How much do we know about Stonehenge? Less than we think. And what has Stonehenge got to do with the Ice Age? More than we might think. This blog is mostly devoted to the problems of where the Stonehenge bluestones came from, and how they got from their source areas to the monument. Now and then I will muse on related Stonehenge topics which have an Ice Age dimension...
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Saturday 11 January 2014
St Govan's Chapel
While digging around among my old slides, I found this one. Thought I'd share it, for no other reason than that it is a gorgeous little chapel in a magical spot! It's at St Govan's, a little way along the South Pembrokeshire coast from Flimston.
Lovely photograph. Presumably the bulding materials were ever-so conveniently located, as you argue for most prehistoric stone constructions. No doubt it was the CONGREGATION who were at the disadvantage of distance-to-worship, or was its original raison d'etre to act as an in situ chapel for the resident Holy Man?
The chapel is later than the holy man.... old St Govan will have been an ascetic hermit sort of fellow, living maybe in a cave or hovel. Later on, when the place had acquired a tradition of sanctity, maybe the lovals ganged together to build the chapel -- associated with a "sacred" spring which only flows intermittently. Maybe in the Middle Ages the chapel was used a a shelter by pilgrims visiting the spring. Inside it's pretty rough -- no altar, no pews, and not even a proper floor.
Lovely photograph. Presumably the bulding materials were ever-so conveniently located, as you argue for most prehistoric stone constructions. No doubt it was the CONGREGATION who were at the disadvantage of distance-to-worship, or was its original raison d'etre to act as an in situ chapel for the resident Holy Man?
ReplyDeleteThe chapel is later than the holy man.... old St Govan will have been an ascetic hermit sort of fellow, living maybe in a cave or hovel. Later on, when the place had acquired a tradition of sanctity, maybe the lovals ganged together to build the chapel -- associated with a "sacred" spring which only flows intermittently. Maybe in the Middle Ages the chapel was used a a shelter by pilgrims visiting the spring. Inside it's pretty rough -- no altar, no pews, and not even a proper floor.
ReplyDeleteThere is also the story of "Bell Rock" which is said to ring when struck and to ring loudest of all when struck by St Govan.
ReplyDelete