The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-03-20
STRANGE MARKS IN ENGLISH
CHURCHES.

Circles, Dots and Lines of Unknown
Meaning on Ancient Walls.
There are on the walls Of many En-
glish churches, particularly those of
the South Midland counties mysterious
marks, some fairly large. many very
small, that have puzzled ecclesiologists
ever since that inestimable race exist
ed. They are most common on the
south wall of the nave and aisles. AL
most invariably they are at such a
height as would show that they cam
not have been made by village idlers
of the class who have favored us with
so many cup-marks. They fall into
three main classes: ~ a dot surround
ed by one or more concentric circles;
| (2) circles containing radii, more or
less numerous; (3) dots arranged in
squares, sometimes connected by lines
and sometimes not. With regard to
these last, / own I am unable to even
suggest theory I could give list Of
| things they cannot possibly mean, but
what they do is, as "Jeames} is re-
ported to have remarked, 'Wropp'd in
mystery"
The second variety I want to speak
of is the circle with radii. Sometimes
there are twelve radi, sometimes TWEEN
ty-four, sometimes an odd number.
Sometimes the radii are confined to
one part of the circle, sometimes not.
is W. a 90 ria
that the interest in wall marks culml-
mates. In some instances there can be
no doubt that they are incomplete sun
dials, though in these cases, as at
Redbourne (Herts), they are 50 unas-
Economically arranged as to lead to the
conclusion that our early ancestors
were as Indifferent as If they had been
Orientals to the flight Of time But the
majority cannot by any stretch of the
imagination have been time recorders
No one would put a dial on the south
inner wall of a church.
Another theory which has been
started Is that these marks are sur
vlval Of an ancient belief in orientation.
But these marks are not to be found
in Norman churches The earliest we
Why then, should heather belief
have lain dormant for couple Of hum
dred years, at least, and then have
been suddenly and without reason re-
vived? / desire to reward my readers
by propounding brand new theory. 1t
is remarkable that we do not find these
circular marks containing radi COM
mon on our cathedrals or great fanes.
Nearly all are On the walls of obscure
village churches. We know now that in
building minister's and abbeys the
workmen had plans and elevations
much as they have to-day. but that
such was the case with small and un-
important, IL equally artistic. buildings
is highly improbable. Yet the very re-
gularity of design shows that there
must have been some mastermind who
directed the whole building. The the
DRY I wish to PROFOUND Is that some az
least of these wall-marks with their
varying radil were intended, if the
lines were continued, mark such sail.
ent points of the building as the base
of springing lines of windows the ele-
walton of a moulding, of the coping
stone of the gable, or what not If this
should have been the intention of the
inscrlbers it Is difficult to imagine any
more useful guide to those who desire,
either with a view to restoration or for
mere study, to discover what like was
an ancient church.-From The Church |
Gazette