In Christian times, sculptors tried to work it into Church decorations by calling it a symbol of the Holy Trinity; but in the sixteenth century, it was banned by the Council of Trent, who declared it to be pagan.
It is in fact one of the ways in which the Celtic Horned God, Cernunnos, is depicted.
Probably because of its old associations with paganism, the triple face was one of the attributes often given in medieval art to the Devil.
Dante in his Inferno portrays the great Devil in Hell, whom he calls ‘Dis’, in this way; a typical instance of the god of the old religion become the devil of the new.
The complicated design of the triple face on the greybeard bottles, etc., became simplified into a single powerful-looking countenance
bearded and virile ; but it was still the figure of the old pagan god, and hence a suitable vessel for mischief and forbidden arts.
But who knew that it was?
Who recognized it?
The historical fact that these bottles, with their ancient design, were used for witchcraft, is a pointer to the underground survival of pagan tradition, to a far later date than is generally attributed to it.
