| Llanhamlach
is a small village approximately 4 miles to the east of Brecon in Powys
S.Wales. The church of St.Peter in the village contains the Ioannis
Moridic stone pictured on the left. It is thought to be no later than
the 11th century and there is also some conjecture that the stone that
it could be two or three centuries earlier. There is a latin inscription
on the right hand edge which reads IOHANNIS / MORIDIC SUREXIT HUNC
LAPIDEM which is thought to mean "Moridic erected this stone".
There is a marked space and slash between the IOHANNIS and MORIDIC.
According to a sign on the church SUREXIT is thought to be an error on
the part of the sculptor who had an incomplete grasp of Latin. The
IOHANNIS is thought to be part of another inscription which is now lost.
What is most intriguing about the stone is the two figures carved either
side of the decapitated cross. Both appear to have "penises"
peeking from beneath their garments yet the right hand figure also
appears to have breasts with "rays" emanating from them
possibly indicating milk. Both figures hold their hands in the air and
the right hand figure also appears to have "earrings" i.e.
circles either side of the head. The stone appears in the 1876 book
"Lapidarium Walliae" by J.O. Westwood who identifies the
figures as Adam and Eve under the tree of knowledge and the Virgin Mary
and St John standing beside the cross in turn. Interestingly no
mention is made of the possible "penises" and the illustration
in the book omits them altogether. Another example of the Victorian
bowdlerisation of carvings which also happened to the Kilpeck
figure.
You may also want to compare the carvings on this stone with the Three Disgraces at Burford church. The middle figure is carved in a similar manner with a "penis" peeking from beneath a shift. It's very hard to say what this stone is meant to represent with it's confusion of sexual symbolism. |
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