Post by redraven on Jan 29, 2008 21:06:08 GMT -1
It is well known that the Romans "adopted" local deities and traditions when occupying early Britain. These deities were sometimes associated with wells or springs, Bath spa being one of the more famous ones.
In Derbyshire, there remains today, the ancient practice of well dressings. This involves the ritual of using natural objects to form pictures and designs to adorn wells and springs as a thanksgiving for the gift of water. It maybe over 2000 years old in origin. Can this be substantiated?
Well. in Cresswell crags (www.cresswell-crags.org.uk/) there are authenticated cave drawings dating back 13000 years, the oldest known to date, in the whole of Europe. These are thought, however, to be the work of nomadic peoples who followed the migration of their prey animals from Southern Europe, where they would live for the most of the year. Bones found here have included hyena, hippo's and reindeer!
So, the conditions were probably not suitable, at this time, for full time habitation.
Move into the high peak area and we come across Arbor Low
(www.cressbrook.co.uk/visits/arborlow.php) and the earlier long barrow of Gib hill.
Dating of material from this site has established that the original barrow was being used as a burial site around 4000 BC. This is considerably older than both Stonehenge and the pyramids of Egypt.
This community was probably one of the earliest one to inhabit Derby's. The remoteness of the high peak has lead some anthropologists to speculate that later invaders, the Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans were not as successful in colonizing these areas as they were in other areas of Britain. It could therefore be suggested that the communities were more Brythonic, genetically speaking, than in other areas of England.
So, why Derbyshire? Well, the peaks are made of porous limestone which quickly absorbs rainfall, therefore, the communities would site their homes in the areas where wells and springs emerged. These wells and springs would be vital in the economy of those communities, if the wells failed, so did the community relying on that water.
Now, it may occur to some that there may have been some elements of sacrifice made to these wells in early history, even the notion of human sacrifice, . There has never been found any human remains in these wells and the disposing of human remains into the water would have almost certainly resulted in the contamination of the water and the failing of the source with the earlier mentioned consequences, therefore, I think we can assume the practice of well dressings were celebratory in nature.
There is no evidence, written or otherwise, that shows the number of well dressings in the county originally, however, Tissington is generally considered to be the safest bet as one of those original sites (Well Dressings of Derbyshire by Roy Christian. Derbyshire Countryside Ltd. 1996).
Tissington is mentioned during the Black death of 1348-49 in which 77 of the 100 clergy are known to have died. the purity of the water being credited in part, to the survival of the remaining 23.
Until the second half of the 20th century, there were only 14 known sites of well dressings known to still follow the tradition, however, this number has more than trebled in number in the last 60 years.
The absence of this tradition in the homelands of the Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans would suggest to me, that this is, indeed a true Brythonic tradition.
RR
In Derbyshire, there remains today, the ancient practice of well dressings. This involves the ritual of using natural objects to form pictures and designs to adorn wells and springs as a thanksgiving for the gift of water. It maybe over 2000 years old in origin. Can this be substantiated?
Well. in Cresswell crags (www.cresswell-crags.org.uk/) there are authenticated cave drawings dating back 13000 years, the oldest known to date, in the whole of Europe. These are thought, however, to be the work of nomadic peoples who followed the migration of their prey animals from Southern Europe, where they would live for the most of the year. Bones found here have included hyena, hippo's and reindeer!
So, the conditions were probably not suitable, at this time, for full time habitation.
Move into the high peak area and we come across Arbor Low
(www.cressbrook.co.uk/visits/arborlow.php) and the earlier long barrow of Gib hill.
Dating of material from this site has established that the original barrow was being used as a burial site around 4000 BC. This is considerably older than both Stonehenge and the pyramids of Egypt.
This community was probably one of the earliest one to inhabit Derby's. The remoteness of the high peak has lead some anthropologists to speculate that later invaders, the Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans were not as successful in colonizing these areas as they were in other areas of Britain. It could therefore be suggested that the communities were more Brythonic, genetically speaking, than in other areas of England.
So, why Derbyshire? Well, the peaks are made of porous limestone which quickly absorbs rainfall, therefore, the communities would site their homes in the areas where wells and springs emerged. These wells and springs would be vital in the economy of those communities, if the wells failed, so did the community relying on that water.
Now, it may occur to some that there may have been some elements of sacrifice made to these wells in early history, even the notion of human sacrifice, . There has never been found any human remains in these wells and the disposing of human remains into the water would have almost certainly resulted in the contamination of the water and the failing of the source with the earlier mentioned consequences, therefore, I think we can assume the practice of well dressings were celebratory in nature.
There is no evidence, written or otherwise, that shows the number of well dressings in the county originally, however, Tissington is generally considered to be the safest bet as one of those original sites (Well Dressings of Derbyshire by Roy Christian. Derbyshire Countryside Ltd. 1996).
Tissington is mentioned during the Black death of 1348-49 in which 77 of the 100 clergy are known to have died. the purity of the water being credited in part, to the survival of the remaining 23.
Until the second half of the 20th century, there were only 14 known sites of well dressings known to still follow the tradition, however, this number has more than trebled in number in the last 60 years.
The absence of this tradition in the homelands of the Romans, Saxons, Danes and Normans would suggest to me, that this is, indeed a true Brythonic tradition.
RR
