May 12, Exploring Durham, Day 2

He said:

The weather was cloudy as expected, but the rain never happened. We devoted our time to the indoor activities including Durham Cathedral, Durham Castle, and a few other exhibits and museums. It turns out that most of these places did not allow any photography, the one notable exception was Durham Cathedral, but only if we paid a fee (we did), and then only in one area. So, I will let E's descriptions cover all that.

The bottom line is the long history of the area that seems to be very well known back to 600AD.
The living was filled with disruption, turmoil, and wars, and the people were safest at the top of the hill where the castle now stands since 1090AD.
Well, at least it was quite peaceful while we were visiting.

Lots of old people in the cathedral, castle, and museums, and many of the 17,000 young students of Durham University parading in the streets, hanging out, or making out by the river.

She Said:

Overcast skies and tourist info Overload…

Back up to the Durham Cathedral. The Marvel Comics “Avengers” series – “Thor” – was finally filmed and wrapped up and out of the Cathedral. Trucks and vans still carting production equipment away, but the inside of the Cathedral was now open with an interesting consequential twist – Because the pews had been removed to accommodate the movie’s set (huge, burning fire bowls and massive fake buttresses, walls and dragon heads), it was a very rare occasion to see Durham Cathedral as it actually was in Medieval times – wide open.

Since the Cathedral sat across the green from the Castle, it would have been part of the place of refuge when Durham came under attack. Villagers would come inside – with their livestock – for protection. And, truth be told, a Cathedral always looks bigger and grander when it is empty of pews. Durham Cathedral was no exception. The soaring, vaulted ceilings absolutely looked higher without the distraction of anything below!

Some observations/facts:

· A small portion of the Nave wall was painted in the brilliant reds and blacks (patterned designs) that would have covered all the walls when the Cathedral was built (1093). Imagining that was quite easy and also easy to see how the Cathedral would have inspired awe in the villagers.

· A raised sarcophagus tomb (ubiquitous in medieval churches) was guarded all around by (now headless) figures.

· A large tapestry honored the Durham Miners Association (remember, this area was coal country) – “They Being Dead Yet Speaketh”. Creepy but sweet.

· An entire chapel was devoted to the Durham Light Infantry, many of whom died in the trenches during WW1. The Memorial Cross was surrounded by poppy wreaths and wooden poppy crosses, with the names of the dead written on the crosses. I was struck by one cross that mourned 3 brothers, all died together in the war. (More on the “why” of that later.)

· Prior Castell’s Clock – a giant wooden clock built between 1494 – 1519. Originally it had only one hand, to mark the hours. When a minute hand was added, it marked 48 minutes to the hour instead of our current 60.

· A small original fireplace cut into a wall that was used to cook the Eucharist wafers.

· And, the big draw – St. Cuthbert (SC). SC was a monk and a bishop and a hermit and a do-gooder. He died in 687. So far, so normal (for his time). Then, the big news. When SC’s coffin was opened 20-30 years later (for an unknown reason) his body was “fresh, safe and not consumed” or “uncorrupted”. So, the legend began and SC was raised (so to speak) to miracle status and sainthood. In 1093 (for another unknown reason) some monks wanted to move his body to a safe place (marauding Scots?) and on their road to nowhere they met a milkmaid with a dun cow who said that the hill over yonder (Durham) was the most beautiful and safest place ever. So, the Cathedral was started in 1104 to house SC’s intact remains. Also, true to medieval times, pilgrims came and showered SC’s grave with everything they couldn’t afford and SC’s grave became encrusted with gold and silver and precious gems. In 1537, Henry Vlll comes along, wants his divorce, splits with Rome, starts his own Church, and raids all the Churches, Abbeys, Monasteries and Convents for whatever loot he can get his fat fingers on. SC is now stuck in a plain tomb. Not to worry. His legend lives on even until today. Durham Cathedral is, as we speak, testing a temp controlled, hermetically sealed, domed rotunda of a room (the former monks’ kitchen) to house SC’s body and give him more of his supposed due. Turns out Saints are very good for business.

· We toured a special exhibit in the Monks’ Dormitory called “Beasts”. Unicorns were “proven” to exist by the narwhal’s tusk; Griffin claws were “proven” to exist by the long, thin curved horns of the ibex; and, since no one in medieval times in England had ever seen a real lion, they were depicted looking more like leopards.

