Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: lust

Not much is known about this church. Some scholars date the building mid 11th, most mid 12th century. It may have been built by the Knights Templar, but there is no document about it. It is a small Romanesque basilica, erected on a "Latin Cross" blueprint. Within the 19th century the church was modified. There are larger windows now and a roof, that now stretches over nave and the two aisles. This seems a little "strange". There is a grimacing huge man, who is naked. His testicles seem to hang down to his knees. On the right a kissing couple. Man on the left, woman (long skirt) on the right. Does the naked hulk stand for (sinful) lust, that may arouse, when the couple continues?

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"). A sow and three piglets According to Albert M. Koeniger, the sow stands for lust ("luxuria") and the three piglets for the three sins connected to lust. The following relief depicts the merman with the net, seen already, framing the arch with the paddling mermaid to the left. This ends the large semicircle.

The Pieve di San Pietro a Gropina is located on a hill in the hamlet Gropina, that meanwhile belongs to Loro Ciuffenna. A chapel existed here already in the 4th century. Soon after Charlemagne had donated the area to the Nonantola Abbey, Benedictian monks erected a church here end of the 8th century. The church of today was probably built within the 12th century. At that time this was one of the wealthiest parish church with the diocese, having about 30 depending churches. The nave is flanked by pillars, that all have sculpted capitals. The capitals of left and right side differ in style. Within some decades two workshops have worked here. Maybe even more. The remarkable pulpit is based on a knotted pillar, is a striking piece of art. Some scholars attribute it to a "Master of Campione" (or a workshop). Next to the six-winged cherub (previous upload) are these two ladies. A long-haired mermaid in the (for mermaids normal) split-position and above a female in the same position. She has in immense amount of pubic hair and holds two giant snakes, that whisper sinful sentences into her ears. Or into his ears, as the person could be male... A victim of lust anyway.. In medieval times mermaids are seen as a symbols of vanity and lust, of sexual display, seduction and temptation leading to damnation. Lust is one of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Civaux, a village with a population of about 1000, has a history rooting very deep. Humans populated the area already, when stepp bisons and mammoths were hunted. Many "pre-historic" artefacts have been excavated in and around Civaux, proving that this place was inhabited over tens of thousands of years. A settlement stood on the site of the village in Gallo-Roman times, and there are still traces of Roman temples. Excavations have revealed the sites of a theater (capacity 3000), a fortified camp, and the foundations of many villas. This has been a place of very early christianisation. A funeral stele has been found dating to around 400, a pagan temple and a very early baptisterium were excavated next to the church. A polygonal apse was probably built as will around 400, what actually means that this church, dedicated to Saint Gervais and Saint Protais is one of the oldest in France. At that time a kind of pilgrimage must have developed. The relics of Saint Gervais and Saint Protais had been miraculously discovered by Saint Ambrose in Milan in 386, so the saints got very popular in Merovingian times, but that does not explain the enigma of Civaux. The village stands in the center of a huge merovingian necropolis. As many sarcophagi were sold as water basins or troughs in later time, the exact number of graves is unknown. Serious estimations are between 15.000 and 20.000 graves. There are parallels to nearby Saint Pierre in Cauvigny (16 kms north). The same colours as in Chauvigny were used here during the restauration of the interior. At least one of the capitals is very similar to one in Saint Pierre, but some carvings are absolutely unique. Seen here is only one capital, but as it is close to the wall and I was unable to get the whole "story" into one photo. A mermaid has entered a small boat (let) and the fisherman is falling overboard (right). The mermaid here stands for lust - and the fisherman stands for the poor sinner, who could not withstand - and now he will fall straight into hell.

The late afternoon sun shines on "Sainte-Croix", the church of the former "Abbatiale Sainte-Croix". The abbey was founded in Merovingian times just south of Bordeaux. The exact year is unknown, but it was mentioned already in 679. The abbey was destroyed by the Saracens around 730 and rebuilt at the end of the century . During the 9th century the Normans raided the area and the abbey got devastated again. Local nobility supported the rebuilding of the abbey by donations and privileges. The abbey church, built in eleventh/twelfth century, got renovated and rebuilt during the 19th century by Paul Abadie, later known as the architect of "Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre" and strongly influenced by Viollet-le-Duc. His works (eg Saint-Front, Périgueux, St. Pierre, Angoulême) are disputed today, as he "re-created" structures and added details. There are two blind arches flanking the central entrance. Here are the archivolts over the right blind arch. While on the left side five misers are plagued by devils, as avarice is a deathly sin, here are five luxuriae tortured by the devils. These ladies are symbols of lust, another deathly sin. Here is a close up.

The late afternoon sun shines on "Sainte-Croix", the church of the former "Abbatiale Sainte-Croix". The abbey was founded in Merovingian times just south of Bordeaux. The exact year is unknown, but it was mentioned already in 679. The abbey was destroyed by the Saracens around 730 and rebuilt at the end of the century . During the 9th century the Normans raided the area and the abbey got devastated again. Local nobility supported the rebuilding of the abbey by donations and privileges. The abbey church, built in eleventh/twelfth century, got renovated and rebuilt during the 19th century by Paul Abadie, later known as the architect of "Sacré-Coeur de Montmartre" and strongly influenced by Viollet-le-Duc. His works (eg Saint-Front, Périgueux, St. Pierre, Angoulême) are disputed today, as he "re-created" structures and added details. There are two blind arches flanking the central entrance. Here are the archivolts over the right blind arch. While on the left side five misers are plagued by devils, as avarice is a deathly sin, here are five luxuriae tortured by the devils. These ladies are symbols of lust, another deathly sin.

The construction of the late-romanesque hall-church started around 1230. It was dedicated to "St. Lambertus", what is a connection the "Engelbert III von der Mark", a regional noble, who was bishop in Liege, where martyr St. Lambert (aka "Lambert of Maastricht" had been a bishop as well. Engelbert, who later was bishop in Cologne, had a great influence in the area. After the Reformation, the parish converted to Protestantism, but the church was still "St. Lambertus" for a long time. Later, in very sober times, the name was changed to "Evangelische Hauptkirche" (= "Protestant Main Church"). In 1953 a new name was introduced - and since then this is the "Christuskirche". A capital of the late romanesque southern portal. This is the very left capital on the right side of the portal. Unfortunately it is very weathered. Not many details are left. On very first sight, I was sure to see a typical Luxuria, a medieval symbol of lust ("voluptas"), an so a kind of icon for one of "The Seven Deadly Sins". Luxurias can be found often in France (eg Moissac, Blessle, Vienne..), but not in Westphalia. Then I tended to a "Master of the Beasts", what can be found in the area (Balve). Later I returned to Luxuria... The person in the center is a woman. Baids hang down to the shoulders. It is hard to see the arms. I had the impression, that the left arm (her right) goes up - ends in a huge fist, holding the beast, but then I would expect, to see the same/similar on the other side. This is not the case. Two beasts are hanging down the sidewards. Luxurias are mostly connected with suckling snakes or toads. Here are two (ugly, fat) lizard like creatures (salamanders?), that either are just being breastfed (the breasts are lost) or bite into the stomach. The person either wears a kind of skirt - or stands ontop of a small brick-built structure (tower, chimney). Too many details are missing, but - at this moment - I think this is a Luxuria, what would be pretty special for the area.