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Incident in the Life of St.Eloi? : Wensley, N.Yorks (!Ripon) C.15
Photo:T.Marshall
This painting is identified in some sources as Jacob and Esau, but that seems to me unlikely, and I think it is probably St. Eloi or Eligius (the Seinte Loy by whom Chaucers Prioress swore¹). Eloi was not only bishop of Noyon in France in the first half of the 7th century, but a goldsmith and metal worker of great renown. The best known legend attached to him concerns his shoeing of a horse possessed by the Devil. The creature was quite uncontrollable, and Eloi solved the problem of shoeing it by removing its leg, and then restoring it with the new shoe in place.
At the top of the picture either Eloi himself or a huntsman (perhaps the latter is more likely) with a bow over his shoulder and arrows at his belt leads in a suitably devilish-looking horse, wide-eyed and grinning malevolently. Below, a figure wearing what seem to be clerical vestments and perhaps with a tonsure, wields a hammer. This is, I think, Eloi, ready to deal with the demonic horse. There have been other details in the background, especially at the lower right, but it is impossible to say what they are now.
This is one of very few paintings in the English parish church to feature this particular incident, so far as I know, but St. Eloi is also at Broughton in Buckinghamshire, in the company of St. Helena and with blacksmithing tools in a panel below him. The incident of the horse is also painted at Shorthampton in Oxfordshire, (where there are many interesting paintings) but it is very difficult to see. The version at Slapton is also now on the site, as is the Three Living & The Three Dead at Wensley itself.
¹ Canterbury Tales; General Prologue, l.120, Chaucer, Complete Works, ed. Robinson, Oxford, 2nd. edn. 1974
Please note - St. Eloi should be facing RIGHT not left. I will turn him round as soon as I can.
St. Andrew Martyred, Stoke Dry, Rutland
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St. Anne teaching the Virgin to read-Corby Glen, Lincolnshire
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St. Antony and the Pig, Barton, Cambridgeshire
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St. Barbara : Hessett, Suffolk
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St. Bartholomew : Selling, Kent
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St.Catherine of Alexandria, life of : Castor, Cambs
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St Catherine of Alexandria, Cold Overton, Leicestershire NEW |
St.Catherine of Alexandria : Hardley Street, Norfolk
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St.Catherine of Alexandria : Old Weston, Northants
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St.Catherine of Alexandria : Pickering, N. Yorks
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St.Catherine of Alexandria, life of : Sporle, Norfolk
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St. Catherine of Alexandria, Martyrdom of: Burton Latimer, Northants NEW |
St. Catherine of Alexandria or another female saint : Ashley, Hampshire NEW |
St. Clement : South Leigh, Oxon.
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Scenes from the life of St. Cuthbert : Pittington, Co. Durham NEW |
St. Dunstan holding the Devil by the nose : Barton, Cambs
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St.Edmund : Boxford, Suffolk
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St. Edmund : Lakenheath, Suffolk
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St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Bishopsbourne, Kent
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St.Edmund, Martyrdom of : Fritton, Norfolk
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St. Edmund (or St. Walstan) : Gisleham, Norfolk
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St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Pickering, N.Yorks
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St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Stoke Dry, Rutland
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St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Troston, Suffolk
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St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Weare Giffard, Devon
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St.Eloi, Broughton, Bucks
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St. Eloi and the possessed horse, Slapton, Northants
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St. Eloi, as bishop & blacksmith, Wensley, N.Yorks
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St.Erasmus, Martyrdom of : Chippenham, Cambs
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St. Etheldreda : Willingham, Cambs
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St. Francis Preaching to the Birds : Little Kimble, Bucks
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St.Francis Preaching to the Birds : Wissington, Suffolk
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St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata, Slapton, Northants
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St. George & Dragon : Banningham, Norfolk
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St. George & Dragon : Broughton, Bucks
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St. George & Dragon : Earl Stonham, Suffolk
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St. George & Dragon : Fritton, Norfolk
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St. George & Dragon : Hornton, Oxon
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St. George dedicating himself to the Virgin : Astbury, Cheshire
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St. George, with the princess : Little Kimble, Bucks
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St. George & the Dragon : Kirtlington, Oxon NEW |
St.Helena, Broughton, Bucks
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St.James the Great : Hales, Norfolk
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Life of St. James, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire
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St. James the Great, meeting pilgrims : Wisborough Green, Sussex
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St. James the Great, Yelden (or Yielden), Beds NEW |
St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks
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St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Heydon, Norfolk
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St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Idsworth, Hampshire
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St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Old Weston, Northants
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St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Pickering, N. Yorks
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Life of St. John the Baptist : Cerne Abbas, Dorset
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St. John the Evangelist, Selling, Kent
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St. John the Evangelist, Weston Longville, Norfolk
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St. Margaret of Antioch : Old Weston, Northants
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St. Margaret and the dragon : South Newington, Oxfordshire
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St. Margaret of Antioch Martyred, Stoke Dry, Rutland
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St. Margaret of Antioch, Life of : Charlwood, Surrey
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Life of St. Margaret, Wendens Ambo, Essex
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Martyrdom of St. Margaret, Duxford, Cambridgeshire
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Martyrdom of St. Margaret, Ashby St Ledgers, Northamptonshire NEW |
St. Martin dividing his cloak, Chalgrave, Beds
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St. Martin dividing his cloak, Wareham, Dorset
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St Michael, with kneeling donor, South Newington, Oxfordshire NEW |
St.Nicholas of Myra, life of : Little Horwood, Bucks
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St. Nicholas of Myra, two miracles of : Wissington, Suffolk
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St. Nicholas of Myra & the Boys in the Barrel, Padworth, Berkshire
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St.Paul : Black Bourton, Oxon
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St. Paul : Beckley, Oxon
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St. Paul : Selling, Kent
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St. Peter : Beckley, Oxon
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St.Peter : Black Bourton, Oxon
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St. Peter, Martyrdom of : Chacombe, Northants
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St. Peter : Selling, Kent
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SS. Peter & Paul, Old Idsworth, Hampshire
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St. Roch : Pinvin, Worcs
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St. Sexburga? : Willingham, Cambs
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S. Stephen, Martyrdom of, North Stoke, Oxon
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St. Stephen, Stoning of: Black Bourton, Oxon
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St. Stephen, Stoning of: Catfield, Norfolk
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St.Swithun (?) enthroned : Old Weston, Northants
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Scenes from the life of St. Swithun : Corhampton, Hampshire
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St. Thomas Becket, blessing, Hauxton, Cambs.
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St. Thomas Becket, Murder of, Marston Magna, Somerset
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St. Thomas Becket, Murder of, North Stoke, Oxfordshire
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St.Thomas Becket, Murder of : South Burlingham, Norfolk
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St. Thomas Becket, Murder of : South Newington, Oxfordshire St. Thomas Becket, Murder of : Brookland, Kent NEWSt. Walstan of Bawburgh? or St. Edmund : Gisleham, NorfolkSt. Zita : Horley, OxonSt. Zita : Shorthampton, OxonUnidentified female saint : HeydonUnidentified saintly bishop (once thought to be St. Denis) : Little Wakering, Essex NEW
The Saints : Introduction Main Site Contents Page Home Page
15/4/2001
© Anne Marshall 2001
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