On Thu, 02 Dec 1999 14:49:25 GMT Rik NA <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > > As I understood it, Holy Wells is a generic term. I have been told
> > > (repeatedly) that their is no such thing as a Holy Well,(in Derbyshire)
> >as
> > > it is the water that is holy and not the well. Equally, there are wells
> >that
> > > are baptistry's (for example Madron) which by definition one can call
> >Holy
> > > Wells, as this reflects their use.
> >
> >Isn't this quibbling? A well is a place where water wells up from the
> >earth.
> >Without the water there is no well. The water is the well is holy. The
> >structure is a well-head or well-house, not the well itself. Imho,
> >naturally
> >;-)
>
> Yup, I could not agree with you more, however the reason they defend this
> distinction so vehemently in Derbyshire is that the Well Dressings are
> designed to venerate water not Wells, so despite the cries of no fair from
> traditional Well dressing communities, people are starting to use flower
> boards where their is no Well, built around a bucket or whatever of water,
> using this justification. Hence the reason for the distinction in the
> county. Baptistries, were mentioned just because the water is/was used for a
> Christian purpose, as opposed to sites that indulge in divination and so on.
Oh, right - yes, I thought it was odd when I was in Tideswell back in September
and they looked at me as if I was mad when I asked where the wells were.
I have always vaguely discounted well-dressing as being much to do with holy
wells, exactly because of the Derbyshire attitude you mention. And yet I
realise this is not consistent now that people elsewhere have made quite a
tradition of dressing their holy wells.
I guess that to be a well the water should be flowing or running - a 'living
spring', no less. (There could be a journal title in there somewhere ;-)
> >
> > >
> > Often icons and
> > > saint statues are placed in wells which might also account for a Wells
> >Holy
> > > status. However, overall it is not a good general term.
> > >
> >
> >Nevertheless, it's the one which has been generally used to describe a wide
> >range of 'special' wells over the last few hundred years. I don't have any
> >problems with that. You have to have a general catch-all term, then you
> >define
> >or clarify it to explain your use of it in context. Suits me.
>
> Again true, but it is infuriating that in some counties a lot of people do
> not understand that a Holy Well is a generic term for this sort of site, and
> know Wells as Well, by site name, or by activity. Hence, the term albeit it
> all we have is a bad one.
>
Yes, point taken, you always have to explain that 'well' often means 'spring'.
I always say 'welling up' which gets the point across. I still like 'holy
well' though - it's been around a long time and has authority. e.g. I may be
a new-fangled Information Professional, but when you get right down to it I'm
still a Librarian.
Katy
******************************************************
Katy Jordan
Faculty Librarian, Engineering & Design
Library & Learning Centre
University of Bath
BA2 7AY
Tel: 01225-826826 x5612
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The Holy Wells Web - Gateway to Waterlore
http://www.bath.ac.uk/~liskmj/holywell.htm
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