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David

Misericords depicting birds

Owl

Once again from Stratford church. Owls, like this fine carving of one in flight, regularly crop up as the subject of misericords. To the medieval church they did not symbolise wisdom, but on the contrary malicious ignorance.

Eagle holding an infant in swaddling

The eagle in the centre here has an infant in its claws. Presumably again some kind of symbol, but I don’t know what. Apparently the posture of the lion, on the left, indicates that it is meant to be cowering.