Knight’s sign of the cross
QUESTION At Worcester Cathedral, there is a tomb of a Crusader knight with his legs crossed, right over left. Why is this? A lot of tombs in churches and chapels dating back to the Crusades of the 11th and 12th centuries show effigies of knights.
there is a myth that crossed legs mean the knight was on Crusade, but those dated are usually found to be after this era. Another theory suggests it has to do with the knight’s efforts to be a good Christian, with the crossed feet representing the Crucifixion.
From the 12th century, animal statues were placed at the feet of knights lying on tombs. they represented the protector of the deceased in the afterlife. Some believed they were placed there to prevent the deceased from coming back, thus protecting the living.
this tradition came from the statues of real or mythical animals that represented virtues or vices on church portals.
A dog is often found at the feet of the recumbent statues of women and sometimes children. It symbolises loyalty to the sovereign and to the kingdom, but especially of faith. the dog is also a guide in the kingdom of the dead. When it has a bone between its paws, it is a sign that the body is under the effigy.
David Shelton, Worthing, W. Sussex. thE tomb at Worcester Cathedral is a monument to Robert de harcourt, who died in 1205. It was erected some time in the mid-13th century.
the house of harcourt is a Norman family, descended from Bernard the Dane who was given substantial territories in Normandy by the Viking chief Rollo when he became ruler of Normandy following the treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte in 911.
In 1066, Errand of harcourt and his three brothers joined William, Duke of Normandy, in his invasion of England, following which they were granted substantial English lands.
In 1191, Robert de harcourt of Bosworth inherited lands of his father-inlaw Richard de Camville (having married his heir Isabel) at Stanton, oxfordshire, which was renamed Stanton harcourt.
the manor remains in the harcourt family to the present day. Robert was sheriff of Warwick and leicester in 1199, 1201 and 1202. Despite his martial looking effigy (he is dressed in chain mail with a sword, helmet and shield), he did not go on Crusade.
Ironically, it was the death of Richard de Camville’s son Richard on Crusade in 1191 that led to Robert’s oxfordshire inheritance. his son William was a close supporter of King John and was at the siege of Damietta in Palestine in 1218.
Jon Allen, Coventry.
QUESTION Where did the phrase throw caution to the wind originate? thRoW caution to the wind means to decide on a bold (or brazen) course.
the image of the wind as a means of dispersal appears in John Milton’s Paradise lost and this is often considered the root of the expression.
the 1667 poem addressed the temptation of Adam and Eve by Satan that led to them being ousted from the Garden of Eden: Taste so divine, that what of sweet before Hath touched my sense, flat seems to
this, and harsh. On my experience, Adam, freely taste, And fear of death deliver to the winds. the phrase ‘deliver to the winds’ implies that the action is undertaken with such abandon that fear isn’t considered. George Summers, Lincoln.
QUESTION If homo sapiens had not evolved, which species would be at the top of the food chain?
hoMo sapiens are the most powerful species on the planet, but are not at the top of the food chain.
the definition of a food chain is the transfer of energy from one organism to another. Plants are the producers and higher links are consumers, with predators at the top level.
one food chain is grass (producer); zebra ( primary consumer); hyena (secondary); and lion (tertiary). to be at the top of the food chain, an animal must strictly consume the meat of animals that are predators themselves. As consumers of cereal grains, fruit and vegetables, we don’t fit that description.
Apex predators have no peers in their natural habitats. they include great white sharks, polar bears, venomous snakes such as king cobras, saltwater crocodiles and big cats such as tigers.
homo sapiens are the only threat to apex predators, yet if you were to leave a single man alone with such an animal, with nothing but their natural instincts, the homo sapien is the lower link in the chain. they can’t match the strength or flawless stalking and hunting techniques of an apex predator.
Emilie Lamplough, Trowbridge, Wilts.
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