Passing through this transitory life
'All you that doe this place pass byRemember death for you must die
As I am now so you shall be
As you are, so once was I'
'Here lieth a man who was Knott born
His father was Knott before him.
He lived Knott and did Knott die,
Yet underneath this stone doth lie:
Knott born, Knott begot,
Knott lived, and yet was Knott.'
'Here lie the bones of Joseph Jones
Who ate whilst he was able
But once overfed, he dropped down
dead
And fell beneath the table'
These are all inscriptions on graves in my local area. They date from the 1600's. At that time, everyone lived in the face of its realities. I think that the tone of these messages is healthy one; you're gonna die, so live whilst you can, and, perhaps, play a little irreverently in the presence of this truth.
In writing this, I am also reminded of the beautiful words of England's first historian, Bede. Living as a monk during the Eight Century, he describes the conversion to Christianity of Kind Edwin of Northumbria; and, again, the emphasis is on the transitory nature of corporeal life:
"The present life of man, O King, seems to be, in comparison with that time which is unknown to us, like the swift flight of a sparrow through the room wherein You sit at supper in winter, with your commanders and ministers, and a good fire in the midst, whilst the storms of rain and snow prevail abroad; the sparrow, I say, flying in at one door, and immediately out at another, whilst he is within, is safe from the wintry storm; but after a short space of fair weather, he immediately vanishes out of your sight, into the dark winter from which he had emerged. So this life of man appears for a short space, but of what went before, or what is to follow, we are entirely ignorant."
I am atheist, but I am also a sparrow. I must remember to spread my wings whilst I can; beware below though - I might shit on your head!
posted by Gerry Bunt at 7:43 AM
8 Comments:
Hi Colin, Good to see you in the blogosphere once again. I loved the title of your blog. I tnink I think, then the bit about soft side - hard side, inside - outside, backside - ????. Finish the puzzle and win the prize! A years member ship with the Red devils! Graffiti. (PS I have put the West Ham supporters club in my gallery) (PPS and win even better prize if you get a picture of the ???? )
I reckon there should be a ? after the second think -
I think, I think?
Better than "I tort, I tort" "I thaw a puddy tatt.
The 17th Century was a fateful existence indeed. One in three babies would die and one could be killed for speaking against the king at the local Tavern. A man could be fined or gaoled for not wearing the right consistency of weave in his tights. Did you come accross a man called William Lilly in your 17 Century travels Colin?
Ta Graffiti, it'd be boring without the puzzle I think - I think? (the question mark is for rosymosie :-))
I do not know much about him "Ken previously known as kenoath and formerly fuken oath", but I know he was an astrologer known by contemporaries as the 'English Merlin'. Sounds like an interesting character.
I think perhaps Colin, that you should blog on the subject of the angle of the skull and its relevance to the date of carving... Dave the Dan many coats.
Yes, tell us about the skull Colin. ken.
Ken, Dave and I have noticed that, depending on the period of carving, the angle which these skulls faces, changes. We jest that one day this might be worthy of an article in a learned Antiquarian journal. This particular one dates from the 1670's, as I recall.
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