Hunky punk
A hunky punk is a grotesque carving on the side of a building, especially Late Gothic churches. They occur at tower corners, on stair turrets and porches, and along along string courses.[1] Such features are especially numerous in Somerset (in the West Country of England).[2]
Though similar in appearance to a gargoyle, a hunky punk is purely decorative, with no other functional purpose (often referred to as a grotesque). A gargoyle is not strictly a hunky punk, because a gargoyle serves to drain water off the roof through its mouth.[3]
Many hunky punks depict crouching creatures, although their subjects also include human figures and musicians. At St Mary's Church, Isle Abbotts, the tower carvings include a bagpiper among animal and imaginary figures. Carvings on the south porch of St Andrew's Church, Curry Rivel, depict seated musicians playing bagpipes, a fiddle and an instrument identified as a shawm.[1]
The origin of the term hunky punk has been ascribed to the words hunkers (meaning 'haunches') and punchy ('short-legged').[4]
Examples
[edit]The church tower of St Mary the Virgin, Isle Abbotts has eight hunky punks around its top. They depict a person playing the bagpipes; a lion-dog (Chinese guardian lion); a goat; a dragon; a Chinese dragon; a primitive dragon; a winged lion; and a lion.[4]
See also
[edit]- Church grim, a folklore spirit
- Sheela na gig, another architectural grotesque
References
[edit]- 1 2 Chisholm, Mary (27 October 2021). "Somerset Hunky Punks: Isle Abbots & Curry Rivel Parish Churches". Exploring Building History. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- ↑ Wright, Peter Poyntz (2004). Hunky Punks: A Study in Somerset Stone Carving (2 ed.). Heart of Albion Press. ISBN 978-1872883755.
- ↑ Smith, Roff (4 February 2025). "Here's how you sculpt a medieval statue in the 21st century". National Geographic. Retrieved 19 September 2026.
- 1 2 St Mary the Virgin, Isle Abbots: Church Guide, published by Isle Abbots PCC, no date
External links
[edit]- Goddess or Queen? The enigmatic carving at Braunston in Rutland
- Hunky Punks: a blurb about a book about Somerset stone carvings
- Short video about conservation of a hunky punks