Sheela-Na-Gigs: Women Adorning Britain's Churches

There are a couple of other common church carvings: the green man, and the imp (or devil ) - the meaning of the former is obscured in the mists of time, some claim it to be a pre-Christian fertility symbol but it doesn't appear to be pre-Christian.

It's certainly true that masons had their fun: though, unlike some 'green men' the images of Sheela-na-gigs seem quite rough and amateurish suggesting to me they were not necessarily authorised adornments.

In addition to the normal grotesques and gargoyles. Any other common forms?

Electrical banana... Is bound to be the very next phase... They call me mellow yellow (Quite rightly)

Sounds about right, though I would guess way earlier than Norman. Probably goes back to some Celtic or Viking goddess long before the nailed tree god was forced upon us. That goddess probably came from some bored doodles centuries before that.

I never knew these things gained a specific, and very odd, name. I wonder if there is a taxonomy of gargoyles. :)

"Public-works joker" is the third-oldest profession, after sexworkers and cab drivers.

That whole album is pretty excellent.