St Michael de Rupe…

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Brentor church is situated on the edge of Dartmoor – The devil having moved the church from lower ground up to the top of the Tor, St Michael appeared, and kicked the devil down the tor, throwing an enormous rock after him…

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It is something of a dream come true to be here,

looking at this in all its technicolour glory!

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Traditionally, St Michael is depicted either ‘slaying’, or ‘fixing’, or as we might say, ‘drawing’, or even ‘tickling’, the dragon, or, he is depicted with scales and sword in, or on, or above clouds.

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So, at a stretch, this could even be described as traditional.

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But look at his apparel…

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This is St Michael, the Celt,

or St Michael, the Hermit,

or St Michael, the Druid…

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Of all, of which, we wholeheartedly approve.

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And look at the colours:

the golds, and greens, and reds…

Earth colours!

Or dragon colours.

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And look at the way in which he is holding his sword.

He could be ‘sighting a line’ or ‘plumbing a depth’.

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But if we are calling this traditional,

then where are the clouds?

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Ah, where indeed…

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