Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: breastfeeding

A Roman settlement, named "Aeminium" existed here. When the neighbouring town "Conimbriga" got conquered and destroyed by the Suebes in 468, the survivors moved to "Aeminium" - and renamed it. The Visigoths under King Wittiza named the town "Eminio" later. In 714 the town was conquered by Muslim troops, who changed the name again. Coimbra was finally recaptured in 1064 by King Fernando de Castilla y León. Coimbra became the second capital of the Kingdom of Portugal (after Guimarãesin) 1139, a status that moved to Lisbon in 1256. The University of Coimbra, founded by Denis of Portugal (aka "Dom Dinis") in 1290, is one of the oldest in Europe. Coimbra hosts the "Machado de Castro National Museum", named after Machado de Castro, a Portuguese sculptor of the late 18th century. It has a wide, very interesting collection. Here are some examples. A Gothic funerary inscription, dating from the 13th/14th century. The Virgin is breastfeeding little Jesus, while the two flanking angels swing the censer and hold a candle. The person on his/her knees is probably stands for the soul of the deceased patron. www.museumachadocastro.gov.pt/en-GB/2%20museu/ContentList...

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.

The first (carolingian) church here is named "Haito Muenster", as Bishop Haito ( as well abbot of the important Reichenau Abbey) had comissioned it. It was completed around 825. The foundations of these structure were reused, when the so called "Heinrich Muenster" was built just after 1000, sponsored and named after Emperor Heinrich II (Henry II) of the Ottonian dynasty. Already in 1019 this church got consecrated. The Muenster seen today is the third large church, erected 1180 - 1220/30. The late romanesque church had five towers, that all got destroyed (with most vaultings) in 1356 during the worst earthquake ever recorded in Central Europe. Modern seismologists estimate a magnitude of 7.1. The rebuilding of the Muenster was led by Johannes Parler, who at the same time was employed for building the Freiburg Muenster. So there are a lot of parallels between these two Muensters, only 70 kms apart. About 1500 the Muenster was finally completed in a combination of late romanesque and gothic style. The restauration process started about 400 years later. Pollution caused a lot of damage and meanwhile many of the carvings outside the church have been replaced by copies. So many of the details seen on the shots may be - copies. Looking east to the choir. Some art historians have compared the structure of the side walls with the CLUNY III. The interior differs surprisingly from the Freiburg Muenster. The Protestant Reformation in Switzerland differed from that one in Germany, as the Swiss Reformators (Huldrych Zwingli, John Calvin, Johannes Oekolampad..) had a way more radical approach, than their Lutherian collegues. During the 9th of February 1529 a group of about 200 people forced their way into this (at that time still catholic) church and in a kind of frenzy destroyed all reachable crucifixes, statues and altars, just everything what was connected to "idolatry" in their thinking. The same afternoon the iconoclasm extended to many other churches in Basel as well. I wonder, why the the fast and furious iconoclasts did not destroy the many works, done by the stone carvers in and outside the church. Obviously only "holy" objects had to burn. This mermaid is another parallel to the Freiburg Muenster, as there as well is a breastfeeding mermaid. The baby holds a fish. The mermaid has legs, at least one (on the left) is visible. The artistic composition differs fairly from her Freiburg-sister, but like there the place of the carving is dim - and so the photo is blurry.

Saint-Ursanne is named after Ursicinus, an iro-scottish disciple of famous St. Kolumban, the missionary of Bavaria. Ursinicus lived as a hermit here in the valley of the Doubs. After Ursinicus´ death, St. Wandrille (aka Wandregisel) founded a convent at his tomb. This was recorded first time in 849 as "..cella in honorem Sancti Ursicini.." The convent probably merged in a newly founded Benedictian abbey within the 11th century, that a century later was converted to a collegiate of the Prince-Bishopric of Basel. The collegiate church was erected 1200/1400 and integrates some parts of the former abbey church. The structure got severely damaged by the Basel earthquake of 1356. The tower collapsed. It took about a century to repair the ruined church. The collegiate got secularised in 1803, when the village belonged to France. Since the Congress of Vienna the area is part of Canton of Bern - and the former collegiate church now is the parish church of the town. The southern portal, erected around 1200, is clearly inspired by the iconography of Basel Cathedral´s Gallus Pforte (60kms) and the portal of the Nikolaus-chapel inside the Freiburg Muenster (120kms). A breastfeeding mermaid with legs and tails. She is flanked by two maids, a fish is whispering into her ear. A mermaid like this is pretty rare, but she has a lookalike in Freiburg.

Saint-Ursanne is named after Ursicinus, an iro-scottish disciple of famous St. Kolumban, the missionary of Bavaria. Ursinicus lived as a hermit here in the valley of the Doubs. After Ursinicus´ death, St. Wandrille (aka Wandregisel) founded a convent at his tomb. This was recorded first time in 849 as "..cella in honorem Sancti Ursicini.." The convent probably merged in a newly founded Benedictian abbey within the 11th century, that a century later was converted to a collegiate of the Prince-Bishopric of Basel. The collegiate church was erected 1200/1400 and integrates some parts of the former abbey church. The structure got severely damaged by the Basel earthquake of 1356. The tower collapsed. It took about a century to repair the ruined church. The collegiate got secularised in 1803, when the village belonged to France. Since the Congress of Vienna the area is part of Canton of Bern - and the former collegiate church now is the parish church of the town. The southern portal, erected around 1200, is clearly inspired by the iconography of Basel Cathedral´s Gallus Pforte (60kms) and the portal of the Nikolaus-chapel inside the Freiburg Muenster (120kms). I had seen a photo of these three capitals on the right side of the portal. These capitals let me do the detour to Switzerland. To the left eagles, not very unique. In the center a breastfeeding mermaid (with legs!). She is flanked by two maids, a fish is whispering into her ear. To the right a "wolf´s school", where a monk teaches an uninterested wolf to read. These two icons are very rare - and have parallels in Basel and Freiburg. I will upload a close up of the mernmaid next.