Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: wrestling

Around 650 a settlement named "Poclintun" existed here. It is assumed that the Christian missionary Paulinus of York had a first church built here, today's All Saints Church. In 866, the Great Pagan Army of the Vikings occupied the area. From 876, the occupying forces from Denmark began to settle permanently in what is now Yorkshire and established the Kingdom of Jórvík, which lasted for almost a century. In 1066, two important battles took place, both of which led to a change of power in the country. The Battle of Stamford Bridge took place just four miles from Pocklington and sealed the end of Viking rule in England. The subsequent Battle of Hastings led to a period of Norman rule. By the time of the Domesday Book in 1086, Poclington was the second largest settlement in Yorkshire after York itself. Pocklington developed through the Middle Ages. The town owed much of its prosperity in the Middle Ages to the fact that it was a local centre for the trading of wool and lay on the main road to York, an important national centre for the export of wool to the continent. St. Paulinus may have established the first Christian church in Pocklington. The building's foundations go back to the Saxon era, and some fragments remain of the Norman church. However most of the building dates from the late 12th to early 15th centuries. Extensive repairs and alterations were made to the church in the late 19th century. In 1733, the "Flying Man of Pocklington", Thomas Pelling, attempted to travel along a rope between the church and the Star Inn in the Market Square. He crashed to his death. He is buried where he fell. He is remembered since 2010, when the yearly Flying Man Festival was launched the first time. Wrestling men

León was founded in 68 AD for a Roman legion from which they were supposed to pacify the rebellious mountain dwellers of Asturias and Cantabria. The name of the settlement that was then developed is based on a refined form of the Latin word "legio". After the end of the Roman Empire, the city was conquered by the Visigoths and in 712 by the Moors. In 856, after the reconquest under King Ordoño I of Asturias, the city was repopulated. Ordoño II made León the capital of his kingdom of León in 914. Sacked by Almanzor in about 987, the city was reconstructed and repopulated by Alfonso V, León was an important stop on the Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela. Traders and artisans settled in the suburbs and had a strong influence on the development of the city from the 13th century onwards. In the early Middle Ages, the city became prosperous through the cattle trade. However, from the 16th century until the 19th century, the economy and population declined. The Basílica de San Isidoro de León is located on the site of an ancient temple to the Roman god Mercury. In the 10th century, the kings of León established a community of Benedictine sisters on the site. Following the conquest of the area by Al-Mansur (938–1002), the church was destroyed and the area devastated. León was repopulated and a new church and monastery established in the 11th century by Alfonso V of León. In 1063 the basilica was dedicated to Saint Isidore of Seville. Isidore was the archbishop of Seville and the most celebrated academic of Visigothic Spain in the period preceding the Arab invasions. With the agreement of the Muslim ruler of Seville, Isidore's relics were brought to Leon where they could be interred on Christian soil. The church benefited from its position on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella. Sculptors, stonemasons, and artists from across Europe gathered to work on the monastery. There are interesting capitals along the nave. Wrestling

The abbey was founded at the end of the 7th century by monks from the abbey Saint-Hilaire de Poitiers. In the early years only a small convent existed, dependent from the abbey in Poitiers, just 15kms away. Since 830, when the remains of Saint Junien de Poitou (once befriended with Queen Radegunde) were transferred to the convent, it is known as "Abbaye Saint-Junien". At that time a church was built, equipped with a crypt, to receive the relics. In the 11th century, under the protection of the Counts of Poitou, the abbey prospered and restorations were undertaken. In the 12th century, the vaulted nave was completed and the belltower got erected. During the 100 Years´ War, it was necessary to fortify the abbey. Walls and ditches surrounded the complex in the 14th century. After a century of prosperity, when again buildings got added, the Wars of Religion started and during the siege of Poitiers in 1569, the Protestant army of Gaspard II de Coligny pillaged and burned the abbey. When the troops left choir and cloister were gone, while the nave was relatively spared. The restoration of the damage took a century. In 1734 the abbey only had seven monks, in 1790, when the Revolution had taken over there were only four. The abbey was sold in 1792, the church since then serves the parish. Today large parts are privately owned. All along the nave are some very unusual carvings. May the artistic style be not that surprising, the themes and icons are very specific. Two men or prisoners or slaves are wrestling. They are roped by the men framing the scene, who seem to threaten the wrestlers with clubs. Any idea?

