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Gloucester Cathedral: Crypt Capital: Odin?

Crypt Capital: Odin?

Carved capital in the Romanesque crypt (1087) of Gloucester Cathedral. Most of the crypt capitals have a simple stiff-leaf motif, but this interesting one depicts a man's face with large eyes and a very long mustache. His identity is unknown, but similar figures can be seen throughout northern Europe. One theory is that he is the old Viking god Odin, carved to hedge bets in case the old gods should turn out to be the true ones.

Credit: Holly Hayes