I received the following comments to my original queries to the
wells-and-spas list today, which I hereby forward to the medieval-religion
list (with the author's permission).
If any of you have comments to it, we would both be interested to see them.

Ingegerd Holand

Dr. Ingegerd Holand
e-mail: [log in to unmask]

-----Original Message-----
From: Rik Leigh <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>;
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Date: 25. november 1998 10:57
Subject: Re: Holy wells and springs


>As ever I am well behind in the discussions that are going on, so
>apologies for the lateness of this mail, however (and if it is still
>applicable) here’s what I understand some of the Pagan/Christian origins
>of Holy Wells to be in Britain:
>
>There is no doubt that water was venerated in this country from a very
>very early time. The earliest water shrine that I am aware of is a
>Neolithic wood henge found in a South Welsh lake by a forestry worker,
>but the excavation report for this has not yet been published. From this
>date on, there are finds of all sorts of objects in bogs, lakes and
>rivers, both of metalwork, wood etc. and rather more worringly of
>people. Consequently there is no doubt that up to the Roman period there
>was water veneration of some kind (accepting a few people still argue
>against this and claim, incorrectly in my opinion citing accidental loss
>of metalwork etc. as the true reason) and that there was a belief system
>that is well attested in the archaeological record attached to wet
>environments. Such acts are not important from the point of Holy Wells,
>as running parallel to such activity were two occurrences. Firstly
>ritual pits, these were often tremendously deep shafts, often 10's of
>metres deep found isolated or in clumps with various layers of offerings
>and ancillary material included in the fill often at regular, sometimes
>enigmatic points. It is often said that these might have been disused
>wells, or that they were made to duplicate Wells in the IA, whatever,
>they are certainly impressive structures and maybe one of the first
>moves towards a Holy Well. Certainly they have the same logic behind
>them as the lakes that some Celts venerated, the idea of tossing
>something into a seemingly bottomless hole, a gateway to the other
>world(s). Some of these shafts, an impressive example coming from
>Wiltshire that measures 110 feet contained ropes and buckets and so one
>can assume that once upon a time had water in it. These shafts had all
>sorts of things not generally found in a Holy Well in them, antlers,
>charcoal, statues, wooden planks, complete trees soaked in blood and so
>on.... A bit of an aside but someone I think mentioned something to do
>with Stone circles (and if they didn't sorry but I am still going to go
>on about them) which as point of interest also usually contained a
>spring, or had a causeway leading to an adjacent river.
>
>From this situation we get the arrival of the Romans who certainly after
>Caesar’s campaigns of 45? decided to destroy most of our sacred sites
>including those that were a little on the wet side by covering the costs
>of their campaigns in part by dredging all of Britain's sacred lakes for
>their treasures which were then promptly sold (although on reflection he
>think he actually sold off the lakes that were then dredged by the new
>owners, blissfully unaware of the perils of such an activity). From
>this, rather barbaric religious intolerance sprang the more usual Roman
>toleration of native religion, abiding to the idea that you should try
>to make just about every God you ever heard of happy, just in case they
>really did have the power to do nasty things to you if you shunned them.
>This is in part what lead to the fusion and comparison of Roman and
>local deities resulting in sites like Bath that venerated Sulis and
>Minerva. Out of this period came a series of Wells, pure and simple,
>Wells of the three Nymphs and Coventinas Well on Hadrians Wall, possibly
>the Trinitarian Wells on Sheppey and so on. These sites were often
>dedicated to an important deity, but more often that not, and as is the
>case at the Well of the Three Nymphs, the dedication is to a local
>spirit/indwelling spirit or Genius Loci, as at the Well of the 3 Nymphs:
>
>nymphis )e)T G(E)N(IO)
>lOCI . M . HISP(A)N(IV)S
>MODESTINUS . P(R)AE(F)
>COH . T . BAT . P(R)O SE
>ET SVIS . L . M
>
>A suggested translation of this inscription reads as follows, "To the
>Nymphs and the Genius Loci, Marcus Hispanious Modestiuus, Prefect of the
>first Cohort of Batvians, willingly (dedicated this altar) on behalf of
>himself and his family" found on an altar in the Well. In such places it
>was usual to find sculptures of the spirits, offerings, coins (pins from
>the water temple complex at Lydney to ease the pain of Childbirth though
>that's an aside) small statues etc etc etc... (oh if you want to see
>most of the 10,000? odd coins from Coventinas Well, they were melted
>down to make a rather fetching but one feels archaeologically damaging
>eagle). Some may say that by any other name this is a Holy Well, I have
>no opinion on this subject (at least not one I am going to venture) but
>would say that it is interesting that Wells of this period and before
>contained cursing tablets, replicas of parts of the body for healing
>etc. large carvings stone heads at sites of water veneration, coins,
>pins and so much other metalwork as to be beyond belief.
