Ah, the terrifying vagina! Entrance-way to life, and dubious haven to which a certain segment of the human population seems determined to return with some regularity...

This calls to mind an experience I once had, sitting quietly on the sofa at a college-friend's party - it's the sad truth, fellow readers, but I don't always handle the loneliness of crowds very well. There on the coffee table in front of me was a copy of The Yoni: Sacred Symbol of Female Creative Power, devoted to the topic of the vagina - everything from general history to a discussion of types (all I remember is that one was called the "elephant," but I digress). I recall that a young man approached, picked up the book, browsed its pages briefly, set in gingerly down, and remarked to me, before walking off: "I'm not even going to pretend that I'm not intimidated by this."

This brief introduction gives an overview of the stone carvings known in Ireland as "sheela-na-gigs," figures in which the naked female form is displayed with enlarged and prominent genitalia. Believed to have been introduced to Ireland after the Norman invasion, these carvings were frequently found on churches, and were originally intended as medieval warnings against the sin of lust. But as the Anglo-Irish gradually assimilated into the more traditional Irish culture, with its more positive views of female sexuality, it is believed that these figures came to be viewed as having protective qualities.

It is not always easy to find information on these little statues, which were frequently hidden or destroyed from the 18th century onward. I have paged through the index of many books devoted to ancient and medieval Irish art, with nary a mention found. It is only in recent years that sheela-na-gigs have gained the scholarly attention they deserve. Needless to say, I was pleased to come upon this little book, published for the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin. Profusely illustrated with thirty-six black & white photographs, and a central insert with twenty-five color photographs, this makes an ideal introduction to the topic. ( )