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Monuments: R

1. Rothbury

Image
RecordAuthor Máirín Mac Carron
ISODate 2002-09-20
Date 20 September 2002
PictureCredit Jane Hawkes
County Northumberland
Townland Rothbury
OSMapRef NU 055018
Area England
GeneralContext Cross Shaft fragments.
Location Font base in Rothbury Church.
GeneralContext Stone type: Coarse-grained, massive yellow sandstone.
GeneralDescription Cross Shaft fragments, dated to early ninth century, lower fragment.
GeneralDescription This is thought to represent a scene in Hell. Humans and small animals are struggling in the coils of reptiles. The pair of reptiles at the top of the panel reach down to gnaw at two small quadrupeds. The quadrupeds' heads are underneath the tails of a second pair of reptiles. These reptiles reach down to bite the necks of two larger quadrupeds rearing up from below. They are biting the tails of those reptiles.
GeneralDescription At the top of the panel in space between the reptiles there is a small cat-like head.
GeneralDescription At the bottom of the scene there is a small naked human figure who is gripping in each hand the feet of the two rearing quadrupeds at the bottom. This figure is the pivot of the composition.

  1. Cramp, R.J., Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture, Vol. 1, Durham and Northumberland1st, Oxford University Press, Oxford (1984) Stones, Sculpture, Anglo-Saxons, England..