hell in a wheelbarrow: Slide Show

In our discussions on hell in handbaskets/handcarts etc, reference has
been made to medieval religious art showing devils pushing wheelbarrows.
I went looking for images, and in this post I give the URLs of such. If
I could paste the pictures here, I would, but instead I have to ask to
you to click and return.

In particular, William Safire mentioned a Danish connection in his book
"In Love with Norma Loquendi," 1994, pp. 286-288 (kindly summarized in
a.u.e by Bob Cunningham. Safire quoted a reader who told him about

"paintings in 220 village churches in Denmark" from
"one group of painters, the Isefjord Workshop, who
worked about 1450"--in which sinners were being
"pushed into hell in a wheelbarrow".

Many of those pictures appear at the site:
The Mills-Kronborg Collection of Danish Church Wall Paintings .
Take a look at:

a) Kirke Hyllinge. c.1450. Isefjord Workshop. (M-K 14-110) Damned into
Hell. Choir, south arch. Damned. Left, devil with soul going to hell in
a wheelbarrow.
http://ica.princeton.edu/images/mills/14-110.jpg

b) Moerkoev. c.1450. Isefjord Workshop. (M-K 17-074) Devil. West sect,
north arch, lower left. Devil with woman in wheel barrow.
http://ica.princeton.edu/images/mills/17-074.jpg

c) Noerre Herlev. c.1450. Isefjord Workshop. (M-K 18-086) Damned into
Hell. Sect 3, north arch. Center detail of devil and wheelbarrow.
http://ica.princeton.edu/images/mills/18-086.jpg

d) Ottestrup. c.1510. (M-K 19-015) Damned into Hell. Sect 1, south.
Detail of devil with wheelbarrow.
http://ica.princeton.edu/images/mills/19-015.jpg

e) Over Draaby. c.1450. Isefjord Workshop. (M-K 19-071) Damned into
Hell. Belfry, west arch, far right. Detail of devil with wheelbarrow.
http://ica.princeton.edu/images/mills/19-071.jpg

f) Tuse. c.1450. Isefjord Workshop. (M-K 25-111) Damned into Hell. Sect
2, north arch, Lower left detail. To Hell in a wheelbarrow.
http://ica.princeton.edu/images/mills/25-111.jpg

So that's Danish tradition. What about England? Watch for another
installment.

(PS -- perhaps a Scandinavian contributor can tell us if wheelbarrows
still hold a proverbial status there.)

--
Best -- Donna Richoux

.

Relevant Pages

  • hell in a wheelbarrow: Slide Show 2
    ... "A cloven handed devil wheelbarrows a terrified soul off to hell, ... This church is famous for its medieval stained-glass. ... It turns out that, even with a fuller view, the wheelbarrow is not very ... Still more English images, from church paintings, next time. ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • hell in a wheelbarrow: Slide Show 3
    ... some more medieval English churches, and end up with two oddball images, ... in Slideshow 2 (which had a stone carving in a cathedral, ... Image of devil with wheelbarrow. ...
    (alt.usage.english)
  • Re: Question about "the Gros Venure" as mentioned by Aubrey
    ... it'd have to be a very special story for me to feel any pity for ... > What -- a stupid protagonist? ... end up in Hell. ... believe that the Devil would gain him that loophole). ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • Re: A Question
    ... - at least the Devil I know is a Devil I can handle. ... Yeah I know but this is not just every day work stuff. ... ASAP Get a certificate from your GP and take some time off. ... certificate and give everyone instructions then hope like hell they ...
    (uk.people.support.depression)
  • Re: hell in a wheelbarrow
    ... merry mortal trundling his scolding wife to hell in a ... This image could plausibly be the source of the saying. ... byword is, in a wheelbarrow: the fiends, and not the angels, will take ... (Google Books) ...
    (alt.usage.english)
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