The Double-Sided Faces of Boa (ca. 8th C AD)
In Caldragh Cemetery on Boa Island, in the Irish county of Fermanagh, there stands two stone statues of unique variety, which may date as early as the 8th century AD. Famously used as the ‘token’ monument for Irish guidebooks, these examples of Celtic art are little understood.
The larger statue of the two is a double-sided figure of two people in a squatting pose – and perhaps not surprisingly, one is male, while the other is female. Carved back-to-back, the male figure is identified by his genitalia depicted underneath crossed arms, while the female side has simply been depicted with a protruding tongue. Both statues have large, bulbous eyes, and it appears that the male is holding an object in his right hand. Between the heads is a carved zig-zag pattern, thought to represent hair, and each figure seems to be wearing a belt around their waist.
The larger figure has often been referred to as a Janus statue, however it should be clarified that ‘Janus’, in this context, is simply used in its literal Latin form meaning ‘two-faced’, and does not refer to the Roman god Janus. Precisely what this statue was meant to represent remains unclear, though since it dates from the pre-Christian period on Ireland, it likely held great meaning for the local pagan religion.
The smaller statue is not native to the cemetery, and was imported from nearby Lustymore Island; weathering on the statue has made it difficult to precisely identify its gender. The carvings on this statue are not very deep, and it also appears to be holding something. The arms rest on the figure’s lap, while the protruding tongue may indicate that this figure is, in fact, female. There are comparable figures to this one elsewhere on nearby islands, however the purpose or significance of this figure is unknown as well.
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