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Little Leighs - St John: Oak Tree Spandrell

This beautiful 14th century carving shows an oak tree. The Oak is also a time-honoured pagan symbol of a pantheistic belief in a spirit which lies within all life on earth. Oak groves were considered sacred places, and many place names such as "Holy Oak" have sprung up in a merging of old pagan and new Christian beliefs. Lying opposite the symbol of the Sun - or Yahweh, I would suggest the Oak Tree carving is seen as the counter-balancing pagan interpretation of an everlasting divine entity.
Little Leighs - St John: Oak Tree Spandrell