medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Jim and All: I would like to read more about the Magi and "white magic." Any suggestions or leads? Stephen --- On Sat, 11/20/10, Madeleine Gray <[log in to unmask]> wrote: From: Madeleine Gray <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: [M-R] Essex amulet To: [log in to unmask] Date: Saturday, November 20, 2010, 3:30 PM medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture I'd thought Helen because the cross is so substantial and realistic. I'm more used to seeing saints like Margaret depicted with lighter crosses like processional crosses. I can't off hand find Helen with the cross and without a crown, but she doesn't seem to be crowned in the alabaster of her seeking the Cross in Cheetham, Alabaster Images. The person from the BM who replied to my colleague suggested that the blood drops (if that's what they are), and probably the 'pecks' on the cross on the front, were originally enamelled in red. We'd like to see some evidence of enamel in at least one slot. I was reading the pecks on the cross as indicating the grain of the wood, the lignum vitae, and the tradition that when found the Cross exuded healing oil from the grain of its wood. The Oxford Dictionary of Saints notes that Geoffrey of Monmouth claimed that Helena was daughter of King Coel of Colchester, and this was widely credited in the Middle Ages. As the find spot was in Essex, there might be a link. On the other hand, the style of the amulet looks late, and the cult of Helen became political in the early Tudor period as Henry VII claimed descent from her in her Welsh persona as the Helen of the 'Dream of Macsen Wledig'. Maddy Dr Madeleine Gray Reader in History School of Education/Ysgol Addysg University of Wales, Newport/Prifysgol Cymru, Casnewydd Caerleon Campus/Campws Caerllion, Newport/Casnewydd NP18 3QT Tel: +44 (0)1633.432675 'Sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness' (Terry Pratchett, Men at Arms) ________________________________________ From: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious culture [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Dr Jim Bugslag [[log in to unmask]] Sent: 20 November 2010 19:09 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [M-R] Essex amulet medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Hello Maddy, It would seem more appropriate to me to refer to this item as an amulet rather than a reliquary. Note the names of the three Magi around the rim; these, I believe, were often associated with "white magic". As for the female saint with the cross, it doesn't seem to me to have anything to do with the Virgin Mary (a pity, really, as the shrine of Our Lady of Ipswich might then have been involved). Even without a crown, it might, I suppose, be St Helen, but many female martyrs were represented holding quite large crosses simply to indicate their martyrdom. I'm working with a small panel of stained glass with an image of St Margaret,who is holding up a similar cross; mind you, in that case there is also a rather obvious dragon at her feet as well. Here, we don't have any other attributes, and it strikes me that it could be primarily the cross which is of importance here. What is really striking about the work, though, is the other side, with a wounded heart surrounded by what look like four images of Christ's side wound with drops of (presumably) blood dripping from them and more drops of blood surrounding them. It is tempting to associate these with the relic of the Holy Blood at Broomholm on the Norfolk coast, although there were Holy Blood relics elsewhere in England, as well, as at Hailes and, I believe, Westminster Abbey. Alternately, I suppose, the "side wounds" might be eyes, and the drops thus tears: similar iconography is associated with the shrine of the Sainte Larme at Vendome, which was also a prominent pilgrimage site. Fascinating object, in any case. Cheers, Jim PS Here's another try at providing a link http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-11776113 On 20/11/2010 11:14 AM, Madeleine Gray wrote: > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture > > I've been trying several times to send to the list a link to our BBC reporting of a reliquary found in a field in Essex. Apparently the British Museum has described it as depicting the Virgin Mary with a cross symbolising the Pieta. A colleague emailed suggesting it was more likely St Helen and was told very firmly that it couldn't be Helen because the figure is not crowned. I'd like to consult the collective wisdom of the list - so I'll try to send this again but without the link in case that's the problem. Without the link you can find it by going to the BBC site and keying in Reliquary as a search term. > > Maddy > > > Dr Madeleine Gray > Reader in History > School of Education/Ysgol Addysg > University of Wales, Newport/Prifysgol Cymru, Casnewydd > Caerleon Campus/Campws Caerllion, > Newport/Casnewydd NP18 3QT Tel: +44 (0)1633.432675 > ********************************************************************** 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 ********************************************************************** 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