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One
of the few secular Sheela Na Gigs it can be found inside the old stables
Haddon Hall (now housing the tourist toilets). This sheela has been moved recently from its original
position over the main door (see below) of the stables to the inside of
the stables over what appears to be an old manger. This should prevent
further weathering. The carving is fairly crude and large with the legs awkwardly
held in the air. The hands are beneath the buttocks pulling either side.
This is very reminiscent of the nearby Darley
Dale Sheela. According to one of the guides at Haddon Hall the
sheela was found in a field nearby and is much older than the hall itself
but he also admitted to not knowing that much about the sheela so we have
to take that with a pinch of salt. The "found in field" origin
for the Sheela may be related to a roman altar to Mars which stands just
inside the great hall. This apparently was dug up in one of the fields
which sounds perfectly reasonable.
The Norman Connection
Haddon Hall dates from the 12th century but people have been living here
since at least the 11th century. The hall is celebrated for it's state of
preservation and parts of the building have been standing since the 12th
century. In 1087 when the Domesday book
was written William Perevel the illegitimate son of William the
Conqueror held the manor. The house became a fortified in around 1195
when a wall was built around it. The sheela
originally resided above the door to the stables which now house the
toilets. This Sheela is curious because it is
not on a religious building and is unique in Britain as it is the only
unequivocal sheela in secular setting. Pevsner gives an Elizabethan date to
the stables and Andersen concurs with this stating that the figure is a late
example (1600's). Given that Haddon Hall has been much altered over the
years it seems more likely to me that this figure is a survival or perhaps a
re-carving of a 12th century figure. Counting against this theory is
its size which is quite large for a sheela and larger carving of figures
tended to come from later medieval periods. Saying that we have an
exhibitionist figure in a site with 12th century connections and most other
examples originate from that period. Apotropaic
Because
this is one of the few secular sheelas we can say with some certainty that
it is unlikely to be serving as an ecclesiastical warning against the sin of
lust. It is however likely to be serving an apotropaic function protecting
the building from evil or the devil. Why the stables were in particular need
of protection will have to remain a mystery. It's interesting to
compare this figure with the Whittlesford
figure which seems to be unequivocally depicting lust. These two examples
clearly show why one particular theory does not fit all figures.
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