Re: Sheela-na-gig
Posted by Shae on August 31, 2002
In Reply to: Re: Sheela-na-gig posted by TheFallen on August 30, 2002
: : By way of introduction, I've been told I'm a 'docent researcher' with the Hunt Museum in Limerick, Ireland. I'm other things too, but for the purpose of this query I'll settle for 'docent researcher.'
: : I'm currently researching late medieval stone-carved figures popularly known as 'Sheela-na-gigs', and I'm trying to find the origin of the appellation. I have the various, and often conflicting, recent (19th-20th centuries) interpretations from Irish to English, and I'm aware of a record of a British naval vessel, HMS Shelanagig, being captured by the French in the Caribbean in 1781.
: : So to my query, at long last! Sheela-na-gig? Does any erudite contributor know of a reference to the term, or something related, that can be dated to earlier than 1781?
: What an excellent question! I did a little web-based research on the sheelas (about which/whom I previously knew precisely nothing), and was fascinated by the subject. I shan't bother quoting the various proposed explanations for the origins of the term, because I'm sure you're well ahead of me there. All of which is of no use to you whatsoever - but best of luck.
Thanks anyway for the response. The big problem is the presumption that the term, especially the 'gig' component, is of Irish origin. I have a paper that suggests that 'gig, gigg, geig,' are old Scottish or English slang words for . . . ummm . . . THAT part of the female anatomy. If this is correct, it would make much more sense of the term 'Sheela-na-gig'. So, does anyone have access to a dictionary or several that lists any of these words? If so, I'd appreciate their earliest recorded usage.
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