medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
> Can anyone tell me about the significance of wells in churches?
There is one in the crypt of Chartres Cathedral, as well, the Puits
des Saints Forts. Legend has it that the earliest of the Christian
converts among the Carnutes, including St Modiste, were thrown into
the well, and the cathedral was subsequently built over it. During
the Middle Ages it was the focus of a healing shrine in the
crypt which involved incubation and had a body of nurses attached to
it. The well was walled up in the 17th century in an attempt to
eradicate "superstitious" practices. In its present form, it, like
some others mentioned, is located in the thickness of a wall, but
it's difficult to say whether that was the original arrangement. The
late medieval pilgrimage church of Notre-Dame-de-l'Epine near Troyes
still has a functioning well in the transept, which I assume is still
thought to have healing properties. In any case, the church
authorities thoughtfully supply a ladle for people to drink the water
from. I've always assumed that this was a related function to
healing wells, in general, but the number of wells in churches noted
in this string is impressive.
Cheers,
Jim Bugslag
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