News: Rare Pagan Symbol Destroyed

[Pandoras]

This is from The Argus, a UK news source.

Mystery of erotic symbol smashed in church
by Barbara Davidson

The provocative sexuality of an ancient pagan symbol finally proved too much for one disgruntled visitor to a small church in rural Sussex.

1,000 years of history were destroyed when someone took a hammer to the lewd pagan carving in Buncton Church near Wiston, smashing it to smithereens.

The vandal's actions have horrified archaeologists who say it was the only example of a rare sheela-na-gig carving in Sussex.
Read the rest of the article here (http://www.theargus.co.uk/the_argus/archive/2004/11/30/NEWS20ZM.html).

[Carickah]

:holycow: :dis: :wah2: :geez: :fpatricks :sniffsnif :scream: :bangyourh :ack:


Anger and sadness that anyone could do this, not just to a pagan symbol, but to a piece of history.





k

[dr_zeus440]

reminds me of the destruction/vandalism of those buddhist statues along the silk road.....people can be so senseless and naughty.

[Theres]

no shit!
after that amount of time it has become a part of everyone's heritage, not just Pagans. what a horribly ignorant thing to do!

i collect ancient coins and artifacts, and some of them cost me quite a bit. but i know that they were around long before i was here, and will be long after i'm gone. therefore it is my responsibility to make sure they survive in the best condition i can keep them.
this is the much same. we are the caretakers of history, not it's owners or rulers. someone owes history a great debt for this!

We called it a "he", even though it's a "she".
yeah, that's a bit of a stretch! (no pun intended :lol: )

[morrigan]

thats so sad.. :( I'd hate to be around when karma comes to kick their butt..

[VroomBroom]

Theres:lol:

Thats just awful. :( the story, not Theres)

[Carickah]

no shit!
after that amount of time it has become a part of everyone's heritage, not just Pagans. what a horribly ignorant thing to do!

i collect ancient coins and artifacts, and some of them cost me quite a bit. but i know that they were around long before i was here, and will be long after i'm gone. therefore it is my responsibility to make sure they survive in the best condition i can keep them.
this is the much same. we are the caretakers of history, not it's owners or rulers. someone owes history a great debt for this!


yeah, that's a bit of a stretch! (no pun intended :lol: )So very true. I really agree with the concept of caretakers of history.


thats so sad.. :( I'd hate to be around when karma comes to kick their butt..hehehe, me too!!!


K

[Sylvan]

This is what she looked like:
http://perso.libertysurf.co.uk/john.harding/BunctonSheela12.jpg
http://perso.libertysurf.co.uk/john.harding/sheelabuncton.htm
says that:
if the carving is a sheela then it has been carefully defaced at some time, notice the scratches around the genital area in the photograph above. In addition to this there is a vulva shaped depression between legs which would seem to that perhaps at one time the figure was more exhibtionist than it is now and has been the victim of some puritanical "enhancement" rather than rubbing for good luck or fertility.
:(

[wakywitch]

sad,sad,sad

[lilromantyc]

It really bothers me that someone felt they could take it into their own hands to do that to something so old and rare and historical.
GRRRR...vandals.

[Mab]

:holycow: :dis: :wah2: :geez: :fpatricks :sniffsnif :scream: :bangyourh :ack:


Anger and sadness that anyone could do this, not just to a People symbol, but to a piece of history.





k
ditto

[BrigidMoon]

I thought so. I looked in my book and thought it looked like a Sheila-na-Gig...

[Ninjakitten]

I can't believe anyone could be so self-centered, narrow-minded, and live in their own little world so much that they would completely disregard history like that, even if they didn't agree with it! It makes me remember how I felt when the Buddha statues were destroyed, too. I love reenacting history (at least as much as I financially can) and firmly believe in being caretakers of human history. It gets warped enough without people destroying artifacts to make our research of history harder. :grrrrr: :scream: :atantrum:

[Ron]

This is what she looked like:
http://perso.libertysurf.co.uk/john.harding/BunctonSheela12.jpg
http://perso.libertysurf.co.uk/john.harding/sheelabuncton.htm
says that:

:(
What kind of MORON would smash that? I think it's cute. And I really don't see how it could be offensive.

Mortified peace...

[Wolfscout1]

It's only offensive to the unrelenting far right Christians.
what hypocrites. :rant:

[SacredWithin]

What kind of MORON would smash that? I think it's cute. And I really don't see how it could be offensive.

Mortified peace...

*Shrugs* Ask some Christians what they think of something like that.

Interesting thoughts Wolfscout...

Carickah....same here http://mysticwicks.com/images/smilies2/badboy.gif

[arctic splash]

It was one person. I'm sure the vast majority of people (Christian or otherwise) would not find it offensive...

[Elderbush]

Some nut tried to distroy Michaelangelo's Pieta years ago - there is no religion that has escaped the defacing of artifacts and works of religious art. The mentally derranged and the wicked are found in every religion.

[HolographicJoe]

*sighs* people are so selfish.

[BabblingImp]

thats so sad.. :( I'd hate to be around when karma comes to kick their butt..
I agree people have no more respect for anything anymore (or for themsevls) It doen't matter what it is or was people will always do things like that as long as they can because they feel that if they can they should be able to. it is a shame lets hope that they can repare it to some point.

[SacredWithin]

Did the person get in trouble?

[Pandoras]

Did the person get in trouble?
No. The identity of the vandal has not been uncovered.

[mattolsen]

It makes me sad to think about how many things have been destroyed by someones anger or fear. There goes a piece of history

[TheTempestuous1]

:( you can see where it would have been much more revealing tho. Although in the state it was, I dont see how it was so offensive. I think people tend to forget that, hey, your ancestors were pagan once too.

[Psyche Ague]

Ohhh, what a shame. That's a terrible loss.