Relics – left overs, bits of items of historical importance, ruins of buildings and humanity, souvenirs of saints, what’s left of traditions. A history full of relics:
Nature provides relics all the time, sacred and beautiful often, sometimes not, always surrendering to new growth, always timeless. The light caresses these relics of last year.
Found not far from Stonehenge, Woodhenge is a shadow of its former self. A memory of about 5,000 years ago, its once great log posts are now represented by concrete stubs. At the centre is the grave of a 3 year old child, sacrificed and possibly as old as the site itself – sacred and revered still.
Several thousand years later, the Romans came. They built camps that sometimes became permanent. Built almost 2,000 years ago, seen from the threshold of the guest house, the gymnasium and bath house remain in the town named for the Roman Wall that once surrounded it. Relics of a piece of this land’s history.
Almost 1,200 years later, Grace Dieu Priory was built. It was a nunnery that a few hundred years later became the grounds of a nobleman’s mansion. Now it is in ruins, climbed upon and cared for.
Since time immemorial, the people of this land have hunted with hounds. Some time in the 17th or 18th century, hunting with hounds became the pastime of the nobility, those rich enough to keep them. Known as The Hunt, fox hunting is done without the participation of foxes today, but this relic of an earlier time lives on.
A relic of not so long ago, a boat used to tie up here, ready to take children and young lovers to the island in the middle of the lake. Today it is a repository for moss.
To see more takes on ‘relics’ go to: DP WordPress Photo Challenge – Relics
A Canuck's Eye View 