Sheela-na-gig

The National Monuments Service's description

Protruding from the inner face of the S wall of the crossing‑tower of the Cistercian abbey of Abbeylara (LF011‑036001‑), at a height of c. 2.5m, is a decorated figure carving in sandstone (dims. 0.37m x 0.22m). The carving has been interpreted as a very weathered representation of a sheela‑na‑gig (Guest 1936, 118; Andersen 1977, 144; McMahon and Roberts 2001, 111; Freitag 2004, 121; Roberts 2009, No. 84), although an alternative view has been proposed by Harnett (1954, 181) who suggested that it might be 'taken as a crude representation of a Virgin and Child' with the female genitalia being represented as an oval or lozenge-shaped shield in which is a figure in low relief of an infant. The condition of the carving makes it impossible to classify with any degree of certainty and the interpretation given is purely tentative.

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 16 April 2012

References

Guest, E.M. 1936 Irish sheela na gigs in 1935. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 66, 107-29.

McMahon, J. and Roberts, J. 2001 The Sheela-na-gigs of Ireland & Britain: the divine hag of the Christian Celts: an illustrated guide. Mercier Press, Cork.

Freitag, B. 2004 Sheela-na-gigs: unravelling an enigma. London. Routledge.

Roberts, J. 2009 The Sheela-na-gigs of Ireland. An illustrated map and guide. Galway, Bandia Publishing.

Andersen, J. 1977 The Witch on the wall: medieval erotic sculpture in the British Isles. London. Allen and Unwin Ltd.