South
I wonder if anyone ever really gets over York Minster, once they've visited. It's an amazing work. So as I was scrolling through my [ever-aging] photos, I decided to post a few photos of the exterior of this great Cathedral today, and post a few interior shots next week. This has been done before, but it was about three years ago - and since I never tire of them, I thought maybe you could enjoy them too. I hope so.
South
West front
Okay, look at those red arrows, and then find the close-ups in the two photos below.
I have spent far too much time today trying to find out who the figures represent in the statues above and the one below. Everything I'm finding simply calls them 'stone carvings.' Drives me crazy. I did find one source that said there was a 'seated figure' holding a church above the east door, but this is on the west front, so I don't know. I guess they're keeping it a big secret. There is so much intricate stone carving on this building it's just incredible.
So here's today's puzzle: I think the photos above are of the west front of York Minster. However, I found the following information which sounds very much like it describes the figure above:
From Yorkminster.org:
'One of the mysteries of the East Front is what has become known as the ‘seated figure’. It’s a large carved human figure – now badly worn with the ravages of time - obviously an integral part of the East Front stonework and highly significant for the medieval builders. The figure has one hand raised in blessing and in the other hand is holding something. But who is the figure? What does this piece of stone represent?
'The academics have their views. One is that the figure is a representation of St Peter, the Apostle to whom the Minster is dedicated. Another suggests that he is one of the medieval archbishops. There are points to be made on both sides, but wherever the truth might lie, an important practical question remains: ‘what are we to do about it?’
'We’ve removed the badly worn stone and have decided that we will replace the figure with a piece of 21st century craftsmanship – a new seated figure, to take the place of the old. But who will it be? Decisions have had to be made, and the die has been cast in favour of St Peter.'
That description certainly sounds like this guy, doesn't it. But when I do a Google image search on the west front of the minster, I get photos like the ones I'm showing you here. So if anyone has a definitive answer, I'd be happy to hear it.
Zoomed out a tad
South Transept with Rose Window
East
Photo Credit
From Wikipedia:
'York has had a verifiable Christian presence from the fourth century. However there is circumstantial evidence pointing to much earlier Christian involvement. According to Bede missionaries were sent from Rome by Eleutherius at the request of the chieftain Lucius of Britain in AD 180 to settle controverted points of differences as to Eastern and Western ceremonials which were disturbing the church. Tradition speaks of 28 British bishops, one for each of the greater British cities, over whom presided the Archbishops of London, York and Caerleon-on-Usk.
'The first recorded church on the site was a wooden structure built hurriedly in 627 to provide a place to baptise Edwin, King of Northumbria. Moves toward a more substantial building began in the 630s. A stone structure was completed in 637 by Oswald and was dedicated to Saint Peter. The church soon fell into disrepair and was dilapidated by 670 when Saint Wilfrid ascended to the see of York. He repaired and renewed the structure. The attached school and library were established and by the 8th century were some of the most substantial in northern Europe.' READ MORE...
I hope you get to visit York Minster some day - and I hope I get to visit it again too...someday.
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