Hunky Punk ....what is it?

‘Hunky punks are often short squatting figures usually an animal, carved in stone found in some Somerset churches. The name apparently derives from a combination of the old English terms 'hunkers' meaning haunches, and 'punchy' meaning short-legged typical of those found in some Somerset churches… however, hunky punks come in many shapes and sizes, and some theories consider that the balance of good and evil in church design was to remind worshippers of the narrow path they tread, which was present in everything. This supposes that, for every good and benign creature (such as a saint or an animal) to signify purity, there had to be an opposite to bring out the fear of less pure…’