The Lecture on March 10th 2010
Painting of
the martyrdom of Philomena from the Church of Notre Dame at Bretagne in
France.
Our parish churches offer peace and serenity but many
also contain countless images of murder sex and mayhem. Medieval murals
and stained glass depict the martyrdom of saints from home and abroad, and
the grisliest of dooms. At a lower level may be found misericords showing
whippings, wife beatings and brawls. Many monuments and memorials include
stagecoach crashes, bridge collapses, shipwrecks and explosions. This
lecture explains both the stories behind them and their relevance to
particular periods of history. |
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Example of a
misericord showing brawling from Worchester Cathedral
The Lecturer - John Vigar
John has been a professional freelance historian since
1977 and part-time tutor at he University of Kent since 1990. He lectures
for the Historic Churches Preservation Trust and he is the Regional
Development Manager in Kent, Surrey and Hampshire for the Churches
Conservation Trust. John is also a specialist tour leader and has written
twelve books including "Kent Churches."
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