La fiesta de Jano en la portada románica de la iglesia de San Pedro ad Vincula en Echano, Olóriz (Navarra)

Abstract

The master mason who sculpted the doorway to the church of San Pedro ad Vincula de Echano, originally an annex to a palace, used the image of the Roman god Janus and a mask to symbolise the celebration of a popular festival, Kalendae Januariae –adopted by Christianity as the carnival. In order to strengthen the allusion, musicians playing popular instruments and people with their hands in the air were also included. Reinforcing the profane imagery of the archivolt, the local lord, in addition both to sitting at the head of the table formed by the moulding and to being surrounded by the symbols previously described, as well as, most probably, other people from his circle, ordered that scenes from daily...