5.6 Analysis: Caesarea’s Frankish Walls
5.6.2 The Magical Protection of Caesarea’s Griffins
I argue that the northeast corner tower contains the remains of a church due to the presence of a griffin carved in the Romanesque style (see figure 5.76). At first glance, I believed this sculpture to be a simple aesthetic embellishment, but with further research it became apparent that it was ecclesiastical in nature and thus pointed to the presence of a church. The griffins and the manner in which they are positioned, sitting atop a spoliated capital and column, are the key to the religious identification. During the eleventh and especially the twelfth centuries, symbolical animals played a conspicuous part in the ornamentation of ecclesiastical architecture. According to Evans (1896: 92–93):
It was deemed a hard hit at the devil, and a masterly stroke of pious policy, to press beasts of evil omen and Satanic significance into the service of the Church, and force them to assist at the celebration of holy offices. They were therefore embroidered on sacerdotal vestments and sculptured in the chancel and the chapels and around the altars of the sanctuary, where religious rites were usually performed. Later, towards the close of the twelfth century, they began to take possession of the windows, portals, arches, and pinnacles, and finally extended to the whole exterior of the edifice, no part of which was safe from their encroachments.
These apotropaic beasts were not the invention of the artist, but rather were fashioned according to the traditions of the Catholic Church (Evans 1896: 93). The sculptures were meant to depict lessons with a biblical or moral character and were often based on subjects depicted in medieval bestiaries (Druce 1919: 42; 1920: 35).
Griffins originated in ancient Egypt and the Middle East but information about them existing as real creatures comes from classical sources (Armour 2010: 455). They are first mentioned in Herodotus, and then later described in Pliny’s Natural History as vicious beasts that waged war with cyclopes for the gold that they mined (Bliss 1987: 133). The griffin has had many contrasting symbolic interpretations. In the Middle Ages, griffins were seen as strong, fierce beasts that represented avarice, devils, or tyrants (Armour 2010: 455; Druce 1919: 44). One interpretation claims that the griffin represented carnal passion, and to fight a griffin was to fight this vice (Evans 1896: 99). Conversely, the griffin is interpreted as a symbol of Christ; a conclusion owed to the beast’s presence in Dante’s Purgatorio. In this contested interpretation the griffin’s eagle side is said to
represent Christ’s divinity, while the lion is said to represent his humanity (Armour 2010:
455). The griffin has also been said to symbolise supernatural and temporal power,
valour, magnanimity, and knowledge (Payne 1990: 28). Moreover, the griffin is known for its association with guarding, and are thus frequently seen in pairs, sometimes
confronting each other (Bliss 1987: 133).
It would appear that the medieval craftsmen at Caesarea wanted to harness this creature’s dual significance when adorning the twelfth century church. In so doing, the griffins would have served a magical apotropaic function, guarding the church and its
worshippers vigilantly against mortal vice as well as against spiritual devils. This use of
apotropaic creatures is not a singular event. According to Gonnella (2010: 108), “Assyrians and Hittites used ‘guardian’ figures, both full statues of lions, sphinxes, and griffin
demons and little terracotta figurines that were buried under thresholds, to prevent evil from entering.” Griffins, as well as other mythical representations, can be found in other Frankish sites, as well as in other medieval examples from France and Italy. The Church of the Ascension in Jerusalem possesses fourteen carved capitals, two of which depict confronting griffins (see figure 5.80).
It is believed that these were sculpted during the second quarter of the twelfth century and possess analogous examples in the Qubbat al-Mi‘raj, the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre, and in the southwest of France (Enlart 1925–1928 I: 125; Folda 1995: 272–273, 259–266, Figure 8, Plate 8.A.6a-x; Kühnel 1977: 43 Figure 10, 47, 49 Figures 24–26; Pringle 2007: 83–86 Plate XLIII e and n). Another example of fantastical apotropaic decoration can be seen in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The lintel of the eastern portal features a siren and a centaur as well as other naked figures entangled with foliage (see figure 5.81).
According to Kenaan-Kedar (1999: 184), “It represents the forces of evil, the devil and the infidels, symbolized by the siren and centaur (which were common symbols of sin and seduction), and serves, therefore, as a counterpart to the historiated program of the western lintel with its message of triumph and salvation.”
