Sunday, November 19, 2006

all four foot eight of mavis ferguson-butler blocking out my light at clodock church

The guidebook to the church tells an interesting story as to how Clydawg became a martyr.

'Our crowned Prince Clydawg, now King or Ruler of Ewias, was out hunting one day (according to the Book of Llandaff) and amongst those hunting with him was one who was jealous of his relationship with a lady friend.

In his jealousy he killed Clydawg.

On the day of his burial the two oxen carrying him refused to cross a ford and the yoke between them broke.

He was buried, therefore, near the bank of the river.

Such an act of murder made Clydawg, because of his godly life, a martyr'.

A Celtic 'Llan' or church was set up around his tomb and later a wooden church would have been built on the site, to be replaced with a stone church sometime in the 11th century.

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stormy weather over southwark bridge

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mister butler's lamp

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a red bull in herefordshire ...

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... master of all he surveys

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clodock churchyard lettering (one)

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clodock churchyard lettering (2)

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clodock churchyard lettering (3)

The script reads :

How short is life how sure is death Our days alas are few
This mortal life is but a breath; Tis like the morning dew

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interior of the church at clodock

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the vicar of clodock demands cash instead of kind

tucked away in a dark corner of clodock church ... set in stone ... the vicar repudiates the old tithes and the courts award him cash ... he must have been rarther unpopular ... and he can't have been short of cash if he could afford this carving extravaganza

to read the text for yourself, click once on the picture for an enlargement, then again on the enlargement icon when it appears at the bottom right corner


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this article has been published subsequently ...



... and furthermore ...

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... and was this symbol of peace meant to fit on the top ?

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mavis ferguson-butler, aged ninety-something, but livelier than ever when she sniffs a bookshop

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richard booth at hay-on-wye ... books bought anywhere in the world

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the view toward the brecon beacons from hay common

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the vale of ewyas

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the tiny church of saint mary magdalene at capel-y-ffin

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... in a deep valley ...

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