The
Sheela-na-gig is a shocking, immediately noticable figure found
in Celtic and medival stonework. Sheela is most commonly depicted as a squat,
ugly female creature using her hands to display grotesquely large genitals.
Sheelas of various ages adorn stone steles all over the Irish countryside ;
they are also found in the intricate carvings in cathedrals and stone churches
in ireland, England, and throughout Europe, often in tandem with the Green
man.
Sheela
is very likely related to the ancient Celtic Goddess; her images are much older
than the churches they often appear in, suggesting they are elements of much
older religious sites. Many closely resemble ancient Viking figures of a creator
goddess Ormgudinna.
A Sheela.
To see a gallery of Sheelas: Sheela-na-gig
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