Flamingo or Ostrich? St Michaels Mount and the big debate

Having recently joined the working world, I haven’t been visiting as many historic places as I would like recently, but here is a little gem from my archive that I thought I’d share with you while we wait for normal service to resume.



Authors Own Photo

Let me start by posing a simple question; is the bird on the left a flamingo? Or an ostrich?

On a mini getaway to Cornwall earlier in the year, I found myself at the top of St Michael’s Mount staring at a stained glass image of what I was convinced was a flamingo. The shape and colouring of the bird had me convinced (allowing for artistic expression and that this is an old image whose artist may never have actually seen a flamingo before) and I was amused at how wherever I seem to go, I manage to find the exotic animal connection somewhere. So rather chuffed I went back to my friends and shared my discovery, only to be rather surprised when they questioned my identification – the remark, “that’s an ostrich”, sparking the beginning of an on going debate. Needless to say, we then all went and stood in front of the window trying to reach a definitive answer but could only agree that we’d have to do some further research and find the answer.

The Mount has an interesting history that dates back to around the 12^th century. It’s a site with religious roots, has been a location for historic battles, was once a trading port and remains the ancestral home of the St Aubyn family, as well as a small local community. It’s now also a popular tourist destination which tourists can reach either by walking out too it at low tide, or otherwise hop on a boat for a short cruise across the sea. But where exactly do exotic birds fit into this equation? And is it a flamingo or an ostrich?

St Michael's Mount
Authors Own Photo

The stained glass window is located in the room known as the ‘Chevy Chase’ and it would appear that also within the room is a 16^th/17^th century plasterwork frieze that depicts, rather unusually, the scene of an ostrich hunt. I will therefore have to admit defeat (Congrats Porge!), for it evidently seems more likely that my friend was correct and that the image was in fact that of an ostrich.

The evidence got more compelling when I then discovered that this very topic was the subject Karen La Borde’s PhD (2011). La Borde describes how the ‘imagery has long been interpreted as symbolic of the events of the early English ballad of ‘Chevy Chase’, hence the name of the room and through her PhD aimed to critically analyse this plasterwork frieze and add historical context. La Borde later suggests the work may have been that of Flemish artist Jan van der Straet who was born in Flanders in 1523. He drew inspiration from Roman frescoes and mosaics which also depicted the hunting of exotic animals, imported from all corners of the globe for the entertainment of the crowds gathered for gladiatorial contests. Animals seem to be a timeless interest/source of entertainment as here once again, we find evidence of human fascination with rare and exotic beasts.  

Authors Own Photo

It continues to amaze me just how often animals are evident within history when you start to look and how their depictions continue to reveal fascinating insights into human history. Whether it was intended as a flamingo or an ostrich, this simple piece of stain glass art sparked a discussion that only now, six months later, has reached a resolution.