Building Name
        :
        
            Parthenay-le-Vieux
             
            
                
                     
                
            
         
        Location
        :
        Transept
        Capital
        :
        3
        Subject
        :
        Sirens
        Description
        :
        Southeast pillar of transept
        Reference
        :
        Sirens symbolize the forces of evil, particularly temptation. In the Middle Ages, the origin of the symbol was attributed to the Odyssey, as described by Hildebert de Lavardin: (PL, CLXXI, col. 1222): Sirenes sunt monstra maris resonantia magnis, Ad quas incauti veniunt saepissime nautae, Quae faciunt sonitum nimia dulcedine vocum, Et modo naufragium, modo dant mortale periclum. The iconography of this capital is very similar to the two sirens/fish sculpted at Saint-Eutrope de Saintes.
        Corpus Ref.
        :
        vol. 3, Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres, 154