A recent article in PastHorizons – Adventures in Archaeology looks at the images of ships scratched in the stones of medieval churches of England. This sailor’s graffiti shows a wide range of vessels that would have plied the waters of England the Continent during the Middle Ages. From SIGNS OF SAILORS: SHIP GRAFFITI IN MEDIEVAL CHURCHES:
The first time I came across medieval ship graffiti was with John Peake up at the churches of the Glaven ports – Blakeney, Wiveton, Cley and Salthouse – in north Norfolk. Hundreds of little ships carved into the screens, piers and stonework of the churches. Each one different. Each one unique. Some were crude and simple outlines etched in the stone, whilst others showed masses of detail – rigging, anchors, banners, flags and planking. Each one a vessel of the port etched into the parish church. Many were so detailed that to the medieval inhabitants of those villages many of these would have been distinct and recognisable ships, identifiable by a name that we no longer know. Belonging to people they shared their lives with, crewed by friends, family and neighbours.
This graffiti wasn’t limited to churches. The Vikings scratched images of their ships on any stone or wooden surface they found. Here is Wulfgar the Bard’s collection of Viking and early medieval ship graffiti on Pinterest.
Got a minute? Here is an animation of the world’s weather across the globe, showing the winds blowing across our ocean planet, as forecast by supercomputers and updated every three hours. You can also rotate the globe in any direction or zoom in and out by clicking and dragging with your mouse, so if you want to look specifically at the North Atlantic or the Southern Ocean, you can do do so. Be careful, however. The display can be mesmerizing.
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