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| Sutton Hoo Boat Burial |
The greatest of death-fires
wound to the clouds,
roared before the mound;
heads melted away
wound-gates burst open,
the body's loathly cuts,
as blood sprang forth
flame, hungriest of spirits
Swallowed all those whom
battle took....
.
Cremation from Beowulf
"A visit to Sutton Hoo; One of the greatest Anglo Saxon treasures of this country, an exotic collection of finely wrought gold, great wealth and also a touch of homeliness in the gaming board in the covered boat burial. Elegantly long this boat, translating into the tangible excitement of Beowulf's poetry, a great epic drama of killing a terrible beast - Grendel and its loathsome mother both are locked into the storytelling of this boat. Saxon poetry which I love so much, grinding out its gloom and despair at the folly of man; magnificent thundering words accompanying beautifully made artefacts and fragments of all this are captured in the museum.
What of the site itself, great barrows ride gently on the waves of the land, the excavated barrow that revealed these treasures, has a steep sidedness that stands out. You walk round on a curving path, the day we went the rain came down gently, puddles of water to find a way around., a grey mistiness to the land and the trees that surround the site, appropriately fitting for a time lived years ago." Taken from old 2008 blog.
Not much to say this morning, sad news about the death of Winnie but dogs are happily unaware of their end. I shall soon have to make a decision about Lucy, still her old playful self, but with a tendency for her legs to give way as she dances around and I have to feed her with spoon. I think small strokes are undermining her, but she still continues to run along like a rocking horse as she bounces away. A good companion this last year. We are the ones left with the grief.
So Sutton Hoo, the great Saxon boat burial, Paul and I visited several times, the first time we played the music 'Stones in the Road' by Mary Chapin Carpenter as we travelled along. The weather always seemed bleak and grey when we went, I notice there is a new film about its discovery called 'The Dig', a trailer here, though a far more romantic looking house has been chosen rather than the actual one. It begs the thought, and thinking of Netflix's drama of 'The Crown', how many truthful points in history are obscured by the film makers in their dramatic interpretations?
One of the most atmospheric sites I have ever visited;
ReplyDeleteYes, so sad about Winnie.
She had such a beautiful ugly face, true bulldog, and playing right up to the end Pat.
DeleteI sometimes envy dogs for not seeming to have any sense of their own mortality, but I think the pay-off is the extreme swings between fear and contentment when alive. Only countries which don't like dogs say 'it's a dog's life', though. Winnie had a good one. Anglo Saxon poetry is great, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteYes, it is a given grace not to know about death, hopefully Lucy will go the same way. How many paws have I held as the vet puts the needle in I wonder? Yes Saxon poetry is great, I went through a period of reading it. Very difficult to copy out on a blog though, it it the strength of the words and emotions puts everything else on a lesser scale.
ReplyDeleteWe in Bath are proud that the first written Anglo Saxon poem was about the steaming remains of the Roman Baths as seen by a traveller from the Dark Ages. They were ruins even then.
DeleteWhat a great piece of poetry. I feel moved to read the rest - or at least some of it. I read a lot of poetry - but most of it modern. Time for some Anglo-Saxon.
ReplyDeleteIt is of course meant to be spoken, and is actually quite difficult to write in a verse form. Woruld candel = sun. Sea = swan-rud (swan riding) but there are a few different translations.
DeleteThe trouble with Sutton Hoo is the amount the National Trust charge to be a member!
ReplyDeleteI haven't been since the viewing tower was built maybe I'll pop across the county and look next year.
Like Stonehenge Sue it is another honeypot. Go when the sun shines.
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