Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 5.djvu/444

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [n s. v. MAY n, 1912.


of a pope ; a crosier, mitre, or cope the festival of a bishop or an abbot, somewhat indis- criminately. Martyrs are represented in some cases by the implements used for their martyrdom, and other saints by objects which tradition has connected with them.

In the table which follows is given a complete list of all the objects depicted, excepting only the signs of the Zodiac, together with the date, significance, and brief items of interest.


Dare.


Object.


Significance.


Remarks.


Jan.

1 +


19 +


25 +


Feb.

2 +


9 +

15+

22 +

24+

3Iar.

1 +

4

7 + .8


17


21


Knife and horn.

Horn and three

crowns. Crowned head,

and inverted

horn.


Crosier, and tripod.


Sword and bow.


Crown, flowers and horn.

Forceps,

and netting needle.

Crosier, and axe.


Key, and stone.


Axe,

and fish.

Ecclesiastical vestment.

Man's head Leg and arm Shuttle (?)


Papal crown Budding tree

Convent Pig ..


Crosier,

and plough.


The Feast of the Circum- cision. The Feast of the Epiphany.

St. Knut

The cessation of Christmas feasting.


St. Henry

Winter " Ting " . .

The Conversion of St. Paul.


Candlemas, or the Purifica- tion of the Virgin.

St. Apollonia

A reminder to mend and make fishing nets.

St. Sigfrid

A reminder to cut firewood

before the sap begins to

rise.

St. Peter


St. Matthias

A reminder that pike can easily be caught now.

St. Albinus . .


SS. Perpetua a,nd Felicitas.


St. Gregory

An indication of the ap- proach of spring.

St. Gertrude

A reminder that the pigs which have been fed all the winter may now be turned out.

St. Benedict

An agricultural reminder.


The drinking-horn denotes a feast. The crowns refer to the Magi.

There appears to be some confusion here between several Knuts. The crown seems to refer to Knut, King of Denmark (July 10), who is possibly substituted for another Knut (Jan. 13), whose name is found in modern Swedish calendars. There is yet a third Knut (Jan. 7).

Bishop of Upsala and patron saint of Finland. Killed about 1150. Canonized 1158.

" Ting " is equivalent to the Anglo-Saxon " gemot."

Beheaded 60. The sword was the usual symbol of St. Paul, and appears in the arms of the City of London, St. Paul being the patron of its cathedral. (The association of this symbol with Wat Tyler is fallacious.)

St. Blasius (Feb. 3) was usually denoted by a hunting-horn ; but the horn shown here pro- bably refers to the Purification.

St. Apollonia was tortured by having her teeth extracted. See Salting Bequest, V. & A. M., Room 131, No. 1229.

The English bishop of Vaxjo, who introduced Christianity into Sweden. Died 1030. Can- onized 1158.

Apostle. Commemorated here as Bishop of Antioch. Crucified head downwards 65. There is a tradition that St. Peter throws hot stones on the land to thaw it.

Apostle. Beheaded.


Died 549.


The reason for these symbols is obscure.

If this object is a shuttle, it is probably a remin der to make clothes for the bare arm and leg o Mar. 7, in view of the approaching outdoo work.

Pope. Died 604.


Abbess of Nivelles. Died 660.


Founder of the Order of Benedictines. Died 543