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Detailed Description

Misericords, carved into the underside of choir stall seats in major churches and cathedrals, reveal the otherwise lost skills of medieval craftsmen, together with important insights into the thought of the period. The images, as powerful representations of the constant struggle between sin and virtue, and often drawing on the fantastic, depict many strange monsters alongside scenes that are domestic in character; the mother watching the fox stealing the cock, or marital disharmony in the kitchen.

The medieval misericords of England's North West are regarded as one of the finest regional sets in the country. This clear and compelling account of the major collections across Cheshire, Cumbria and Lancashire explains how to interpret the images and brings vividly to life the philosophy, as well as the humour and capriciousness, of the monks' lives. The volume, based on first-hand fieldwork by the author, and accompanied by specially commissioned photographs and an extensive bibliography, casts new and fascinating light on the hidden and secretive world of the misericords.