|
|
 Log in |
Register
|
|
|
England
The Old Wife's WellSacred Well
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
0 discussions
Show map (inline Google Map)
|
|
|
Images (click to view fullsize) |
 Add an image |
|
Miscellaneous |
Add miscellaneous |
|
I think we can probably establish this as having a pre-historic origin. In 270 a.d., the Emperor Aurelian declared worship of the sun god, Sol Invictus, an official religion throughout the empire. He dedicated the Sol Invictus Temple in Rome on December 25th., 274, and declared that day Dies Natalis Solis Invicti – the Day of the Birth of the Unconquered Sun. Our midwinter festival has been held on 25th. ever since. If this spring had previously hosted a winter solstice festival, then the Romans patrolling the nearby Wade's Causeway would have referred to it as Fontana Natalis – the 'Birth Spring', or 'Winter Solstice Spring' (the winter solstice being the birth of the year – in the Welsh language, Christmas is Nadolig, in Cornish it's Nadelik, both words derived from Latin natalis - 'birth'). Centuries later, a folk rendition of Latin fontana natalis (perhaps influenced by Norman French 'fontein') was all they could manage. But it's there to this day – Nattie Fonten. Roll on, roll on. |
Posted by hotaire8th October 2009ce Edited 8th October 2009ce |
|
From the forum May 2005 the Old Wifes well is lovely and is one of those wells that has a very strong case for having prehistoric origins. The name alone qualifies it as all of the other sites on the NYM that have the Old Wifes name tagged on them have prehistoric associations. Couple this to the fact that the well sits on the edge of a large Mesolithic occupation site which also showed evidence of continued occupation throughout the Neolithic and early Bronze Age where this would have been the only nearby source of water. Add to that the fact that the well is situated beside the route of Wades Causeway the 'Roman road' (aka The Old Wifes Way) which has recently be a source of some speculation as to whether parts of the causeway pre date the roman road, one eminent archaeo has gone so far as to suggest that the section of the causeway that runs across Wheeldale may in fact be a Neolithic linear monument. |
Posted by fitzcoraldo29th September 2006ce |
|
I've added this site as it is one of a number of sites on the North York Moors that refers to The Old Wife. The majority of these sites have some relationship with stones. This is the only Old Wife's well that I'm aware of on the NYM. This is what the archaeologist Raymond H. Hayes had to say about the site in his 1988 publication, North-East Yorkshire Studies: Archaeological Papers, published by the Yorkshire Archaeological Society "The Old Wife's Well lies on the west side of Wade's Causeway to the north of Stape. It is covered with a rather rough stone inscribed Nattie Fonten. Fonten is most unusual. In north-east Yorkshire Keld is the term used for a spring. "Funta" is a loan word from the latin Fontana - Fonthill, Fontley etc. Natley or Nattie could derive from Nantile - a Welsh lake name also given to a Celtic water spirit". |
Posted by fitzcoraldo 21st October 2004ce Edited 22nd October 2004ce |
Links |
Add a link |
Pat O'Halloran's WebsiteAnother web page with a picture of the well. |
Posted by fitzcoraldo 22nd October 2004ce Edited 22nd October 2004ce |
Graeme C's excellent Holy Wells sitePictures and a description of The Old Wife's Well from Graeme C. |
Posted by fitzcoraldo 21st October 2004ce |
Top of page