Sélestat - Sainte-Foy

The "Église Sainte-Foy de Sélestat" was built in only 10 years between 1170 and 1180, succeeding an earlier ("Holy Sepulcre")church from around 1085 built by Hildegard von Egisheim. Of this church only the crypt and some carvings remained. Hildegard´s famous grandson Frederick I Barbarossa funded the construction of this new church, that was the center of a benedictine monastery, affiliated to the abbey St. Foy in Conques.

Outside all around the main and the right apse runs a lombard band with carved capitals, Under the roofs here are corbels. I had taken (and uploaded) a photo of this mermaid some months ago, but then Paul G.M. asked be about the lateral carvings - and I had no photos of them.

So this time, I was more carefully.

This is the left lateral side, depicting a man, using a pitchfork or shovel digging. He obviously is a farmer, preparing the soil for planting. Farmer was a very usual profession in medieval times. The man is naked. This is not an individuum, but stand as a symbol for "all farmers", what means for a commoner.

Do not be disturbed by the mermaid ( = lust and sin). Concentrate on your work. The posture of the farmer shows, that he is concentrated.

Note that the hand of the mermaid really goes all around the tail. The fingers on the back can only seen from this angle