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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Thanks, Jim. I was afraid that would be the case. But have you ever come across a badge like the one in the Bray Hours? The Ferndale statue is modelled on the traditional description of the medieval statue as having been found in an oak tree, but there's nothing in the poetry about the medieval statue as seen at the shrine still being in a tree. It's variously described as 'the tall maid', 'golden in colour', 'a miraculous work at the top of the bank' (the chapel housing the statue was on the top of the spur between the two Rhondda valleys, and below it was the holy well); 'nursing Jesus for a kiss', 'where her arm is, her son's hand is placed'. My own reading is that it was probably carved by a local craftsman, and possibly hidden in a tree during the aftermath of the Glyndwr uprising (cf the 'shepherds' legends' which Turner quotes of the rediscovery of statues in Reconquista Spain). Maddy Dr Madeleine Gray Senior Lecturer in History School of Education/Ysgol Addysg University of Wales, Newport/Prifysgol Cymru, Casnewydd Caerleon Campus/Campws Caerllion, PO /Blwch Post 179 Newport/Casnewydd NP18 3YG Tel: +44 (0)1633.432675 'You may not be able to change the world but at least you can embarrass the guilty' (Jessica Mitford) ________________________________ From: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious culture on behalf of jbugslag Sent: Sat 22/03/2008 6:25 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: [M-R] help with Bishops John Hales (d1490) and Richard Hill (d1496) medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture > Jim, in your work on Marian shrines, have you been looking at designs > of pilgrim badges? There is a copy of a badge in the Bray Hours (photo > on p 188 of Richard Marks, Image and Devotion) showing the Virgin and > Child in a little tabernacle shrine in a tree. I would dearly love to > think that this was the shrine at Penrhys in the Rhondda but I'm aware > that there were a number of other miraculous-statue-in-tree shrines > that it could be. On the other hand it isn't like the Le Puy badges in > Spencer. Alas, Maddy, it is perhaps tempting to make such a connection, but it would be impossible, given our state of knowledge, to even begin to make a case for it. There is simply too much we no longer know. In my notes on Penrhys (many of which are due to you!), I note that Ann Ball mentions a modern statue of the Virgin of Penrhys at nearby Ferndale now displayed in a tree, but I have not yet seen anything more historical about this legend. In any case, particularly on the continent, many miraculous images of the Virgin were claimed to have been found in trees. There were certainly examples in Britain, as well, although most of them are probably lost forever in the mists of time. There was a prominent, and quite early example, in Norwich, of a Marian tree shrine "atte oke", references to which date back to the early 14th century. There were undoubtedly more. The situation is well exemplified in the 1472 the will of William Ecopp, rector of West Heslerton in North Yorkshire, who mentions several Marian shrines, including Our Lady of Walsingham, Our Lady of Lincoln, Our Lady of Doncaster, Our Lady of Scarborough, Our Lady of Guisborough, Our Lady of Jesmond, Our Lady of Carlisle. To these shrines, the will of Dame Katherine Hastings (1506/7) added Our Lady of "Belcrosse" and Our Lady of Hemingborough, as well as Our Lady of Walsingham and Our Lady of Doncaster. Several of these Marian shrines are known about in toto through the meagre references in these wills. And the it is the same with Our Lady of Horstead, mentioned solely in the will [no date given] of Alice Cooke of Horstead (Reg. Cast. Norw. fol. 71) says: "Item, I will have a man to go these pilgrimages: to our Lady of Refham ... to our Lady of Pity of Horstead ...". Diligent searching through archival sources may eventually broaden our range of knowledge of Marian shrines in England, but outside of the major examples, and despite the marvellous research done by Edmond Waterton (Pietas Mariana Britannica ,an excellent book), I am not sanguine on our prospects of ever having a very complete picture of Marian devotion in medieval England. Cheers, Jim Bugslag ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html