Church Curiosities: Strange Objects and Bizarre Legends

by David Castleton

Overview

In churches and cathedrals across Britain, tucked away among ordinary items such as pews, screens and pulpits, sit a plethora of fascinating and unexpected objects. From dragon-slaying spears and the ribs of monstrous cows, to pagan altars, reindeer horns and mummified skulls, these curiosities have intrigued generations of visitors. In this captivating history, David Castleton explores this fascinating world of lepers' squints, pancake bells, virgin garlands and sanctuary knockers, and unravels the tales, legends and folkloric ceremonies that lay behind these charming and often deeply unusual artefacts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781784424459
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	03/18/2021
Series:	Shire Library , #881
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
File size:	21 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

David Castleton is an author, poet, blogger and freelance journalist, best known for his novel The Standing Water. He has always had an interest in poking around ruined castles and abbeys and absorbing spooky old wive's tales and has taught English at the University of Manchester.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Standing Stones, Runes and Pagan Altars
Legendary Skulls, Strange Remains and Weird Repositories
Giants' Graves, Odd Epitaphs and Resurrection Men
Mysterious Crypts, Secret Tunnels and Macabre Effigies
Holy Wells, Sacred Eels and Saints' Skulls
Odd Artefacts and Strange Ceremonies
An Emporium of Oddities
Further Reading
Index

Editorial Reviews

04/05/2021

Novelist Castleton (The Standing Water) makes a convincing case in this enjoyable guide that British churches are delightfully weird. Digging into the structures and contents of church buildings—as well as the churchyards, labyrinths, tunnels, and crypts that surround them—Castleton explores many unexpected items, including holy eels, mummified hearts, and the grave of the first woman in England to be killed by a tiger. The introduction emphasizes how difficult it can be to differentiate pagan and Christian objects and designs—and each chapter successfully broadens and complicates that argument. The sites and building materials for many churches draw on a range of “pagan” pasts—including Neolithic earthworks, salvaged Roman masonry, and Norse carvings—many of which have been reimagined by successive generations of Christians. Explorations of the churchyards and crypts reveal a complicated set of Christian beliefs and cultures. For instance, Oliver Cromwell’s skull, disinterred by King Charles II in 1660 as a postmortem revenge, first served as a church artifact before being stolen, passed through private collectors, used briefly as a comic prop, and finally buried within the chapel of Sidney College Sussex in 1962. With colorful stories and gorgeous photographs, this enjoyable reference is a refreshing reminder of Britain’s eclectic religious history. (May)

Publishers Weekly

Novelist Castleton (The Standing Water) makes a convincing case in this enjoyable guide that British churches are delightfully weird ... With colorful stories and gorgeous photographs, this enjoyable reference is a refreshing reminder of Britain's eclectic religious history.” —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher