Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: peasant

Betberg is a little hamlet, belonging to Buggingen. The name "Betberg" sounds like a "program", "bet" means "pray" and "berg" means "mountain". Betberg had of the earliest churches in the area. The church was first mentioned in 789, but brick foundations, found during a renovation in the 1970s date from around 700. The current church was probably built between 1100 and 1145. The tower was erected around the year 1200. Of course, the church underwent numerous alterations, enlargements and renovations over the centuries. Upon the gallery are some fascinating drawings, connected to the German Peasants' War. The peasants revolted against the feudal society, as they bore the brunt of maintaining it. Princes, nobility, civil servants, patricians and the clergy lived on their labour and as the number of beneficiaries continued to rise, the taxes the peasants had to pay also rose. The Peasant´s War reached the area in 1525. Left and right on the walls of the tower are a knight and a mercenary standing for the spiritual and worldly powers guard the doors (prev. upload). So for the two peasants, the only way to escape is through the small oculus.

Richardis, wife of Charles III (aka "Charles the Fat") and so "Holy Roman Empress", founded the abbey in Andlau ca 880. Later she lived here (as the abbess). She was known for her piety and so she was canonised, when Pope Leo IX paid a visit to the abbey in 1049. Another frame of the frieze in Andlau. This is about the "Guiding Principles of the Honorable Merchant". A peasant is selling a small crop (not a potatoe!!) to a (very well dressed) merchant. The price is depending from the weight - and the scale is owned by the merchant. The devil on the shoulder whispers into the merchant´s ear "cheat him". A clear warning for all merchants, to be honorable. Actually the overall concept has not changed, see this website covering the same theme in a more lengthy way www.the-honorable-merchant.com/home/welcome/ As far as I know, the devil used the same words, when he whispered into Bernard Madoff´s ear. Mr. Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison in 2010. Well maybe an investment consultant is not identical to a merchant. Sorry for this off-topic!

The exact age of the St.-Peters Church in Linden (about 6kms south of Giessen) is unknown. The church is placed on a once strongly fortified hill, mentioned in the Lorsch codex. A smaller Carolingian chapel had been here already as early as 810/820, foundations of this chapel have been found during a restauration. The church was probably erected within the 12th century. The romanesque portal is the outstanding feature of St.-Peters. It was carved around 1220/1230 and originally it had been on the southern entrance of the church, but was moved to the western facade. There are only a few of these portals in Germany - and this one is pretty unique, though it is weathered and difficult to "read". One theory claims, that the carvings are connected to the legend of Saint Wenceslaus I, who was murdered by his brother. Soon after his "martyrdom" several hagiographies were (told and) written - and these were very popular within the middle ages. So here is the center of the outer archivolt and the complete inner with the hunting scene and the dragon. R. Hamann, quoted by Kiesow, sees a nativity scene in the center, flanked by the Magis, traveling with two wagons. The carvings are pretty weathered, but I doubt that. I see a lady in a position, that could well be the "Maria Regina", but I can not see a child. There are neither ox nor ass, but two men and (between them) an animal (dog). They carry weapons or tools and may be hunters or peasants. They seem to chat. Then there are these two wagons, on the left "equipped with two" on the right with one person. The lady may stand for the Virgin, but all others seem like "simple people" - to me. The parish has a website about the history of the church (in German): www.ev-kirche-gr-linden.de/kirchengelaende.html

The site was once a (probably Roman) cemetery. A church, dedicated to St. Peter existed here already within the 5th century. This was erected by the local Bishop Achilleo, to house the chains that supposedly once had bound St. Peter. The chains are meanwhile back in Rome and can be seen in San Pietro in Vincoli. "Extra moenia" means, that the church was outside the city walls (= extra muros). The present church was built between the 12th and 13th centuries. It was severely damaged by the Ghibellines in 1329, but was rebuilt in the following decades. The interior was transformed at the end of the seventeenth century - and so by now is Baroque. The facade, decorated with all kinds of reliefs, still is in a good condition. The main door is flanked by two nearly identical carvings. This is a detail from the left post. Here is the "twin brother" of the peasant, seen on the left post. Same dog, same oxes.. Note the many graffiti above them.

The site was once a (probably Roman) cemetery. A church, dedicated to St. Peter existed here already within the 5th century. This was erected by the local Bishop Achilleo, to house the chains that supposedly once had bound St. Peter. The chains are meanwhile back in Rome and can be seen in San Pietro in Vincoli. "Extra moenia" means, that the church was outside the city walls (= extra muros). The present church was built between the 12th and 13th centuries. It was severely damaged by the Ghibellines in 1329, but was rebuilt in the following decades. The interior was transformed at the end of the seventeenth century - and so by now is Baroque. The facade, decorated with all kinds of reliefs, still is in a good condition. The main door is flanked by two posts, with nearly identical carvings. This is the right one. On the left the deer, biting a snake, has no fawn. The peasant working with two oxes and his dog are on both sides. Deers are always special animals (St. Hubertus, St. Gilles..)

Around 1060 a small monastery was founded here, funded by William IV, Duke of Aquitaine (aka Fièrebrace - The Iron Arm). The building of the romanesque church started immediately and probably only took less than 10 years. This church is counted rightly to the crown jewels of the romanesque architecture in the Auvergne by Bernard Craplet ("Auverne romane"). What makes it so interesting is, that this is the oldest of the crown jewels, as this structure is about 50 years older than Notre-Dame-du-Port, Orcival and Issoire. But it nevertheless shows already all the specific touch, the romanesque style ahs in the Auvergne. Actually Bernard Craplet places this small church like a stepping stone between the (lost) romanesque cathedral of Étienne II/Pope Stephen II in Clermont and Notre-Dame-du-Port. Though the romanesque church is really small and not complete, this is one of the most important structures in the Auvergne. The Collégiale Saint-Victor et Sainte-Couronne (now parish church) consists out of three architectural parts. The romanesque church with a nave, two aisles and a transept, a later added narthex and a large gothic part. The building of the gothic church from around 1280 on, took about 200 years. There are many carved capitals in the romanesque nave. Some nice ones are around the crosssing. There are many carved capitals in the romanesque nave. Some nice ones are around the crosssing. Two men placed into a kind of garden, presenting a giant bunch of grapes (it is not a fir cone!). The dresses of the two differ clearly. The left one wears a chain mail, indicating, that he is a soldier, while the right one only wears very plain clothes with a rope as a belt. He may be the peasant. Cooperation between soldiers and peasants result in a great harvest. Maybe. But maybe this garden and it´s population may be a mythical one, as there was a "fishy"-couple on the other capital, probably depicting the same garden.

Not much is known about the history of Saint-Denis. The first documents mentioning it, are only a few centuries old. It was probably erected within the 12th century, but modified and enlarged during the next centuries. Mid of the 19th century the structure was ruined and ready for demolition. In 1862, the nave was separated from transept and choir. It got renovated and the local school opened here. Soon after, the mairie moved, later apartments for the teachers were built. The rest of the ruined structure got restored and since then serves the parish again. Some parts of the first Romanesque church survived the times and all later modifications. This is clearly younger and got created, when the transept got Gothic vaults. There are three icons. To the left is a peasant with a spade and a sickle. The right one may depicts the head of a bull/cow. The creature in the center is a large, four legged flying insect. Probably an unknown chimera. All together may stand for a noble house, a family that funded the vaulting.