Story behind St Mungo’s mural on High Street in Glasgow

Some information behind the mural of St Mungo on Glasgow’s High Street created in 2016.

Transcript

00:00Glasgow is an open-air art gallery. There are hundreds of murals right across the city that

00:04bring the streets to life, illustrate its rich history and culture while showcasing the creativity

00:09of its people. It is one of the best things about Glasgow. My favourite mural is here at the top of

00:15High Street, in the East End located a few steps away from the Glasgow Cathedral. A huge artwork

00:20painted in warm tones on the side of a tenement, depicting a modern-day Saint Mungo, Glasgow's

00:25patron saint, as he holds a robin referencing the bird that never flew away. Saint Mungo is depicted

00:31as homeless to reflect contemporary social issues. He looks closer to a man you would see in the

00:36street today, rather than a traditional interpretation of a saint, a distant figure in robes. The idea was

00:42to humanise him, make him more relatable, to bring his message of kindness, compassion and healing

00:47into a present-day context. This aligns with the Christian values Saint Mungo would have championed,

00:53caring for the vulnerable and outcast. It was created in February 2016 by the Australian

00:58street artist Sam Bates, known as Smug. The robin is significant in the city's iconography and

01:05symbolises Glasgow's four emblems. The legend tells the tale of Saint Mungo restoring life to

01:10a robin that was accidentally killed. Smug also created Saint Enoch and Child, just a few steps

01:15away from the previous mural at the corner of High Street and George Street. It shows a modern-day

01:19mother holding her baby, which also symbolises Saint Enoch holding her son Saint Mungo. The

01:24reimagining of these religious figures is once again a nod to everyday Glaswegians. This

01:29mural celebrates maternal strength, care and resilience, qualities attributed to Saint Enoch

01:34who raised her son with conviction despite hardships. These are two of 30 murals around the city

01:39centre that make up a trail. What's your favourite mural in the city centre?