Thursday 30 September 2010

Maidens Garlands Exhibition “But Death had quicker Wings than Love”

Maidens Garlands, otherwise known as funeral garlands were given to virgins upon their untimely death. The upcoming event as seen below will include an eclectic mix of writers, artists and local villagers contributing in the theme of 'Maidens Garlands'.

This painting by John Everett Millais depicts Ophelia dead in the water, clutching flowers some say she was gathering for her very own garland. The alternative name 'crants' appears in Shakespeare's Hamlet, when the priest objects to Ophelia, suspected of having taken her own life, being 'allow'd her virgin crants, her maiden strewments'.



As well as my poems, all about the Old Church and Robin Hoods Bay I will be constructing a specialist felt piece in the form of a fully construted Garland. I wanted to bring back to life the colours, textures and fabrics of that time. The very rare existing garlands that now hang in Old St Stephens represents the beliefs and constraints of the time.


Although a seemingly sweet and gentle tradition, if a girl died having already lost her honour, she would not recieve a garland, this troubled me since I first saw and learnt about them three years ago. I wanted to construst one in full colour for all the young and rebellious. I will be using all the colours and some of the fabrics used from that time but mainly the piece will be constructed from silk and wool.

I hope you can make a visit, it will be an entriging exhibition.

A Display concerning the
Maiden's 


Garlands 

                     
Old St Stephen’s Church
           
Robin Hoods Bay
8th-17th October, 10-4pm.

Also: FLHG Talk by Rosie Morris
at Wibury, Fri 15th, 7.30pm

Details ph 07874053289

Thanks to Fylingdales Primary School; Whitby College; Whitby Museum 

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