>
>So how did this situation affect Holy Wells. Well, here’s a thought, (an
>oft used one). Head Cults prevailed in the Celtic world where for some
>reason that is thankfully lost to us they used to love collecting each
>others tongues and scooping out each others brains so that they would
>have a fetching container for their libations. It is probable that they
>believed that the head contained whatever passed as a soul and so to
>hold an enemies head was to hold his spirit which once shut in a jar of
>oil could do little to harm you. This is a recurring theme in Holy
>themes to this day. We have skulls being used to collect the waters at
>Wells, folklore being resplendent with tales claiming a Well flowed
>forth from a severed head, blood from a severed head, site of a
>reattachment of a head, disposal of a head and a million and one other
>variations involving a head and a well. This is not the only example of
>Celtic practise ending up in Holy Well folklore.
>
>So what happened? Well Christianity arrived and it had two problems.
>Firstly a practical one. Wherever a Saint or missionary depending upon
>your perspective settled (not always near a pagan site) he needed water
>so arguably the Wells that were Holy and that were in use from the
>Christian arrival were initially mundane water sources used by the saint
>who lived in an adjacent hut. Over time as his sanctity grew through his
>deeds, so did the importance of the water. I see no reason why this sort
>of Well should not be totally Christian in nature, and Holy at the same
>time. I would however go further and say that some Wells were created
>during the post Christian period merely because someone for whatever
>reason had a vision, a dream or whatever and then saw or created a Well.
>A good example of this would be Walsingham. I cannot recall seeing
>anyone argue that was pagan in origin. Another use for Wells do not
>forget is as baptisteries and some wells were created purely for this
>use, simply because there was a need for a baptistery not because of a
>history of paganism at the site.
>
>There was though a much larger problem to be faced by early
>missionary's, how to sway people from pagan belief, because after all,
>it's fun and traditional in many ways, it was a more superstitious,
>accountable approachable religion than Christianity with it's belief in
>them and us. Consequently on arrival, missionaries came armed with a
>barrage of edicts a few of which follow:
>
>I am really sorry about the format, the following decrees come from my
>research notes where they are footnotes, which I now can not for some
>reason turn off for inclusion in this mail:
>
>0452, Second Council of Arles: "If in the territory of a bishop infidels
>light torches of venerate trees, fountains, or stones, and he neglects
>to abolish this usage, he must know that he is guilty of sacrilege"
>0567, Council of Tours: Decreed that "'every priest industriously
>advance Christianity and extinguish heathenism, and forbid the worship
>of fountains."
>0600's, Council of Rouen and Toledo: "Denounce those 'who offer vows to
>trees, or wells, or stones as they would be altars.'"
>0601, Pope Gregory's letter to Abbot Mellitus concerning St Augustines
>arrival in Britain: Pope Gregory suggested that Pagan temples be
>converted to the Christian cause instead of being destroyed. That way
>people would continue the site but would be worshipping the true God
>instead there Pagan idols.
>0960, Canon from the reign of King Edgar: "That every priest
>industriously advance Christianity, and extinguish heathenism, and
>forbid the worship of fountains."
>01000 (early), King Cnut: "It is heathen practice if one worships idols,
>namely if one worships heathen gods and the sun or the moon, fire or
>flood, wells or stones or any kind of forest trees, or if one practices
>witchcraft or encompasses death by any means, either by sacrifice or
>divination, or takes any part in such delusions."