· Once Christianity began to take off, the clergy built “Preaching Crosses” – set one up in each hamlet, village, town and city. The crosses were carved with stories of Christ. Everyone was illiterate, so the Preaching Crosses offered an opportunity to tell the tales to the masses.

· Back in the Cathedral, we checked out the lectern again. The symbol of the Durham Bishops – the Pelican feeding her chicks from the blood of her own body (thus showing the complete devotion of the Durham Bishops to their own flock) is cast in gleaming brass.

· Our serendipity for the day - the Cathedral Choir began to practice and the gigantic, hollow, open Nave rejoiced with the sound of beautiful human voices. Quite spectacular.

Packed lunch on a bench in the Cathedral/Castle grounds.

Then, the Castle tour:

· Heard the Dun Cow legend again

· Optical illusion Castle – looks huge from the outside (on purpose, to scare invaders) turns out to be narrow and small inside (huge castles are expensive to build)

· The first Chapel – 11th – 15th century. Crazy, old carvings in the stone told more stories to the illiterate masses. Sally Port for easy escape, if necessary. Portions redone by the Victorians.

· The second Chapel – 16th – 17th century. Bigger, better and warmer. Larger portions redone by the Victorians.

· The Great Hall – 17th – 18th century. The Castle now owned by Durham University. Everything redone by the Victorians.

Currently, the entire castle is used as student rooms – dormitories for the lucky ones at University College.

One last museum before heading back for a walk along the river and a stop into M&S for supper fixings: The UNESCO World Heritage Museum. This turned out to be a little gem. Good, short film. And, an excellent exhibit by the Durham Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers called “Chinese Whispers”.

Chinese Whispers is an artists’ rendering of the parlor game “Telephone”, but instead of the participants actually whispering to the next person, a Chinese Whisper is done through art.

This exhibit started with a photograph of the only contemporary stained glass window in the Cathedral (a wildly colored vibrant window that absolutely glows.) The photographer sent the photo on to the next artist with no explanation, and that artist rendered in felt, yarn and other fibers what she interpreted. Then, she sent a photo of her rendering to the next artist, and so on, through 12 artists from the Guild.

The art is all 16”x16” and mind-bogglingly rich and creative.

And, the very weird thing (that supposedly happens with all Chinese Whispers), is that the last piece of art, though completely different from that original photo of the window, speaks to it fluently, using all the same colors and all the same feelings.

A marvelous and inspiring thing of beauty. And, it makes me want to begin a Chinese Whisper of my own, somehow and somewhere.

On the walk back to the river path, we (I; R waited outside in the square) stopped in the Durham Market Hall, an enormous, old building that serves as the actual marketplace for the city. It is filled with stalls – 10’ sq. to maybe 100’ sq. – of every imaginable product and service and I wandered around, stunned and amazed.

A listing of the separate stalls that I saw (by no means, all of them):

· Curtains

· Fabric

· Greeting Cards

· Locks

· Vintage Toy Soldiers

· Kitchen Ware

· Coffee/Tea

· Flowers

· CDs

· Cleaners

· Hardware

· Clocks

· Carpets

· Batteries

· Watches

· Linens

· Craft Supplies

· Produce

· Fish

· Cheese

· Toys

· Sweaters

· Toy Trains

· Housepaint

· Hobby Center

· Pet Supplies

· Jewelry

· Antiques

· Art

· Pipes and Tobaccos

· Pajamas (!)

· Sweet Shop

· Burgers

· Wine

· Wigs

· Meat

· Yarn

· T-Shirts

· Café

· Marbles (!)

· Pillows

Not much else to say after that!

One last (somber) note:

On our river walk, we came upon a bench and memorial to the 18th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, a “Pals” Battalion. A Pals Battalion was instituted during WWl to encourage sign-ups from small, rural towns and villages. In a Pals Battalion, you were guaranteed that you would serve with your friends and neighbors, thereby making leaving home easier.

Only one, big sad drawback…

If your Battalion came under heavy attack, your town or village would suffer disproportionately.

And, that’s what happened to the 18th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. At the Battle of the Somme, that infamous killing field, 25 young men from Durham died and over 100 were badly wounded. Almost an entire generation of the town was wiped out.

When the war was finally over, the toll was over 1000.

From one little town in the north of England.

War, what is it good for?

Absolutely nothing.

Photos:

Durham Cathedral