It’s the equivalent of a bored teen drawing a penis on a bus shelter … except this one’s in stone, and a whole lot more irreverent -- and was in view in one of the world’s oldest cathedrals for centuries without anyone noticing.
If you look at the picture, you first see the heraldic shield carving -- this was one of many inside historic Elgin Cathedral in Scotland, used to hold up pillars and for decoration. Then a closer look shows a monk holding the shield from behind. Now look right at the bottom of the shield, under the pointed tip. Yes, that is exactly the semi-erect peen you think it is …
Historians sifting through the trove of carvings removed from the now-ruined church for safekeeping were surprised and shocked by the find. The figure -- known as “Bollocks Man” in the delightful Scots parlance -- is thought to be of Bishop Columba (who lived around the mid 1430s), and an expert from Historic Scotland says: “It wouldn’t have been anything serious,” she says. “Just typical schoolboy humor poking fun at the bishop in a way that only they could enjoy”.
Previously > Puppetry of the Penis Returns
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