Article How Ireland’s Sheela-na-Gigs Went from Medieval Church Warnings to Feminist Icons
Article How Ireland’s Sheela-na-Gigs Went from Medieval Church Warnings to Feminist Icons
Apr 16 2026, 8:05 PM
Quote:Sheela-na-gigs are stone carvings found in churches across Western Europe, most of which exist in Ireland. They depict women exposing their genitalia, mainly dating to the 11th to 14th centuries when Christianity was the predominant religion in Western Europe. This makes Sheela-na-gigs a bit of a mystery, but the carvings have been recognized as rare examples of positive depictions of women’s sexuality in Medieval art.
This part made me chuckle:
Quote:The Sheela-na-gig’s origin story varies just as much as its folk etymology. There is an Irish story of Queen Medb. The Queen goes to battle, only to find she is outnumbered on the battlefield. In response, she raised her skirts to the enemy army and displayed her vulva, as a Sheela-na-gig does, and the enemies were so confused by the gesture that they turned around and went home to their mothers.
Quote:Sheela-na-gigs are stone carvings found in churches across Western Europe, most of which exist in Ireland. They depict women exposing their genitalia, mainly dating to the 11th to 14th centuries when Christianity was the predominant religion in Western Europe. This makes Sheela-na-gigs a bit of a mystery, but the carvings have been recognized as rare examples of positive depictions of women’s sexuality in Medieval art.
This part made me chuckle:
Quote:The Sheela-na-gig’s origin story varies just as much as its folk etymology. There is an Irish story of Queen Medb. The Queen goes to battle, only to find she is outnumbered on the battlefield. In response, she raised her skirts to the enemy army and displayed her vulva, as a Sheela-na-gig does, and the enemies were so confused by the gesture that they turned around and went home to their mothers.