Lincoln

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I was in Lincoln last weekend and while there was reminded of a question that Stuart/phoenixofthefirst asked in the Binsey thread quite a while ago about a pool at the bottom of a hill. I was going to post to that thread, but decided that this lot really belongs in the Questing Leads section. Some interesting things, which may be of interest to someone, in no particular order.

Lincoln was an ancient Celtic site called “Llin-dun”, “Llin” being the pool at the foot of the hill, “Dun” being the word for hill (hence my being reminded of Stuart’s question). The pool survives as Braypool today. The Romans took over the site, which eventually became the city of Lindum Colonia, and this became Lincoln.

Stuart was asking about a church at the base of the hill, and I sadly don’t know about that. I spent lots of time in the cathedral on top of the hill. Originally there was an ancient church dedicated to Mary Magdalene, but in 1072 William the Conquerer ordered a cathedral to be built on the site. It is presumed that the Magdalene church was demolished so the Norman cathedral could be built, which was dedicated in 1092 to the Virgin Mary. The parishoners of Mary Magdalene maintained the right to use the cathedral nave for a long time, until a new parish church was built for them just around the corner on Bailgate. This parish church is dedicated not only to Mary Magdalene, but also to St Michael Upon the Mount, which I find curious.

There is a link to Oxfordshire. The diocese was the largest in England at the time, stretching from the Humber to the Thames, and the bishopric had its seat at Dorchester Abbey, 10 miles or so south of Oxford. Building the cathedral in Lincoln was part of a decision to keep cathedrals in fortfied towns, and the bishopric was moved to the new cathedral.

The cathedral has been rebuilt several times due to fires and earthquakes, but the west facade is from the Norman structure. Much of the cathedral was built by St. Hugh in the 12th century, and there’s an interesting swan connection with Hugh. On the day he was installed as bishop at Lincoln a swan installed itself in the episcopal manor-house at Stow. It often followed him around and the two of them grew quite attached to each other, the swan apparently going into mourning before Hugh’s death. St Hugh is thus often depicted with a swan.

Hugh was canonised quickly after his death, and his head was kept in a casket. The relic was destroyed by Cromwell’s men, but the shrine that held the head in the cathedral’s Angel Choir is still there, watched over (oddly enough) by the famous Lincoln Imp.

According to a book I have (can’t remember what it’s called or who its by), Lincoln cathedral also has about 5 green man figures. I was unable to locate any of the figures mentioned in the book, but I did find one that wasn’t mentioned, on a roof boss in the medieval cathedral library. Well, it looked like a sort of green man to me, a ‘green thing’; an animal head with little ears, and leaves erupting from its mouth.

While in the cathedral’s medieval library the guide told us a very strange tale. Just a few weeks before our visit (so probably end June-beginning of July) there was an ordination service or maybe it was just a service for ordinands. This guide was present, and she was very surprised when the bishop led in a procession of people with the classic Templar white cloaks with red crosses. The bishop then took a sword they were carrying with them and laid it on the alter. She spoke to one of them afterwards, who told her that they were Knights Templar. I guess its a modern revival, but strange goings on all the same.

There was a Templar preceptory about 11 miles south of Lincoln (foundation charter of 1150). Interestingly, TemplarSites.org says that the preceptory once had a ‘portrait’ similar to the one at Templecombe. This would be the Templecombe Head which Yuri has plenty of information about here: [url:tjycxccq]http://uk.geocities.com/yuri.leitch@btinternet.com/templecombe.html[/url]; Yuri’s article mentions an ‘idol’ in Lincolnshire:

Quote:

when the English Templars were interrogated about the ‘idols’ that they worshipped a Friar and a chap called John de Dorrington said that there were four principal icons that the Templars held dear. One was kept in London, one was kept in Lincolnshire, another in Yorkshire and a fourth in Bristelham (Bristol.)…The author George Tull in his book ‘Traces of the Templars’ believes that this head was brought from Bristol to Templecombe for safe keeping

I note that TemplarSites.org is also using George Tull as a reference, but it’s nice to put a place-name to the Lincolnshire site.

Anyway, that’s all folks!

Michael

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Today’s PioneersAgriculture. July 26th, 2011 by eshinee. Traditionally, the Wayeyi ploughed small fields using hand hoes. These fields provided them only with enough food for a subsistence basis. Ploughing was to begin when the leaves of the wuwara andAgriculture Farm near by. He entered the Farm and spotted a farm worker wearing a khaki knicker mulching the plants with a hand-hoe intended to conserve the sub-soil moisture, aerate the soil at the root zone and removeMaumee Valley Agriculture and Natural Resources. Help • Buckeye Link • Map • Find People • Webmail • Search Ohio State • Ohio State University Extension • Maumee Valley Agriculture and Natural Resources

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mulching the plants with a hand-hoe intended to conserve the sub-soil moisture.

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