Animal Iconography as a Religious Symbol
J. Romilly Allen argued that animals were intended to convey a “deep spiritual lesson to the minds of those familiar with their hidden meaning”[8]. The capitals on the cloisters depict a variety of animals, including an antlered animal, a bird, a basilisk, and a turtle. I examined Allen’s bestiary and similar documents to assess two of these animals and what they would reveal to a medieval viewer.
Saint-Genis-des-Fontaines depicted a number of birds, one such bird being a peacock.[9] A peacock was considered a symbol of resurrection, because at the time it was believed the peacock’s flesh did not decay.[10] As evidenced by the Peacock example, characteristics of animals were taken to represent facets of Christ and religion.
Another depiction on the cloister was an antlered animal rearing. After examining Allen’s bestiary, I hypothesized that this antlered animal is the stag, as the stag is not only the most similar in looks, but also the only animal depicted with antlers. According to the Bestiary, the stag kills the serpent with his feet, the stag symbolizing Jesus Christ, and the serpent symbolizing the devil.[11] This story represents the power of the the Lord over the devil. Although the snake was not present on the capital, the stag could still be taken as a representation of Christ. Without the snake, however, the artist had to find another way to make the stag appear more powerful, and thus elongated his antlers and depicted him as rearing.
These two animals provide only two case studies of the many meanings animal iconography holds. With the number of animals on the capitals of Saint-Genis-des-Fontaines, monks and other cloister dwellers were provided a lot of material for religious reflection.
Citations:
8.Allen, J.Romilly. Early christian symbolism in great britain and ireland before the thirteenth century. Place of publication not identified: Cambridge Univ Press, 2014. Print. P. 334-393
9.Marcus, George H., ed. Treasures of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the John G. Johnson Collection. S.l.: Philadelphia, 1973. Print. Pg. 32
10.Ross, Leslie. Medieval Art : A Topical Dictionary. Westport, US: Greenwood Press, 1996. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 28 April 2017. Pg. 37
11.Allen, J.Romilly. Early christian symbolism in great britain and ireland before the thirteenth century. Place of publication not identified: Cambridge Univ Press, 2014. Print. P. 334-393 pg. 31