Hello Lovelies! My most recent adventure took place in York! The city of York makes you feel like you’ve been transported back in time about 500 years. The medieval walls and the beautiful York Minster are rich in history and full of cultural material relevant to medieval England. A walk down the shambles makes you feel like one of the lay people strolling down the cobble stone path on an ordinary day.
The York Minster has a large collection of beautiful, historic stained glass. In addition to being very beautiful, the stained glass contains large amounts of symbolism. For example, the Virgin Mary is present in some of the stained glass throughout the church. This is interesting because during the time of Henry the VIII, Catholic churches and monasteries were being destroyed. At that time, Henry the VIII had renounced the Catholic church and declared England to be a Protestant nation with he himself as the head of the church. The fact that images of the Virgin Mary continue to exist throughout the York Minster indicate that Henry the VIII’s attempt to destroy the Catholic church’s influence in York may not have been as successful as other cities in England.
One of my favorite works of stained glass in the York Minster was inspired by the islamic culture. Not only was the designs beautiful, it demonstrates the fusing of different cultures and religions. This is not something you see often today. I feel like there is too much segregation and focus on the differences between people and their religion, instead of the similarities.
Exploring the quaint city was an experience. The remains of the wall and the jetty style buildings makes it easier to imagine the life during this time period. The tour gave me an understanding of how the church influenced daily lives and actions of people of different classes. Although, there is something I found interesting. Have you ever stopped to think about the churches and who are remembered in those churches? They claimed to be for everyone who believed in God, but the names that survive through the churches’ history are those of wealth and status. That got me wondering why that is. It turns out that during this time period, good deeds earned a person more merit in order to get into heaven, therefore those with wealth were able to make generous donation of money and other things for the church. These are the people who are remembered, instead of an ordinary, everyday individual. I am sure those who made contributions to the church did it with faith, but I also believe that it is important to remember the good deeds that do not come in the form of money.
On the last day in York, the group took an hour coach ride to North York, where Rievaulx Abbey ruins are. This is where the monks lived and worked. They have devoted their life to God and have gave up external pleasures. There are eight daily prayers, along with listening to prayers during meals, and writing manuscripts of Gods words. The area is very beautiful and it was nice to get a chance to hike through the ruins and visualized this massive structure and all the people who inhabited it. It was a fun trip and I cannot wait until our next one!
Nottingham Adventures 