Citations in Stone: The Material World of Hogbacks

Williams, Howard

doi:10.1080/14619571.2016.1186910

Cited by 19 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…There is a great variety of types (Cramp ), some of which have animals at each end (termed ‘end‐beasts’) apparently grasping the main body of the stone. Some of these end‐beasts appear to be bears, such as the three from Brompton in Yorkshire (Williams ), but the carving of bears on such objects does not necessarily indicate that bears were present in the region, rather they are likely to have had some protective purpose for the dead. The most convincing depiction of a bear from this period is a Pictish carving from Old Scatness on Shetland (Scotland; Bond & Bashford ).…”

Section: Results: Spatial and Temporal Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There also appears to be a lack of bears in early medieval iconography, with the exception of Viking Age hogbacks. Hogbacks are large carved stones, thought to have been grave covers or markers, that are mainly found in northern England and southern Scotland (Williams ). There is a great variety of types (Cramp ), some of which have animals at each end (termed ‘end‐beasts’) apparently grasping the main body of the stone.…”

Section: Results: Spatial and Temporal Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The presence of the brown bear Ursus arctos in Holocene Britain: a review of the evidence

O’Regan

2018

Mammal Review

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The brown bear Ursus arctos was Holocene Britain's largest carnivoran and has appeared in recent rewilding discussions. Despite widespread interest, we know very little about the species in Holocene Britain, as few studies have been undertaken. This paper draws together information on the brown bear to examine its presence and extinction through evaluation of the archaeological and palaeontological evidence. Data were collected from published literature and museum catalogues. Information on the chronological date of archaeological sites, the number of bear specimens, and the body parts present were particularly sought. A total of 85 sites were identified, 57 are well‐dated, 25 are of uncertain date but are likely to be Holocene, and three have uncertain species identifications. Very few specimens from non‐anthropogenic sites (e.g. fens and caves) are well‐dated, skewing the data towards anthropogenic sites such as settlements and graves. Analysis of body part representation shows that the bear bones found in the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and most of the early medieval period are largely phalanges or metapodials, which are likely to be derived from skins. Other body parts are present during the Romano‐British, medieval, and post‐medieval period, indicating that live bears were present and were probably imported for entertainment. It seems that the brown bear was rare in Britain throughout the Holocene, and, based on current evidence, two extinction scenarios can be put forward: extinction in the late Neolithic/early Bronze Age, or extinction in the early medieval period.

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Section: Results: Spatial and Temporal Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Results: Spatial and Temporal Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The presence of the brown bear Ursus arctos in Holocene Britain: a review of the evidence

O’Regan

2018

Mammal Review

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“… 6 Hall 2015a; Williams 2015. A book-length study of these monuments is forthcoming by Victoria Thompson. …”

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confidence: 99%

‘Clumsy and Illogical’? Reconsidering the West Kirby Hogback

Williams¹

2016

Antiq. J.

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This paper presents a fresh reading of a significant early medieval recumbent stone monument from West Kirby, Merseyside (formerly Cheshire). Rather than being a single-phased hogback, later subject to damage, it is argued that West Kirby 4 might have been carved in successive phases, possibly by different hands. It is suggested that the carvers had different abilities and/or adapted their work in response to the time pressures of a funeral or a shift in the location or function of the stone. While a single explanation for the character of the West Kirby monument remains elusive, the article proposes that, rather than ‘clumsy and illogical’, the stone was more likely a coherent but experimental, distinctive and asymmetrical, multi-phased and/or multi-authored creation. Through a review of the monument’s historiography and a reappraisal of the details and parallels of its form, ornament and material composition, the paper reconsiders the commemorative significance of this recumbent stone monument for the locality, region and understanding of Viking Age sculpture across the British Isles. As a result, West Kirby’s importance as an ecclesiastical locale in the Viking Age is reappraised.

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Architecture, Society, and Ritual in Viking Age Scandinavia

Eriksen

2019

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Most of us take doors for granted. We pass through doorways tens of times each day, without reflection. The door is, however, a powerful feature of human mentality and life-practice. It controls access, provides a sense of security and privacy, and marks the boundary between differentiated spaces. The doorway is also the architectural element allowing passage from one space to the next. Crossing the threshold means abandoning one space and entering another, a bodily practice recognized both in ritual and language as a transition between social roles or situations. Doors and thresholds are thus closely linked with rites de passage, the word 'liminality' itself stemming from Latin limen, 'threshold'. This does not imply that each and every crossing of a threshold constitutes a liminal ritual, but rather that passing through a doorway is an embodied, everyday experience prompting numerous social and metaphorical implications. A volume on thresholds in fiction asks why the threshold exercises such a riveting grasp on human imagination; why it is such a resonant space (Mukherji 2011:xvii). The characterization of the threshold as a resonant space precisely captures its affect. The threshold is evocative, a locus of heightened anticipation.The seeds for this book were sown nearly a decade ago when, during data collection for my master's thesis, I noticed a strange concurrence between two written sources related to the Viking Age. One text, ibn Fadla ¯n's Risãla, was

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Citations in Stone: The Material World of Hogbacks

Cited by 19 publications

References 26 publications

The presence of the brown bear Ursus arctos in Holocene Britain: a review of the evidence

The presence of the brown bear Ursus arctos in Holocene Britain: a review of the evidence

‘Clumsy and Illogical’? Reconsidering the West Kirby Hogback

Architecture, Society, and Ritual in Viking Age Scandinavia

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