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With regard to a definition of a holy
well, here is one by Tristan Gray Hulse, quoted in Jeremy Harte’s English Holy Wells: A Sourcebook (vol.1)
p.4, where further discussion of the problem of defining holy wells by Jeremy
can be found.
‘A natural (or, rarely, an
artificial) source of water, either with or without some form of associated material
structure, for which, either in the past or in the present, some evidence
(either actual or presumed) of some form of cult can be demonstrated:
evidence of cult to include onomastics; topography (i.e. associations in
space – the ‘sacred’ landscape); history;
archaeology; hagiography; legend; pilgrimage; bathing
or drinking for sanative, penitential or other ends; presence of votive
deposits; architecture; folklore and local oral/written
tradition; &c.’
By the way, who is the EH whose definition
was offered initially? The only writer on holy wells with these initials
that I can think of is Ethelbert Horne, writing in the 1920s, and of course our
knowledge and understanding of holy wells has moved on since then.
Janet Bord
From:
Wells and Spas - The email discussion list for Holy Wells.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of R Lee
Sent: 12 March 2013 02:10
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Holy Well newsletter
help
Re: comments
about the Holy Well definition.
I understand
people will take issue with this. That is fine, I certainly do not call this
definition definitive in any way. However I would stress two things.
Firstly, some
sort of definition needs to be deployed in a newsletter about Holy Wells and
the EH definition which is what I am using (I wish I could claim I came up with
it, but sadly no), is the best and most embracing definition I have seen, that
still retains something usefully diagnostic.
Secondly, I
don’t think I am excluding anything from this newsletter because it does
not meet the definition. I certainly know that coming are articles on Bath,
Roman river rituals and the like. I guess what I am saying is that these areas
all focus and contextualize Holy Wells, as defined by EH, in some way. The
definition is just a guide.
What I would
really welcome is an article challenging this definition. Now that would be
very interesting if there are any offers?
From: "Cormack, Margaret
Jean" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, 12 March 2013, 1:35
Subject: Re: Holy Well newsletter
help
I agree with
an earlier contributor, not all holy "wells" have manmade surrounds,
in Iceland hardly any of them do.
Meg
From:
Wells and Spas - The email discussion list for Holy Wells.
[[log in to unmask]] on behalf of R Lee [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, March 11, 2013 11:06
AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Holy Well newsletter
help
It will only
include information that in some way relate to Holy Wells, but we have a very
broad definition of Holy Wells that could include Spas, Pre Christian water
veneration, pilgrimage, customs etc.
Our
definition of a Holy Well is EH's, 'a well or spring, possessing religious or
otherwise ritualistic significance, around which a structure, such as a niche,
wall or shelter, has been constructed' 'a well or spring, possessing religious
or otherwise ritualistic significance, around which a structure, such as a
niche, wall or shelter, has been constructed'
So pretty
broad then.