The construction of the "Église Saints-Pierre-et-Paul" started around 1150. The basilica-style church has the classical layout of a latin cross and is known for the carvings. Size and the quality of some of them are really breathtaking. There are different artistic styles here. I seems like four master-carvers were given a chance, to show their talents and so they used this as a showcase. This is the most strangest and most cryptic corbel I found. It is interesting, as in the middle is a scale model of a pillar from the nave. The model is a little simplified, but as the capitals here are very specific, it can only be one of the pillars here. So the corbel is a kind of "mirror" under the vault, reflecting what is happening down below. In front of that pillar are two persons, holding hands. The figures have very long arms - and the gesture of "holding hands" forms the letter "W". Below this "W" are the other arms (forming a inverted "V") - and I cannot find out, what they are grabbing. Maybe each others knee. Are these persons dancing? Then the left one would probably be female. Are they wrestling? Or is this another form of "beardpulling" - without beards? In this case both would be male. - And whatever it may be - could that happen down in the nave? From the style this corbel differs greatly from others inside Saints-Pierre-et-Pau, artisticly and thematically. This corbel tells a story - and the story has to do with very long arms/hands... Sorry for the bad quality of the photo..

Mosteiro de Vilar de Frades (aka Mosteiro de São Salvador) is located east of Barcelos. A convent may have existed here already in the second half of the 6th century. After the Reconquista the monastery was refounded and rebuilt here and in 1059 Benedictine monks lived here. During the reign of Sancho I of Portugal (1185-1211) a Romanesque church was erected of which some parts still exist. Around 1400 the monastery was given up, but revitalized from 1425 by Mestre João Vicente. The monastery got enlarged and existed upto 1834. Today the buildings house a home for disabled people and sheltered workshops. The portal of the Romanesque church is now "integrated" into the church´s facade. The portal was taken down and rebuilt in the early 19th century. So this may not the original state. There are three archivolts with some interesting (and enigmatic) carvings. Is here a is a wrestling - or a hugging couple?

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. As you see, this frieze consists out of three frames, of which two are nearly identical - and one is rather large. I will start from inside. Robert Will does not mention the first two "frames", so there is no help from "Alsace romane", Éditions Zodiaque. There are two men. Wrestling. The anatomy of the two bodies is strange, maybe even bumbling.. It is not clear, why these men are wrestling. I do not know, what "to wrestle" did mean within the 11th century. I can imagine, that wrestling was not a "knightly" form of fighting. Sofar I have seen fighting men, wearing armours and having weapons of any kind. Some even on horses. Here the men, that look like twins are naked. Obviously the wrestling takes place "outside", as there are leafs around the heads. Or - are these naked men not wrestling at all? Are they kissing each other? That would of course add some very different flavour! Please note, that the two profiles of the wrestlers form one "full" face. An idea, that Picasso had later as well. This "frame" is very cryptic. The strangest is, that next to this - is the same frame again. So if there is someone, who knows, what this could mean - write a comment please.

The parish church Saint-Sulpice in the village of Marignac was erected within the 12th century as part of a priory, founded here by the Charroux Abbey (120kms southeast). The church has a remarkable cloverleaf layout. The eastern part with the side chapels and the apse and the western portal are still dating back to the first church here, while the outer walls of the nave have been rebuilt, after destruction by war. The frieze, that runs all around the apse, has a very dense jungle of entwined vines, full of dangers and adventures. There were free-style wrestlers around the corner (previous upload), the wrestlers ,seen here, obviously prefer the Graeco-Roman style.

The parish church Saint-Sulpice in the village of Marignac was erected within the 12th century as part of a priory, founded here by the Charroux Abbey (120kms southeast). The church has a remarkable cloverleaf layout. The eastern part with the side chapels and the apse and the western portal are still dating back to the first church here, while the outer walls of the nave have been rebuilt, after destruction by war. The frieze, that runs all around the apse, has a very dense jungle of entwined vines, full of dangers and adventures. Humans are wrestling between the vines. Grabbing the opponent´s genitals is neither covered by the rules of freestyle-wrestling, nor Graeco-Roman style.