medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
There's one under Winchester cathedral, & it floods on occasion.
Tom Izbicki
At 11:32 PM 9/5/2001 +0100, you wrote:
>medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
>Dear list members,
>
>Can anyone tell me about the significance of wells in churches?
>
>In the SE corner of the lower church at Glasgow Cathedral, there is a well.
>It is in the thickness of the wall, and is reached from inside the
>building. There is still water in it. The lower church (not strictly a
>crypt, since it is above ground) originally contained the burial-place of
>St Kentigern the founder, and also the Lady-chapel, and a row of small
>chapels across the East end, of which the one containing the well was
>dedicated to St John the Baptist. In view of the Celtic tendency to connect
>wells and heads I feel this is significant, though I can't quite work it
>out.
>
>I know of one other church with a well in the crypt, that at Glastonbury,
>where the well in the ruined Lady-chapel is accessible from the crypt, the
>upper floor and the churchyard. Since this is Glastonbury, as soon as it
>was rediscovered in the C19 it was declared to be a Holy Spring, but that
>doesn't mean it can't have been a holy spring.
>
>I find the prosaic interpretation-- convenience in washing the vessels or
>vestments-- unconvincing. Why doesn't every church have one if that's
>really the reason? Can anyone offer me any other examples of a church with
>a well inside the building, and do we know why it would be there?
>
>Best wishes,
>
>Pat
>
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Thomas M. Izbicki
Collection Development Coordinator
Eisenhower Library
Johns Hopkins University
3400 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
Telephone: 410-516-7173
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