Why is there a lobster carved into the Notre Dame Cathedral?

Posted: September 16th, 2010 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , | 6 Comments »

Since Google Answers got shut down, this is the next best thing.

I will pay $20 to the first person that can bring me two or three good citations explaining the significance of the lobster that is carved into the Notre Dame Cathedral. It’s on the outside, to the top right of the exit. It is very prominent. What’s up with it?

Notre Dame exit

You can see it in this other shot as well in the top left.

Notre Dame Carvings...Avec Lobster

Yes, I’ve tried googling for the answer. I’ve also asked historians and the few French people who I personally know. None of them have any clue as to why it is there.

Help me, Internet. You’re my only hope.

6 Comments on “Why is there a lobster carved into the Notre Dame Cathedral?”

  1. 1 Michael said at 11:46 pm on September 16th, 2010:

    I can confirm they were there in March 2005, they aren’t particularly new, but that is all, here are two pics:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/imbiat/4997335641
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/imbiat/4997940636

  2. 2 Tim said at 12:49 am on September 17th, 2010:

    Thanks for the extra photos. I hope that prevents any claims that this is photoshopped.

  3. 3 Michael said at 2:10 am on September 17th, 2010:

    oh, it may represent the cancer sign of the zodiac:

    “The possibly oldest picture of a crayfish representing “Cancer” in the Zodiac is in the rose window on the western front of the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral. On the medieval astronomical clock in the Lund cathedral, south Sweden, a lobster replaces the crayfish.”

    http://www.onema.fr/BFPP/bfpp/Article/372_373/372p243.pdf

    not a reference to the carving but that may give them more of an excuse to be there

  4. 4 Jason said at 11:29 am on September 17th, 2010:

    I found the same thing Michael found. It looks like it represents the Cancer Zodiac sign http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/paris-notre-dame-cathedral-photos/slides/xti_9890.htm

  5. 5 Rex said at 4:15 pm on September 18th, 2010:

    That’s actually a Claw Shrimp, but it’s a common mistake.

    You can read about it here: http://bit.ly/ryyZQ

  6. 6 Indian Restaurant Hayward said at 9:53 pm on March 7th, 2012:

    Wow!…

    A very awesome post….

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