Dan Barker is here in Köln, too, and he told me about this strange statue of a 13th century archbishop on the Rathaus. He’s standing on a grotesque.
Closeup below the fold.
Oh, those naughty medieval masons! I don’t know why they put him on that peculiar pedestal, but apparently he wasn’t very popular in Köln.
CaitieCat, Harridan of Social Justice says
Ye gods, is that a very flexible cherub doing what flexible cherubim probably would do, if they were flexible enough?
Golgafrinchan Captain says
How much chub would a cherub chug, if a cherub could chug chub?
Deacon Duncan says
Did I ASK for a close-up??? DID I???!?!
congenital cynic says
Well blow me down! That thing was unnaturally flexible. Probably a good evolutionary reason that people aren’t that flexible.
marcus says
PZ; “What did Konrad von Hochstaden do to get this honor?”
Perhaps the very thing depicted in the grotesque! (?)
Matrim says
It actually doesn’t require much flexibility, just very little belly fat.
Tethys says
I loves me some medieval architecture and stonecarving. That particular motif is called an ‘Kallendresser’ which I’ve seen translated as gutter shitter, or raindrain shitter. (context dependent perhaps?) According to this website on the Alter Markt in addition to the Rathaus, there are Renaissance style houses that date from the 1600s , and another Kallendresser on house #24.
I move that the horde adopt this wonderfully descriptive term forthwith and immediately. I also am curious about the story behind the statue of Gerhard somebody with the monkey trio and drums, and Hard Riele.
goaded says
Matrim@6
Now, that’s a reason to diet.
Joseph Felsenstein says
According to Wikipedia:
Looks like the citizens had the last word.
magistramarla says
Thanks PZ!
I was feeling down, but I laughed out loud when I looked at that close-up.
lb says
Matrim@6
“It actually doesn’t require much flexibility, just very little belly fat.”
Hmmm…and you know this…how? :-)
Hoosier X says
Wasn’t von Hochstaden the Gestapo guy on “Hogan’s Heroes”?
stultus says
I can think of a number of sitting senators and congressmen that should be honored this way.
Lynna, OM says
Looks like an emergency situation to me. We need to send a few religious right-wingers from the USA over there to cover that up. /sarcasm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/01/virginia-seal-breast-picture_n_559673.html
Helge says
Close. The character’s name was Hochstetter. I have no idea if the writers drew on the archbishop’s reputation for the name. The name itself in various versions is not uncommon in Germany. (There is an extensive backstory for the character, which includes the claim that Hochstetter somehow refers to goose stepping. It probably doesn’t.)
carpenterman says
“I fart in your general direction!”
Lyn M: G.R.O.S.T. (ADM) -- Membership pending says
This is from https://www.flickr.com/photos/8561740@N08/7836219498
Haven’t found anything to contradict this, so far, or much to add to it. Whatever the controversy was about, it seems to have receded as a hot topic. He did start two cathedrals/churchs, I understand, so that would mean a lot of money was required.
Snidely W says
@ Deacon Duncan:
Did you ask for it? Well, yes you did by clicking the “[Read more…]” link.
Unless you are going to blame your cat or something.
Dog Almighty says
A few years back I read a book about facts relating to sex. It claimed that one man out of a thousand is flexible enough to give himself oral sex. But that raises the question: if you could suck your own penis, would you?
slithey tove (twas brillig (stevem)) says
@19:
reminiscent of the snarky, age old riddle:
Q: Why do dogs lick their dicks?
A: Cuz they can. [wink]
mykroft says
@19:
It’s not just flexibility, but length as well.
kc9oq says
There once was a man from Nantucket…
autumn says
@ 21:
You really don’t need great length. It is mostly flexability and a thin abdomen. Used to be able to, wasn’t really worth the trouble. Like tickling yourself, the fun seems to be in someone else doing it.
pwuk says
@20
I’ve often observed my hound giving his todger a good slavering and wished I could do that, maybe if I give him a biscuit he might let me.
David Marjanović says
Comment 16 has the intent figured out.
Not true (pers. obs.).
John Horstman says
I know two people who can do that (at least – could be more, as I don’t think I’ve discussed autofellatio with everyone I know), both of whom have greater-than-average back flexibility and penis length. Neither actually bothers except as a parlor trick – they both said using their hands was just as pleasurable or more so and involved far less muscle strain.
robertfoster says
So that’s where the expression “go fuck yourself” comes from. It never seemed like such a bad curse to me. Leave it to the Germans. Always full of surprises.
M'thew says
@robertfoster:
Well, German also has the rather uncouth expression “Fick dich ins Knie” (“Fuck yourself in the knee”). Now that has not (to my knowledge) ever caught on in any other language. It’s probably thought of as being too impossible.