Five phallic ceramic vessels from the Late Medieval fishing settlement of Walraversijde (Ostend, Belgium) in context
Pieters, M. (2021). Five phallic ceramic vessels from the Late Medieval fishing settlement of Walraversijde (Ostend, Belgium) in context. Int. J. Naut. Archaeol. 50(2): 387-401. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10572414.2021.1987104
In: The International Journal of Nautical Archaeology. Wiley: London; San Diego. ISSN 1057-2414; e-ISSN 1095-9270, more
The characteristics, spatial distribution, and date of five phallic ceramic vessels excavated at the late medieval fishing settlement of Walraversijde are discussed. This is followed by an overview of similar finds known from Poland, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. The information from both, enhanced with insights from the literature, leads to the hypothesis that the Walraversijde vessels were used during an exceptional festivity, probably linked to the blessing of a ship in 15th-century Walraversijde, and the phallus thus was considered as an apotropaion by mariners in late medieval Flanders.
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