Returning to Caesarea’s griffins (see figure 5.82), many stylistic parallels can be seen in Italian cathedrals, particularly from the southern Apulian region. Several late twelfth century and early thirteenth century cathedrals have portals and windows that are
flanked by statues of lions supporting columns, which are topped with griffins. Examples of these guardian figures include: the portal of Monte Sant’Angelo; the portal of San Leonardo di Siponto; the portal of Bisceglie Cathedral; the portal of Ruvo Cathedral (see figure 5.83); and the portal, window, and side entrance of Bitonto Cathedral (Bertaux 1968 II: 82) (see figures 5.84 and 5.85). Given the transmission of artistic and architectural styles across the Mediterranean during the Frankish era, it is highly possible that Caesarea’s griffin was carved by an Italian sculptor.
Figure 5.80: Capital depicting confronting griffins from the Church of the Ascension in Jerusalem (User:Mattes 2011)
Figure 5.81: Section of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre’s eastern lintel depicting a centaur and a siren intertwined with foliage (Hadassah 2008)
These Italian analogues, as well as the presence of griffins, now led to the identification of the lost church as being that of Saint Lawrence. Why do I believe this church to be that of Saint Lawrence and not another ecclesiastical building? The griffin has been used by the Genoese on their seals and coat of arms from as early as 1193 (Bascapé 1969–1978 I: 249, Table III Figure 5; de Dainville 1952: 261) (see figure 5.86). The griffin’s Italian analogues, as well as the griffin’s symbolic significance to the Genoese, are what led me to believe that the Romanesque griffin was an apotropaic adornment of the previously lost twelfth century Church of Saint Lawrence.
Figure 5.82: A – General view of griffin sculptures; B – Drawing of the griffin (Porath 2004); C – Side view of the griffin; D – Front view of the griffin; E – Tail-side view of the
griffin (A. Charland)
Figure 5.83: Main portal of Ruvo Cathedral (Webb 2009)
Figure 5.84: Main portal of Bitonto Cathedral (foto daniel 2008)
Figure 5.85: Griffin sitting atop a column which is resting on a lion, adorning the window of Bitonto Cathedral (foto daniel 2009)
Figure 5.86: Genoese seal from 1193 depicting a griffon on top of a fox and eagle.
Measuring approximately 5.15 cm (de Dainville 1952: 261)
Lastly, the location of the church may have been due to pragmatic reasons. Using the remains of a pre-existing mosque would have been easier than building a new structure.
However, I believe that the church was situated near the city walls to lend the urban defences magical protection. Many other sites have churches that sit in close proximity or have been incorporated into the city walls. For example, the city of Ascalon has the remains of two religious buildings located near its city wall: the Maqam al-Khidr or ‘the Green’ is a mosque located in the centre of the city’s sea wall and may have been used during the Frankish occupations but there is no clear evidence that it was ever converted;
and there is also a twelfth century church standing inside the city’s east wall, just south of
the Jerusalem Gate (Pringle 1993: 63, 68) (see figures 4.2, 4.14, and 4.17). The town of ‘Atlit also had two churches enclosed within its defences: a Templar chapel was incorporated into the castle walls; and a parish church was located close to the town wall (Pringle 1993:
71–72, 75) (see figure 5.87). Furthermore, a chapel was located within Jerusalem’s Saint Stephen’s Gate (now Damascus Gate) (Hunt 1982; Pringle 2007: 306–310). It has been argued that the chapel was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and that the city’s gate may have been placed under Her protection (Hunt 1982: 197 n.49; Pringle 2007: 310).
Figure 5.87: Plan of ‘Atlit Castle showing the proximity of the city’s churches to the defences (Pringle 1993 70 figure 23, after Johns 1947)
I argue that Caesarea’s griffins were placed on top of a re-used capital and column flanking either a window or portal such as the Italian examples. The choice to blend spoliated columns and capitals with the apotropaic griffins makes this combination all the more magically significant with regard to Caesarea’s walls. Thus Caesarea’s Church of Saint Lawrence, with the help of the guardian griffins, would have provided a magical protective function for the city walls (see section 6.3). This function could have continued past Saladin’s destruction since King John de Brienne and King Louis IX may have
wanted to incorporate the church’s ruins into their new fortifications to take advantage of past apotropaic protection. In addition to using the ruined church, as well as ancient spolia, King Louis IX also employed new decorative elements to amplify the wall’s magical protection.