With the increasing disappearance of stained glass in medieval churches, the surviving wood carvings on church misericords & bench ends are extremely important in providing an insight into the medieval mind. The carved images were often used to convey the messages of the Christian faith in the Middle Ages but they were not just concerned with religion & religious symbols
- they also told stories of mythology, humour & satire, showing illustrations of everyday life & people. This book outlines the history of church seating & discusses the craftsmen & the influences behind their work. Using illustrations, the author then explains the subject matter of these wood carvings, revealing how one can discover so much about medieval life
- the spiritualism, moralism & the wit
- within the carvings still found in churches today.