Re: FAO Eds; Mother Anthony's Well | Forum

Sanctuary wrote:

tjj wrote:

Thanks to the Eds for adding this site.
One thing puzzled me though and would be grateful for clarification, or just thoughts from anyone on the subject . When looking for the correct category to add Mother Anthony's Well I could only find 'Sacred Well'. It seems there is evidence of bronze age occupation at the site in question but does this make it 'sacred'. How do we differentiate between what is sacred and what is just ancient - and how do we guage what neolithic/bronze age people held sacred?

I think water itself was seen as pretty sacred during this period June with much association with it and the dead.

Thanks Sanctuary, I have thought that for most of the time I've been mooching around Avebury watching the seasonal fluctuations of the Winterbourne an upper Kennet, they were still dry earlier in the week. I'm guessing a spring that never runs dry, such as the Red and White springs at Glastonbury, would definitely be considered sacred - the MAW springs were 'lively'. When it comes right down to it, clean fresh sources of water are still essentially life-giving, like the air we breathe, and therefore will always be sacred.