Molle SjölanderFading 2/3<br>
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So, lately, I've heard two different explanations why medieval icons, like this one, are mutilated, having had an arm chopped off. You'd think it would be due to old age, but no. Lopping off an essential bit of the statue, like the arm and hand, deprived it of its religious power, and so rendered it harmless. Thus, the beloved Catholic icons were allowed to stay in the churches when our country was Protestantized, and people would agree to the new order. Or, ruining these icons made them much less valuable, next to worthless, during the Reduction. Remember, a thousand years back they were richly adorned with paint, gold leaf and sundry gems, and so highly sought after by the king, who needed cash for warfare and generally increasing the Crown's power (weakening the might and wealth of the church was also an objective). Congregations would ruin these symbols on purpose just to get to keep them. For good measure, they'd often hide them as well. This one and a few others were found centuries later, wrapped in old rags up in the attic. Today, they are back in proud, if a tad worn, display.<br>
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