Poppyhead is a form of carving of the top of the end of a bench or a choir stall.[1] Its name is unrelated to the poppy flower. It is derived, by way of Old French, from the Latin word puppis, which means the poop or the figurehead of a ship. In its simplest, and its most usual form, it has the appearance of a stylised fleur-de-lys. In some cases, it consists of a much more intricate carving; for example in Holy Trinity Church, Blythburgh, some of the poppyheads represent the seven deadly sins.[2]
![](http://up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/St_Peter%2C_Neatishead%2C_Norfolk_-_Poppyhead_-_geograph.org.uk_-_483592.jpg/220px-St_Peter%2C_Neatishead%2C_Norfolk_-_Poppyhead_-_geograph.org.uk_-_483592.jpg)
![](http://up.wiki.x.io/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Green_Man_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1225230.jpg/220px-Green_Man_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1225230.jpg)
References
edit- ^ Hubbard, Edward (1986), The Buildings of Wales: Clwyd, London: Penguin, p. 481, ISBN 0-14-071052-3
- ^ Clifton-Taylor, Alec (1974), English Parish Churches as Works of Art, London: Batsford, p. 155, ISBN 0-7134-2776-0
External links
editMedia related to Poppyheads at Wikimedia Commons