Building Name

:

Eglise Saint-Pierre, Aulnay (2nd half 12th c.)  

Location

:

Choir

Capital

:

3

Subject

:

Elephants

Description

:

Capital in the south aisle, last bay of nave (towards east)

Reference

:

Elephants are referred to as animals of war in Scripture. This animal is not represented in Early Christian monumental decoration, however it was a popular motif in Romanesque sculpture. In Poitou-Charentes, as well as Aulnay, the animals are sculpted on the facade of Notre-Dame-la-Grande and in the ambulatory of Saint-Jean de Montierneuf in Poitiers. Hugh of St. Victor viewed these animals as symbols of the battle against evil; he also viewed them as a sign of man and woman before original sin. He wrote: Cum autem venerit tempus pariendi, pergit ad lacum magnum, et ingreditur usque ad ubera, et ibidem parturit super aquam et hoc propter draconem facit quia insidiatur pullis ejus, et illi ipsi. Masculus autem non recedit a femina, sed custodit eam super stagnum aquarum parientem, ad arcendem draconem, ut dixi, inimicum. Isti autem duo elephantes masculus et femina figuram habent Adam et Evae, qui erant in paradiso Dei ante prevaricationem gloria circumdati, nescientes ullum malum, non concupiscentiae desiderium, non commistionis coitum. [De bestiis et aliis rebus, lib. II, cap. XXX (PL, t. 177, col. 71). Rabanus Maurus wrote earlier: "Quando autem parturiunt, in aquis vel in insulis dimittunt foetus propter dracones, quia inimici sunt, et ab eis implicati necantur" (De Universo, libr. XXII, cap. VIII dans PL, t. 111, col 221).] This comparison is of interest when one considers a neighboring capital at Aulnay that represents the offering and murder of Abel, consequences of Original Sin. It is evident that the sculptors had never seen an elephant with their own eyes. The sculpture was probably modeled after fabric or an ivory from the East.

Corpus Ref.

:

vol. 3, Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres, 81