Thanks for the grumpy, red-blooded, semi-civilized King Arthur!
In central France they have a different kind of Dark Ages Saint. A guy gets beheaded by the Romans and defiantly picks up his head and walks around with it. I don't know how long this continues.
I unexpectedly encountered this saint as a crude 8-foot statue beside a small parish church. The Headless Sanctus had his head in the crook of his arm.
Great stuff, Tom. I was familiar with most of this, including Gildas as a writer, but not the convoluted explanation for why Gildas supposedly purged mention of Arthur from his work! Love this.
Thanks for the grumpy, red-blooded, semi-civilized King Arthur!
In central France they have a different kind of Dark Ages Saint. A guy gets beheaded by the Romans and defiantly picks up his head and walks around with it. I don't know how long this continues.
I unexpectedly encountered this saint as a crude 8-foot statue beside a small parish church. The Headless Sanctus had his head in the crook of his arm.
Kind of turned my stomach.
Saint Denis! One of my favorites. In one version his head preaches a sermon while he's holding it.
Really enjoyed this--and the cows turning into ... ferns! Ha! Impossible to not think of Michael Palin saying, "A SHRUBBERY!"
Great stuff, Tom. I was familiar with most of this, including Gildas as a writer, but not the convoluted explanation for why Gildas supposedly purged mention of Arthur from his work! Love this.
Thanks! And -- oof -- typos. I blame the Welsh. Trying to keep up with all those consonants is fatiguing.
You got Llancarfan right, and that’s the main thing!
Nothing can top the Kalevala for spelling headaches.