medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Dear list members,
Can anyone tell me about the significance of wells in churches?
In the SE corner of the lower church at Glasgow Cathedral, there is a well.
It is in the thickness of the wall, and is reached from inside the
building. There is still water in it. The lower church (not strictly a
crypt, since it is above ground) originally contained the burial-place of
St Kentigern the founder, and also the Lady-chapel, and a row of small
chapels across the East end, of which the one containing the well was
dedicated to St John the Baptist. In view of the Celtic tendency to connect
wells and heads I feel this is significant, though I can't quite work it
out.
I know of one other church with a well in the crypt, that at Glastonbury,
where the well in the ruined Lady-chapel is accessible from the crypt, the
upper floor and the churchyard. Since this is Glastonbury, as soon as it
was rediscovered in the C19 it was declared to be a Holy Spring, but that
doesn't mean it can't have been a holy spring.
I find the prosaic interpretation-- convenience in washing the vessels or
vestments-- unconvincing. Why doesn't every church have one if that's
really the reason? Can anyone offer me any other examples of a church with
a well inside the building, and do we know why it would be there?
Best wishes,
Pat
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