15-carvings
Carvings on ceiling bosses
In a world where few could read and write, the medieval church was a riot of colour, its walls covered in colourfully painted depictions of biblical scenes, and a vivid reminder to the worshipper of the struggle between death and eternal life. In St Michael’s church, any wall paintings have long gone, but the decorative wooden ceiling bosses remain, with hints of their original colours occasionally just visible. Each would have had their meaning but today these remain the secret of the craftsman who carved them. The characters include a rabbit playing a musical instrument, a mitre, a stag’s head, a circle of four hares, a mermaid, a man playing a fiddle and one of three birds.
