Holy well
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A holy well or sacred spring is a
Names
The term haeligewielle is in origin an
Culture and representation
Holy wells in different forms occur in such a wide variety of cultures, religious environments, and historical periods that it seems to be a universal human instinct to revere water sources.[3] However, the fragmentary nature of the evidence, and the historical differences among cultures and nations, make it very hard to generalize. While there are a few national studies of holy well lore and history, mainly concentrating on Ireland and the British Isles, there is a need for more work examining other regions.
The earliest work specifically devoted to holy wells is
Origin and development
In
In England, examples of reverence for wells and springs occur at a variety of historical periods. The medieval traveller
Christianity strongly affected the development of holy wells in
More than a hundred holy wells exist in Cornwall, each associated with a particular saint, though not always the same one as the dedication of the church.[10][11]
Several holy wells also survive in
Historiographical controversies
The
Among the earliest enthusiasts for holy wells in modern times was the
A related argument was over the nature of the influence of the
More recently, radically minded scholars have begun questioning the unity of concepts imposed by the term 'holy well'. In a paper in the Living Spring Journal, Jeremy Harte distinguishes between early Anglo-Saxon 'holy wells' and those Christianised in the Late Middle Ages, and argues 'apart from being venerated and being wet, they have little in common'; Harte has also stressed that limited evidence may mean scholars are considerably overestimating the number of holy wells which were active at any one time.[18]
Modern revival
In a sense, the restoration of holy wells began almost as soon as they were in decline, as a number became the subject of antiquarian interest and some were turned into garden features and put to other decorative uses. However, in more modern times wells have been restored as an expression of interest in the past, sometimes from romantic or religious motives, but mostly as a statement of continuity with the history of a particular community. A good example is St Osyth's Well at Bierton (Buckinghamshire), 'restored' (and in the process rebuilt completely) by the Parish Council as part of a project marking Millennium Year in 2000.[19]
The most active holy wells in Britain are those linked to Christian
Historiographically, the publication of Janet and Colin Bord's Sacred Waters (1985) was influential in reviving interest in the history and folklore of holy wells in Britain. The same year saw the foundation of the journal Source by Mark Valentine. Attempts to maintain a regular journal for the study of holy wells have been erratic (Source enjoyed two runs from 1985 to 1989 and 1994 to 1998, and the web-based Living Spring has had only two issues to date).
Preservation
Often unmarked on maps and undistinguished by archaeological features, holy wells are a uniquely vulnerable category of ancient site. They continue to be lost to
- the desecration of St Bridget's Well at Rosepark, Balrothery (County Dublin, Ireland), destroyed by building work in 2003 despite being a protected monument[22]
- the destruction of a well at Tara-Skryne Valleyin Ireland.
Gallery
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St Brigid's Well, Cullion, County Westmeath
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Clootie well at Munlochy, Scotland
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A cabinet containing offerings from pilgrims to a well
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Holy well (Hagiasma) of St. Mary of the Spring in Istanbul.
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Llanllawer holy well, Wales
See also
- Clootie well
- Fountain of Youth
- Holy water
- Nature worship
- Nuragic holy well
- Sacred waters
- Water deity
- Well dressing
- Well of Wyrd
- Wishing well
References
- ^ J. Harte, 'Holey Wells and other Holey Places', Living Spring Journal, 1, 2000.
- ^ a b A. Ross, Pagan Celtic Britain (London: RKP), 1967, 107; Willy Worcestre, Itinerary, ed. J. Harvey (Oxford: Clarendon), 1981, pp. 290–291.
- ^ e.g. J. & C. Bord, Sacred Waters (London: Granada), 1985, pp. 1–3.
- ^ Stoddart, John (1800), Remarks on Local Scenery and Manners in Scotland. London: William Miller. Vol. 1, facing p. 1.
- ^ Living Spring Journal 2, 2002.
- ^ Wells and Spas Archives, UK: Jiscmail, May 1999, archived from the original on 2007-09-27.
- ^ Merrifield, R. (1987) The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic. London: Batsford; pp. 23–50.
- ^ Barnes, Philip (2017). Streams of Healing Grace. Walsingham Review. pp. 12–13.
- ^ Rattue, J. (1995) The Living Stream Woodbridge: Boydell, chapters 7, 8, and 9.
- ^ Jenner, Henry (1925) "The Holy Wells of Cornwall". In: Cornish Church Guide. Truro: Blackford; pp. 249-257.
- ^ Quiller-Couch, Mabel & Lilian (1894) Ancient and Holy Wells of Cornwall. London: Chas. J. Clark.
- ^ Wall, J. Charles (1912), Porches & Fonts. London: Wells Gardner & Darton; p. 180.
- ISBN 9781421401997.
- ^ J. Rattue, The Living Stream (Woodbridge: Boydell), 1995, Chapter 9.
- ISBN 9780631172888. Retrieved 25 March 2017.
- ^ "The Search for Bride's Well". people.bath.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 2017-01-24.
- ^ WELLS-AND-SPAS Archives – January 2003 (#23) Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Harte, op.cit. Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ J. Rattue, Holy Wells of Buckinghamshire (High Wycombe: Umbra), 2003, pp. 31-32.
- ^ Sacred waters Archived 2007-06-07 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Channel 4 – Time Team Archived 2011-02-27 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ Skyvova, P. Fingallian Holy Wells. Swords, Dublin: Fingal County Libraries, 2005, pp. 62-63.
Further reading
- Bord, J. & C. 1985. Sacred Waters. London: Granada.
- Dumézil, Georges. 1970. Archaic Roman Religion, I. Transl. by Krapp P. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Harte, J. 2000. Holey Wells and other Holey Places. Living Spring Journal 1.
- Lefèvre, Eckard. 1988. Plinius-Studien : IV : Die Naturauffassung in den Beschreibungen der Quelle am Lacus Larius (4,30), des Clitumnus (8,8) und des Lacus Vadimo (8,20). Gymnasium 95: 236–269.
- Ninck, M. 1960. Die Bedeutung des Wassers im Kult und Leben der Alten. Eine symbolgeschichtliche Untersuchung. Darmstadt : Wiss. Buchgesellschaft.
- Stoddart, John. 1800. Remarks on Local Scenery and Manners in Scotland. London: William Miller.
- Varner, Gary R. 2009. Sacred Wells: A Study in the History, Meaning, and Mythology of Holy Wells and Waters. 2nd ed. New York: Algora Publishing. ISBN 9780875867182.
- Wall, J. Charles. 1912. Porches & Fonts. London: Wells Gardner & Darton.
External links
- Cornish ancient and holy wells
- Russian holy wells and sacred springs Full HD photos
- Source Magazine online archive
- The Living Spring Journal
- The Megalithic Portal
- The National Wells Index, dedicated to promoting information about and preservation of holy wells
- Wells and Spas, the online discussion list for wells and spas