>01400's, Hereford Diocese Cathedral Registers: "Worship of a Well at
>Turnaston forbidden"
>01410, Robert, to the Dean of Hereford our official and all the clergy
>in our county and diocese, greeting etc.: "Although it is provided in
>the divine laws and sacred canons that all who shall adore a stone,
>spring or other creature of God, incur the charge of idolatry, it has
>come to our ears, we grieve to say, from the report of many credable
>witnesses and the common report of the people, that many of our subjects
>are in large numbers visiting a certain well and stone in Turnaston in
>our diocese where with genuflections and offerings they, without
>authority of the church, wrongfully worship the said stone and well,
>whereby committing idolatry; when the water fails they take away with
>them the mud of the same and treat and keep it as a relic to the grave
>peril of their souls and a pernicious example to others. Therefore we
>suspend the use of the said well and stone and under pain of greater
>excommunication forbid our people to visit the well and stone for
>purposes of worship. And we depute to each and all of you and firmly
>enjoin by virtue of holy obedience, to proclaim publicly in your
>churches and parishes that they are not to visit the place for such
>purposes. Given at Wormsley Sept. 22 in the year aforesaid (Robert
>Mascall, Bishop of Hereford, 1404-1417)"
>01581, Act of the Kirk Sessions: "through which the dregs of idolatry
>yet remain in divers parts of the realm by using of pilgrimage to some
>chapels, wells, crosses, and such other monuments of idolatry, as also
>by observing of the festal days of the Saints sometime named their
>patron in setting forth of bon-fires, singing of carols within and about
>Kirks at certain times of the year."
>01637 16 July, Kirk Sessions of Culross: Jhon Ker and Jhon Duncan,
>websters, called for going with Hearie Wannan, he distracted in his
>wittes, to the chapel in Stuthle [possibly Struthill in Muthil parish,
>Perthshire], in Strathearne, he confessed, because they were informed
>that there he might recover his health. It was judged a great scandal
>and offence; and therefor are ordered to make ther repentance publiklie
>before the congregation, and to pay ad pios usus each of them half a
>dollar, and to be imprisoned 24 hours. For this cause an Act was made
>that whosoever in the parishe should presume to go to such suspect
>places for to seek their health, or should accompanie thos that under
>sickness to use such suspect means, to be banished the parishe.
>
>And there are many many more including a rather humorous collection of
>letters to the Bishops in charge of St Johns Well now destroyed ordering
>that the naughty heathen rites conducted the well be quashed which after
>many 100's of years they were, by the wells inclusion in a leper
>hospital
>
>Secondly, there was blatant acceptance that well lets jump on the Pagan
>bandwagon and prove we are better through show. This is what they did,
>and this is what Holy Well folklore (or some holy well folklore) shows.
>The spirit of this Well is weak, because look I can build a church over
>it, see Wells Aachen and so on. This place is sacred and the Genius Loci
>will kill you if you enter it or touch the waters (a belief that
>persists by the way, esp. aka ream of the well) would see saints
>touching the water and lo, they were not dead so their faith must be
>stronger and so on. Typical manifestations of such a blatant
>demonstration of power can be seen in many many many tales but a few of
>my favourite tales run along the line of:
>
>1. A saint arrives is refused water and strikes water from the ground
>instead, something contained at lest twice in the bible.
>2. Saint put to rest through murder or on way to be buried and water
>pours from the ground where he is placed.
>3. There is a battle between a demonic entity and a saint which destroys
>most of the properties of the Wells waters
>4. A town is sinful and the well overflows killing them all except for
>the virtuous.
>
>And so on and so on. One last point as I am probably getting carried
>away despite trying to give a very brief outline of a very big subject
>are the customs carried out at Wells. Many of these are pagan through
>and through. The celebration at a well on the Celtic festivals, creaming
>the wells on beltane, sleeping after visiting a well in an earthwork,
>divination, walking clockwise around a well, looking for sacred trout in
>a well and so on, but as in the case with the wells themselves, some
>customs are purely Christian. I would argue for instance that the reason
>they have so many Holy Wells in Derbyshire is because the Well Dressings
>have made them holy (all except Tissington and a couple of other sites),
>not that they have a pagan ancestry. A bit of an aside but there is a
>wonderfull Well in Northumberland, a small lake really, in the middle of
>which has been placed a huge stone cross of some antiquity. Perhaps a
>fitting symbol of Christianity versus Paganism.
>
>In conclusion, some Wells are pagan some are Christian and some have
>been both. It is interesting to note that some Christian Wells are now
>reverting back to pagan use, strangely ironic. I have lots of well names
>and info to support what I say, but very little time at the mo so if you
>have any questions I will try to answer them, but it will take a while.
>If however I have just said what has already been discussed then sorry.
>
>Richard A. Lee (or Rik)
>
>
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