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Saint Henry and Lalli
Saint Henry is the national saint of Finland. According to legend, the English-born Bishop Henry made the first crusade to Finland together with King Eric of Sweden. According to the story, a peasant named Lalli killed Bishop Henry on the ice of Lake Köyliö.
Henry, dressed in the bishop’s robes, is standing with his left foot on Lalli, who is lying in front of him. Lalli is lying on his stomach with his upper body lifted and his legs bent up at the knees. The sculpture was made in Lübeck around the year 1500 and placed in Akaa Church.
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Lalli is dressed in a grey shirt, open in the front and tied at the waist. He has green shin pads and black shoes. He has the bishop’s mitre in his hand, with Lalli’s bloody hair pouring out at the edges.
Pieces of the sculpture that have broken off include the bishop’s hands, Lalli’s nose, right arm and left shoe. Carved from a single tree, possibly linden, the sculpture is deeply concaved at the back, with a drilled hole filled with a pin on the top of the head. There are several holes in the base of the sculpture made with a spike or similar.