Category: Religion

Harvest Festival

Harvest Festival is a traditional celebration of finishing the gathering-in of the farmers’ harvests ~ a time to give thanks for the […]

Harvest Festival is a traditional celebration of finishing the gathering-in of the farmers’ harvests ~ a time to give thanks for the crops and the food that we eat. It is not a public holiday but it is recognised in most churches and schools in the UK. The date is calculated to be at the time of the so-called ‘harvest moon’, which is the full moon that occurs closest to the Autumn Equinox (usually 22nd/23rd September).

Schools, particularly primary schools, will sometimes arrange for their pupils to go to the local church during the weeks before or after the specified Sunday for Harvest Festival, or the vicar will visit the school. The children may be asked to bring in a small donation of food, e.g. canned tomatoes, a tray of apples, a bottle of sauce, etc., to add to a festive display. After the thanksgiving service, this collection will be distributed to people ‘in need’, such as a homeless shelter or an old people’s home.

(image: Michael Halling at geograph.org.uk / CC BY-SA 2.0)

25/10/2018
3 min
6 years
176 words

Religion

Exeter Cathedral

Exeter Cathedral in Devon is an awe-inspiring example of Gothic architecture in the ‘English decorated’ style. The solid-looking towers on either side […]

Exeter Cathedral in Devon is an awe-inspiring example of Gothic architecture in the ‘English decorated’ style. The solid-looking towers on either side are from the original building, which was Norman, but the main part was built in the 13th-14th centuries. Its Gothic style is seen in its tall windows, pointed arches, elaborate tracery, flying buttresses and vaulted stone ceiling, which, at 315ft., is the longest in the world. In olden days the enormous nave would host parishioners and their animals!

The Cathedral is dedicated to St. Peter and there is an 80cwt. bell called Peter in one of the towers. This gives a very low tone when it is chimed on the hour. The other tower houses 14 bells, also very heavy. Among the other interesting features of the Cathedral is an astronomical, geocentric clock dating from 1484. The Sun moves around the Earth in 24 segments on the outer circle, while the inner circle denotes the Moon’s movements. It is said that in the days when animal fat was used to grease the clock mechanism, a cat was permitted to enter through a small hole nearby to chase away rats and mice.

(Top image: bazzadarambler at Flickr.com / CC BY 2.0)

23/10/2018
3 min
6 years
200 words

Politics / Religion

The Divine Right of Kings

The Divine Right of Kings was a theory that the monarchy was appointed by a divine being, or God, making the monarch’s […]

The Divine Right of Kings was a theory that the monarchy was appointed by a divine being, or God, making the monarch’s position unassailable. In medieval times this was used as a way to stop other nobles from trying to take the throne for themselves. In the 16th and 17th centuries in Britain, it was also used as a way to separate the country from the power of the Catholic Pope in Rome.

To this day, the motto of the UK monarchy is “Dieu et mon droit” (God and my right), which it is said was first proclaimed by French-speaking King Richard I (1157-99) in reference to his royal bloodline. The British royal line of succession through the centuries has by no means been straight and simple ~ look at King George I, for one example ~ so the ‘right’ is somewhat diluted by rules regarding gender, religion and parents’ marital status.

The photograph above shows the magnificent gilded Sovereign’s Throne in the House of Lords at Westminster which was installed in 1847 and can only be occupied by one who successfully ticks all the boxes.

(Image: ukhouseoflords at Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0)

19/10/2018
3 min
6 years
192 words

History / Politics / Religion

The English Civil War

The English Civil War took place in the middle of the 17th century and was a struggle between different religions for dominance, […]

The English Civil War took place in the middle of the 17th century and was a struggle between different religions for dominance, along with a struggle between the monarchy and Parliament.

“Across the country as a whole, it was religion which ultimately divided the two parties. Puritans everywhere supported the Parliament, more conservative protestants – together with the few Catholics – supported the King.” (Stoyle, bbc.co.uk/history, 2011)

*King Charles I (Image: Wikimedia Commons / Public domain)*

Parliament’s army, known as the ‘Roundheads’, eventually defeated the King’s forces, called the ‘Cavaliers’, and King Charles I (1600-49) was publicly executed for treason in 1649. This was delayed a few hours while Parliament hurriedly put through a Bill to stop his son (Charles II (1630-85)) from immediately inheriting the throne. However, Oliver Cromwell‘s Republic eventually failed, the monarchy was reinstated in 1660 with the return of King Charles II to the throne in a period called ‘The Restoration‘.

There are several re-enactment societies who commemorate various battles of the Civil War on the anniversary dates. The photograph above shows one such society re-enacting the siege of Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire which took place in the autumn of 1643.

(Top image: Dave Hitchborne at geograph.org.uk / CC BY-SA 2.0)

18/10/2018
3 min
6 years
204 words

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Quoting Neil Oliver...

I love Britain more than anywhere else in the world. With all my heart I declare that those of us born here, or who have made a home here by choice, are the luckiest, most blessed of all people. I am British. I will always be British.