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Hi all Surely the simplest answer though is a "spring which has a spiritual significance" that covers anything, how define spiritual is then the question..although I would think that would be easy. By the way, I've not the one who discussed this that was Richard...not me, I don't mind but it could cause confusion as the email were addressed to me but I don't write them :) As regards EH I would avoid that personally as I would say, except a few few examples, what have they ever done to preserve holy well heritage....they appear to have looked down at it for years and very few are listed due to the lack of old physical structure they say, which rather underlines the point about their definition from others.... Ross Sent from my iPad On 13 Mar 2013, at 16:32, "james rattue" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > A splendid summary, Bob. > > James Rattue > Rector, St John's Parish Church, Farncombe > > Church website farncombe.org.uk. Find us on Facebook: > facebook.com/stjohnschurchfarncombe > > If you want to stop receiving messages from St John's Church, let us know. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Wells and Spas - The email discussion list for Holy Wells. > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bob Trubshaw > Sent: 13 March 2013 15:29 > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: EH definition (was Re: Holy Well newsletter help) > > An off-list exchange of emails with Rik has got me thinking. If we think of > holy wells from an archaeological perspective then - as he has been > asserting - they must have some 'material culture' (most probably, but not > necessarily, a structure of some kind). > > However the term 'holy well' was not invented by archaeologists, still less > by English Heritage experts. From its origins in the early Christian era > clearly much has changed (not least successive post-Reformation ideologies). > The term evolves over the centuries as specific water sources are denoted as > 'holy wells' for a variety of reasons - indeed, in recent centuries some of > these reasons may be somewhat spurious. I can only refer folk to Jeremy > Harte's extended discussion of what is - and is not - a holy well in his > 'English Holy Wells' (apologies for plugging a book wot I published, but > this is a rather small pond. ). > > In essence, holy wells are a cultural phenomena (crucially, more than just a > linguistic concept). Out of all the very many known water sources a > relatively small proportion are dedicated to saints or otherwise denoted as > holy. There *may* be tangible reasons for a specific well being so denoted > - never drying up in drought, being good for eyes, etc - but as these are as > much commonplace folkloric tropes as tangible attributes, in the final > analysis the concept of a holy well falls under the rubric of ever-shifting > social construction. > > This is not to say that 'social constructs' stand apart from archaeology - > clearly they don't. But I'm now more sympathetic to Rik, who is evidently > finding it very frustrating that his material culture perspective is not > going down too well among list members who don't accept that holy wells can > be wholly or neatly contained within that perspective ;-) > > Rik is happy that the EH definition of a holy well is good enough for EH's > purposes. But I can fully empathise with those on this list who don't > consider it as fit-for-purpose in the social construct commonly referred to > as 'the real world'. > > Bob > > ================================================================== > Bob Trubshaw > > [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask] > > Heart of Albion Press > > 113 High Street, Avebury, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8 1RF > > 01672 539077 > > www.hoap.co.uk > [log in to unmask] > > Heart of Albion - Explore Books - Alternative Albion > > Publishing folklore, mythology, cultural studies and local history since > 1989 > > ==================================================================