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Holywell

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goffik G
goffik Oct 9, 2004 15:41:46
Replying to Mr Hamhead

Will do! Fantastic! Be great to meet up (we're staying at Readymony Cove again so will be just up the road!)

The more I see of these holy wells, particularly the un-christianised ones, the more I'm convinced of their antiquity. How could the ancients not have revered such a pure source of life-giving water..? Especially so close to the salty sea! I reckon holy/sacred wells are a justified addition to the site.

I've been in contact with the delightful Katy Jordan, who used to run the sadly defunct "Holy Wells Web" - http://www.bath.ac.uk/~liskmj/holywell.htm (still links to the wells & spas forum archive) - I've not spoken since we got back from Orkney, but will certainly do so...

I realy hope we can find the cave this time - your pics have urged me on! I could have sworn I'd found it last time, but it looked rather uninspinring in retrospect... Now I know what I'm looking for, I think it'll be unmissable!

G x

B baza
baza Oct 9, 2004 17:11:37
Replying to goffik

>I reckon holy/sacred wells are a justified addition to the site.

Just my opinion, but I don't.

Holy to whom? Sacred to whom?

Come up with a bit of evidence that they were 'sacred' to prehistoric people and yes, they should be added, otherwise,....why?

How many thousands of springs are there in Britain? Should they all be on this site because some think that they all 'may' have been of more significance than merely water sources to prehistoric people?

I notice that <i>this</i> Holywell is classified as a cave/rock shelter; seems fair enough to me. We know that the springs at Bath have prehistoric signficance - and there must be more. But not them all, surely?

Shouldn't holy wells have their own website dedicated to them? It would be a vast resource.

:o)

Baz

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