Swedish troops devastated the monastery building. In 1680 Jerichow finally became under Brandenburg rule. On the orders of Elector Friedrich Wilhelm of Brandenburg, the collegiate church was restored in 1685 and used as a new Reformed church for the Huguenot refugees. Between 1853 and 1856, the monastery and its church were restored at the request of King Frederick William IV of Prussia, but around 1870 it was used as a brewery and distillery. At the end of WWII, the western facade of the church was damaged. After the war there was a fire in the roof truss. Between 1955 and 1960, in GDR times, the monastery church was repaired and the Romanesque interior was restored. The damage to the other buildings was severe. In 1998, the entire monastery complex had to be closed by the building authorities due to structural damage. Thus, in 1998, the entire complex had to be placed under the protection of the building supervisory authority and closed as unsafe and unfit for use. Further repair and restoration work in 1999 lifted the order, but it continued for several years. The collegiate church is a five-bay, flat-roofed basilica. According to a document from 1172, it was essentially completed by this time. Despite the early construction time for Central Germany, the building already has a perfect brick construction technique. It is assumed that this technique was imparted by professionals from northern Italy, who continued to work on smaller church buildings after the completion of the collegiate church. The architecture of this church had a strong influence on the surrounding village churches, in which the building program was adopted in a reduced form. This pillar was part of the "Chorherren Portal" (portal of the Canons). Through this portal the canons entered the church. A very interesting scene, known from a fable called "Wolf's Predigt" (wolf's sermon). A wolf disguised as a monk preaches to two geese. Mathew 7.15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves."

Moudon, today a town with a population of about 6000, was called Minnodunum. In Roman times. Moudon was under the influence of the Savoy already in the early 13th century and became an important Savoyard base in Waadt / Vaud. Around 1260, under Peter of Savoy, it became the residence of the Savoy bailiff in Vaud. The importance of Moudon increased rapidly. The town area expanded and was surrounded by new walls. In 1285, Moudon was granted town privileges. Especially in the 14th and 15th centuries, the town flourished as an administrative center and of the Vaudois estates. With the conquest of Vaud by Bern in 1536, Moudon came under Bernese rule. The Reformation was introduced. The church was first mentioned in 1134, even though it may have been built earlier. It was situated outside the medieval village. The church was nicknamed "the cathedral of Broye", a region around the Broye River, by the residents of Moudon. After a bell tower was added in 1420, the church was enlarged and renovated between 1495 and 1499, then again between 1499 and 1502. Paintings were added to the vaults between 1506 and 1511. After the conquest by the canton of Bern in 1536, the side altars and the statues of the church were destroyed and the building became a Reformed temple. There are some very imaginative misericords in the choir stalls. Two wrestling geese.

One of the first printed records about this gate stated in 1859 "Of all old monuments in the Rhine valley, none as mysterious as the portal (...) near the church in Remagen". The Pfarrhoftor (= Gateway to the parish close) still is enigmatic. It may have been erected for a nearby monastery, that centered around an St. Apollinaris shrine, it may have been in deed a gate to a parish close. Actually it known since the 17th century, when parts of it were found, walled in between the rectory and the encircling wall. The parts were recovered and like pieces of a puzzle joined together. Though the cope stone was lost, the large arch was easy to reconstruct. Wether the smaller side portal originally was left or right is unclear. The 22 carved reliefs here have triggered more than a dozend different theories. I will quote some. The carving style was not appreciated by the art-historians. Already Wilhelm Bode ("Geschichte der Deutschen Plastik") wrote in 1887 that the carver was "without any artistic ambition". For me this portal has parallels in Linden and Goegging. All three portals are roughly carved - and enigmatic, blending christian, pagan and ancient icons. The only point, that is undisputed is, that the portal was erected in the second half of the 12th century. It may be, that the reliefs, seen here, are just single icons, that are not interconnected to a certain "iconographic program". This is claimed by Paul Clement (1938), Georg Dehio (1933) and Josef Minn (1942). In 1947 Albert M. Koeniger published the results of his research, interpreting the reliefs as icons of eight (!) deadly sins as described by Bishop Burchard of Worms (965-1025), author of a canon law collection (aka "Decretum Burchardi"). Two birds under a tree. Koeninger sees them as "geese battling for a shrub" and interpretes the scene as a symbol for envy ("invidia"). Other authors have identified the birds as partridges, standing for the knowledge of God, following the Physiologus.

In the center of Modena, where the Duomo di Modena (aka "Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta e San Geminiano") is placed, churches have existed since the 5th century. After the burial site of Modena's patron Saint Geminianus, a former bishop (+397), was dicovered here, the existing cathedral seemed to small. The first stone laying for the cathedral of today took place in May 1099, strongly supported by Matilde di Canossa (aka "Matilda of Tuscany"). First architect was Master Lanfranco, descibed as "maestro ingenio clarus [...] doctus et aptus". The Duomo di Modena was consecrated in 1184, but the building process continued. It was finally completed in 1322. Many renowned sculptors have worked here. The "Porta della Pescheria", as well as side portal, opens to the north, where in mediavel times the fish-market was located. The "Porta della Pescheria", as well as side portal, opens to the north, where in mediavel times the fish-market was located. I learned that the archivolt depicts a scene from the Arthurian Legend. Older Welsh and Breton tales about Artur were written down in the "Historia Regum Britanniae" written by Geoffrey of Monmouth around 1136. This carving may be a little older. It is dated to 1130. Artus is the second on the left, the only one without a chainmail. The lintel has other stories. To the left a young nude guy rided a hippocamus. The followig reliefs may relate to the French "Roman de Renart", written by Pierre de St. Cloud from 1174 on, based party on Aesop's fables. The artists probably knew as well the "Physiologus".