An intriguing piece of the puzzle
If Michelangelo gained a working knowledge of anatomy at the morgue, perhaps his predecessors sought to render the most accurate depictions of the human body that they could too.
So, here’s what we’ve seen. On display in a little county museum in the middle of Ireland is the reproduction of the statue of a pre-Christian female figure. Substantial numbers of such female figures have been discovered across Ireland, as well as in the rest of Great Britain and on the continent.
Unseemly – or even obscene? This type of statuary portraying women called Sheela na gig that has been found repeatedly across Ireland may have been kept out of most exhibits on that basis. I’m guessing this: just as the Roman conquerors covered over male genitalia with fig leaves in Greek statuary, religious conquerors still declare Celtic symbols of womanhood unfit for general viewing.
Here’s my take. The female anatomy on display in ancient statuary may be emphasizing the fact that the personage depicted was female. What supports this notion? Ancient Celtic heroes halls displayed statuary of the culture’s honorees, those chosen to be exalted and revered by that culture. Women appear as proud participants among the heroes, make no mistake!
For as long as people have been depicting humankind in art, it is fairly safe to assume that the birth channel has belonged to feminine bodies. It is equally likely to be true that for that same length of time the circle has symbolized women’s reproductive gear. Women embody the gateway to future generations - a concept that unites the current world with original humanity.
From all I’ve seen, Celts were too practical to be controlled by religious beliefs. I cannot imagine that Celts worshipped goddesses, and here’s why. Celts were guided by stars that they themselves had mapped out. It is highly unlikely that such a practical, scientific, fact-based, common-sense culture would allow itself to be dictated to by an unseen god in mythical heavens.
Here’s an additional thought. Placing a figure under a rounded arch may connote heroism. In countless Celtic fest halls, females appear to have been honored in alcoves under arches as a form of respect. Traditionally in memorials, longstanding signs of veneration for heroes seem to include arcades and archways, in the same way wreaths, halos, wings and hands pressed upward together connate honor – but NOT worship.
When Roman invaders came to Celtic Europe, they found a culture that prized its females as warriors. Celtic warriors protected families from invaders like the Romans who wanted to enslave women and turn them into possessions. Also, from the veneration shown to Celtic women by the golden jewelry placed in their tombs, it seems that both Celtic men and women were highly prized for heroism.
Celts honored women for their reproductive and nurturing capabilities, as gateways to future generations. This seems to be the rank opposite of Christian teachings. Early Christian writings even go so far as to accuse women as deserving the pains of childbirth. Roman Catholic notions of celibacy seems to treat marriage as beneath priests, as though pretend-fatherhood, one without a woman partner or children, is somehow holier than being in a biological family of mother-father-children.
The proud display of femininity by Celts seen in Sheela na gig seems to answer imperial Rome’s longstanding denigration of womanhood. Is that the reason we don’t see ancient Celtic female statuary like these Irish ones while Michelangelo’s David is fervently studied as the world’s greatest sculpture?
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