In the sleepy English village of Troston, the parish church of St. Mary‘s harbors an unexpected secret. Etched into the ancient stone walls, a mischievous medieval demon peers out from a tangle of graffiti strokes. This is the Troston demon, a remarkable piece of medieval artwork that offers a fascinating window into the beliefs, fears and creativity of the Middle Ages.
The Hidden Demon of St. Mary‘s
At first glance, the interior walls of St. Mary‘s appear to be covered in a haphazard jumble of graffiti. Dates, names, geometric patterns and symbols jostle for space, all left behind by the hands of medieval parishioners. But amidst the chaos, a careful eye can spot a horned head, two impish eyes and a gaping mouth. This is the Troston demon, a cartoon-like figure that has been carefully composed from a dense layering of individual graffiti marks.
The focal point of the demon is a deeply etched pentangle, a five-pointed star that has been repeatedly traced over. To our modern eyes, the pentangle might appear to be a satanic symbol, but to the medieval Christians of Troston it held the opposite meaning. As historian Matthew Champion explains:
Thought to represent the five wounds of Christ, the pentangle was, according to the fourteenth-century poem ‘Gawain and the Green Knight‘, the heraldic device of Sir Gawain – the Christian hero who personified both loyalty and chivalry. The symbol is, according to the anonymous author of the Gawain poem, a ‘sign by Solomon‘ […] and was the symbol engraved upon the ring given to King Solomon by the archangel Michael.
In other words, the pentangle was a powerful Christian symbol of protection. The Troston demon is literally pinned in place by the holy geometry of the pentangle.
Grotesques and Gargoyles
While the Troston demon is a remarkable survival, it is far from being the only demonic artwork in a medieval church. Grotesque faces, contorted bodies and devilish imps can be found peering down from the stone vaults of many European churches. Perhaps most famously, the gargoyles of Notre Dame in Paris depict a whole bestiary of fantastical and diabolical creatures.
So what are all these demons and monsters doing in houses of God? To the medieval Christian imagination, the world was locked in a cosmic battle between good and evil, between God and the Devil. Demons and other fell creatures were a constant threat, seeking to tempt the innocent and lead souls astray.
By depicting demons within the sanctified space of the church, medieval artists sought to contain and neutralize the forces of evil. Gargoyles and grotesques served as a kind of spiritual scarecrow, frightening away any malevolent forces that might seek to invade God‘s house. They also acted as vivid reminders to the faithful of the ever-present threat of damnation.
Graffiti and the Medieval Everyman
What makes the Troston demon unique is that it was not carved by a master stoneworker or commissioned by a wealthy patron. The painstakingly etched lines are the work of an untrained hand, most likely an ordinary parishioner of St. Mary‘s. In fact, the Troston demon is just one small part of a much larger body of graffiti that covers the church interior.
Medieval church graffiti is a largely overlooked historical resource that has only recently begun to receive serious scholarly attention. In 2016, Matthew Champion published a groundbreaking survey of surviving medieval graffiti in East Anglian churches. He found that over 60% of medieval churches contained significant amounts of pre-Reformation graffiti.
These carvings and scratches cover a wide range of subjects, from simple names and dates to intricate geometric designs, heraldic symbols, ships and animals. What they all have in common is that they represent a rare glimpse into the minds and lived experience of medieval laypeople.
As Champion writes:
Medieval graffiti inscriptions give us a unique view of the hopes, fears and desires of the everyday medieval population. The subjects of the inscriptions, and the manner in which they were inscribed, tells us much about the way in which the medieval church was used and viewed by the congregation; a relationship that was both more complex and more dynamic than has been recognised before.
In other words, medieval church graffiti is a kind of "lost voice" of the Middle Ages, offering us a precious window into the inner lives of ordinary people who are so often absent from the written historical record.
Finding the Troston Demon
So where can you see the Troston demon for yourself? St. Mary‘s church is still an active place of worship, and visitors are welcome during daylight hours. The medieval graffiti can be a bit tricky to spot at first, so bring a flashlight and take your time examining the walls.
The Troston demon is located on the east-facing side of the chancel arch, near the top. Look for the deeply inscribed pentangle and you should be able to make out the impish face and horns surrounding it.
But the Troston demon is hardly the only reason to visit St. Mary‘s. This charming church dates back to the 12th century and boasts a fine 15th-century hammer-beam roof and a beautiful 14th-century Madonna and Child wall painting.
And Troston is just one of hundreds of medieval English churches waiting to be explored. Many of these ancient buildings contain outstanding examples of medieval wall paintings, stained glass, carved woodwork and – for those who look carefully enough – graffiti.
As the Troston demon so vividly demonstrates, you never know what lost wonders you might discover in the quiet corners of England‘s medieval churches. All you need is a keen eye, an open mind and a willingness to peer a little closer at those old, uneven walls.
So the next time you find yourself in an English country church, take a moment to look for the traces left behind by the hands of medieval men and women. Seek out a name, a date, a symbol – or maybe even a long-hidden demon. These ghostly marks are a remarkable testament to the enduring power of art, faith and the irrepressible human spirit.
Further Reading
- Champion, Matthew. Medieval Graffiti: The Lost Voices of England‘s Churches. Ebury Press, 2015.
- Pritchard, Violet. English Medieval Graffiti. Cambridge University Press, 2008.
- Coulton, G. G. Art and the Reformation. Cambridge University Press, 2015.
