Origins of the Wedding Ceremony

I thought it would be interesting to look at the origins of the wedding ceremony.  Here are the origins of some key aspects of the ceremony:

Vows: Derived from medieval Christian rites/religious practices.  The origins of the medieval rites are from Roman practices.  The practice of exhanging vows was published in the First Book of Common Prayer published in 1549.  

Exchange of rings: The tradition of exchanging wedding rings originated with the ancient Egyptians, who used rings of reeds or hemp to symbolize eternity and everlasting love due to their circular shape. The Romans later adopted and formalized this practice which was adopted by the Church of England.  

Father giving away the bride:  Originates from a time when women were considered their father's property, and a marriage involved a transfer of ownership from her family to her husband, often in exchange for a dowry, such as money or land.  The custom traces its roots back to the Roman Empire, where it was a way to ensure the groom was worthy and that the bride's family approved of the union

Wedding feast/reception: The tradition of a wedding cake has roots in Ancient Rome, where wheat or barley cakes were broken over the bride's head to symbolize fertility and prosperity.  Before the Reformation, the wedding service included a communion, and the bride and groom would fast before the ceremony. The wedding breakfast was the first meal they shared as a married couple after the ceremony, blessed by the priest.  Ritual feasts relating to the Winter Soltice and Spring Equinox date back to pagan pre Christianity times.   

Sutton Hoo Saxon Ship Project

A very enjoyable talk by Chad Goodwin on Tuesday about Sutton Hoo and the project to build the replica Anglo Saxon ship.  It was really interesting to learn about the archaeology of the site and the construction of the Sutton Hoo Ship.  I was amazed how the archaeologists scraped away the earth to determine the shape of the hull. If you would like to learn more about the project to build the replica Saxon ship please select the following link. You can learn more about the design, build and other aspects of the project:   

https://saxonship.org/the-project/

Hanworth Hall

I was leading a ramble from Aldborough in North Norfolk on Thursday and one of the places of interest on the walk was Hanworth Hall.  I had never heard of or seen this hall before so I have undertaken a little research about it.  Haworth Hall has a history stretching back to the 15th century, primarily associated with the Doughty family. The original house, however, was destroyed by fire around 1700. A new house was then built, likely by Robert Doughty, who died in 1770.  Robert Lee Doughty, upon inheriting the estate in 1770, initiated the landscaping of the parkland. He consulted with Humphry Repton in 1789-1790, who provided expert advice on the park's layout. After Robert Doughty's death without heirs, the estate passed through several families, including the Lukins, Mayows, and Windhams (of Felbrigg fame).  The property was sold in 1900 to Joseph Gurney Barclay for his son, Henry Barclay, due to debt and is currently owned privately.  Here is a link and picture:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanworth_Hall#:~:text=It%20is%20built%20of%20brick,latter's%20son%20William%20Frederick%20Windham.

What is a Lych Gate?

I attended a walk with Colin on Monday at St Giles Church in Norwich and he mentioned its lych gate which prompted me to think about these structures that we often see in front of churches.  Lych gates are the ornamental gateways which lead to churchyards. They symbolise the threshold between the secular (non-religious) and sacred zones of a parish and once served a practical function of storing a coffin before burial. Their name derives from the Anglo-Saxon or German word for corpse: lich, or leiche.

Medieval lych gates were used as a meeting point and shelter for mourners. The group would convene beneath it and would be met by the priest prior to entering the consecrated churchyard for the funeral service. Lych gates continued to be built throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, and later examples, particularly after the First World War, were often erected as memorial structures.  Here is an article for those who would like to read some more:

https://www.somersetandbathparanormal.co.uk/the-origins-of-the-lychgate