Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Ram

Bitonto, today a city of a population of about 55000, was probably founded by Greek settlers. Traces of a city wall dating to the 5th and 4th century BC were found. Legends tell that the name Bitonto is connected to an Illyrian king named Botone. Later "Civitas Butuntinenses" became a self-governing Roman municipium, A Paleochristian basilica existed very early. During the 9th century, Bitonto successfully withstood a Saracen raid but got destroyed by Byzantine troops in 975. The Normans took over Apulia. In the 11th and 12th century. Under the rule of the Normans of Roger II of Sicily, William I of Sicily (aka William the Wicked) and William II of Sicily (aka William the Good), the city prospered and got new walls. In 1227, Bitonto was the scene of ex-communication of Frederick II accused by pope Gregory IX of having come to terms with the sultan al-Malik al-Kamil. - The Bitonto Cathedral, dedicated to San Valentino, was erected 1175/1200 in the centre of the city. The construction was probably influenced by the "Basilica of San Nicola" in Bari and was done in the typical "Apulian Romanesque" style. It is proven that the bishopric existed in 1089, though the crypt of the cathedral has remains of a 5th-century church. There are three portals. The central one is flanked by two large Griffins. Here is one of them, holding down a ram.

The "Église Sainte-Foy de Sélestat" was built in only 10 years between 1170 and 1180, succeeding an earlier ("Holy Sepulcre")church from around 1085 built by Hildegard von Egisheim. Of this church only the rectangular crypt (and some cavings) remained. Hildegard?s grandson Frederick I Barbarossa funded the construction of the new church, that was the center of a benedictine monastry, depending from the abbey St. Foy in Conques. A giant beast (lion? bear?) carrying or retrieving a ram. This carving may originate from the older church at this place. A ram does stand sometimes for Thor, pagan god in the Germanic mythology, as he uses a cart, drawn by rams.

A ram dominated by a cross on the roof of "Santa María das Areas" in Fisterra, on the way to "Cabo Fisterra", the (medieval) end of the world. In northern Europe such rams are often connected to the pagan god "Thor". I am not sure about this in a celtic area during the 11th/ 12th century.