144 SOME DERBYSHIRE FONTS. 



(fig. 3). Large teeth and a pair of ears are nearly always 

 among its characteristic features. The feet in this instance 

 are each furnished with three claws. It has always been con- 

 sidered an emblem of the sacrament of Baptism, perhaps as 

 typifying Satan's discomfiture. 



Turning our attention from the salamander, we naturally 

 next notice the curious little bowl which it evidently is intended 

 to support. I might here mention that the photograph, from 

 which fig. 3 is taken, is by no means as satisfactory as one 

 could wish, owing to the fact of the proximity of the little 

 bowl to the south wall of the church. Dr. Cox, who, - in his 

 Notes on the Churches of Derbyshire, devotes considerable 

 attention to this font, gives three possible theories for its 

 original purpose and use. They are — 



(1) For the reception of the chrismatory or vessel containing 

 the holy oil, or chrism, with which persons in former times were 

 anointed after the rite of baptism. 



(2) For affusion during the ceremony. 



(3) For a holy water stoup, as the font itself would be con- 

 veniently placed near the entrance door. 



In the above-mentioned work he proceeds to criticise these 

 theories, holding (1) that the cruet of oil was a tall narrow 

 vessel quite unsuited to stand in a hollow receptacle such as 

 this at Youlgreave. He states (2) that in France, fonts often 

 have stoups attached for affusion, but with a drain, while the 

 Youlgreave example has none. This leaves the third theory, 

 of a holy-water stoup, in sole possession of the field, which both 

 by the late rector and by Dr. Cox was considered the most 

 probable. 



In Tlte Builder of July, 1903, Dr. Cox gives a description 

 of a Norman font at Odiham, Hants, in which he makes 

 several useful suggestions as to the original use of such a 

 projection. He says : — " There have been various surmises as 

 to the original use or intention of this bracket. Of late years 

 it has been generally maintained that it was to serve for 

 baptism by affusion. The usual old rubrics of the baptismal 



