cathedral door ornamental characters ID...?

[Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg]

door knocker-handle;

what does it represent?

looks to me like lion head

+ serpents or seahorses

+ tiny man's head below...?

advice appreciated...

Ian von Emski, did you get this...?

 

Catedral de Mérida MX San Ildefonso:

 

Edited January 9 by Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg

[Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg]

hunch: tiny man might be who church is named for = Saint Ildefonso??

[sooth]

It's all Mayan symbolism.  you have to remember all churches built by the colonialists were built on top of Mayan temples. The Merida cathedral had greater meaning for the people as it was built upon the ruins of "T'ho" or Ichkanzihóo city of five hills, the center of Mayan culture and activity in the Yucatan

[John Mitchell]

3 hours ago, sooth said:

It's all Mayan symbolism.  you have to remember all churches built by the colonialists were built on top of Mayan temples. The Merida cathedral had greater meaning for the people as it was built upon the ruins of "T'ho" or Ichkanzihóo city of five hills, the center of Mayan culture and activity in the Yucatan

 

There may be some Mayan symbolism in there, but the two faces -- anthropomorphic (?) above and human below -- appear to have beards and mustaches. They look European to me. 

 

 

Edited January 9 by John Mitchell

[sooth]

I'm pretty sure the ancient Mayans had facial hair too. 

[Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg]

thanks Soothie !!

 

so maybe a jaguar, not a lion?

& tiny man a generic conquistador

or Saint Ildefonsus, the cathedral's namesake...?

[Rebecca Ore]

5 hours ago, sooth said:

I'm pretty sure the ancient Mayans had facial hair too. 

 

Werejaguar.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguars_in_Mesoamerican_cultures .  Spanish werejaguar -- both apex predators? 

[John Mitchell]

6 hours ago, sooth said:

I'm pretty sure the ancient Mayans had facial hair too. 

 

Probably, but most indigenous people in the Americas don't have a lot of facial hair, at least not as much as Europeans. The upper crest likely is an example of "syncretism" as you suggest -- i.e. a Spanish (?) face superimposed on a jaguar. However, I think we'd need a local historian to figure it out. I have a pretty good architectural guide that I bought on my last trip to Merida. There's quite a lengthy section on the cathedral but no mention of the door knockers. They may not even be that old. Can't remember if I saw them when I first visited Merida in the 80's. The city has been spruced up a lot for tourists since then. 

[geogphotos]

2 hours ago, Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg said:

thanks Soothie !!

 

so maybe a jaguar, not a lion?

& tiny man a generic conquistador

or Saint Ildefonsus, the cathedral's namesake...?

 

he looks like a monk or priest.