Saints & Mystics in Legend & Tradition

Wayne Perkins,

A Two-Day Conference Held by the Folklore Society

Saints and Mystics in Legend and Tradition: The Seventeenth Legendary Weekend of The Folklore Society

A two-day conference on Saints and Mystics in Legend and Tradition was held on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 September 2023 as the seventeenth Legendary Weekend of the Folklore Society, at The Chapter House, St Albans Cathedral, Sumpter Yard, St Albans, Herts AL1 1BY.

St Albans Cathedral. Photo: © W Perkins 2023

I was lucky enough to be invited to present a paper at the conference, ‘John Schorn, Gentleman Born, Conjured the Devil Into A Boot,’ a story that I never tire of telling! In fact, this was a short presentation of only 20 minutes, I will be presenting the whole story over 60 minutes by way of a Zoom presentation in February 2024 (see below).

The facade of the chantry chapels in the north aisle. Photo: © W Perkins 2023
Abundant graffiti which the carver was hoping to associate themselves (loved one or family) with the saint or en-nobled individual. Photo: © W Perkins 2023
A series of initials – some in elaborate cartouches may be example of ‘memorial’ graffiti. Photo: © W Perkins 2023

There were a number of stand-out papers including Eric Huang’s ‘The Agony & the Ecstasy’ which looked at the eroticisation of martyrdom, Matt Champion’s, ‘ The Wannabe Saints of the Middle Ages’ which led on nicely to my talk on un-canonised saint, Sir John Schorne.’

The 14th century ‘Viewing Loft’ – from which the monks could supervise the pilgrim’s visiting St Albans shrine. Photo: © W Perkins 2023

In the afternoon sessions, Gail-Nina Anderson’s ‘Picturing the Holy Uncanny, or Bearding the Saint in a Good Cause’ was particularly pertinent vis-a-vis the gender-fluidity of some saints and Pamela Thom-Rowe’s, ‘The Enduring Story of St Melangell’ and her sanctuary struck a timely note on the subject of environmentalism when it comes to sacred spaces / landscapes.

St Albans 14th century shrine, pieced back together from the shattered fragments left by the Puritans. Photo: © W Perkins 2023

Although time was tight, I did manage to do a little graffiti-hunting myself. Of note was this amazing compass-drawn design on the west masonry panelling facing the shrine.

Graffiti design facing St Albans shrine. Photo: © W Perkins 2023

As mentioned above, a full 360-degree immersive presentation on John Schorn will be given via Zoom on 27th February 2024 –

http://www.folkore-society.com

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Published by Wayne Perkins

I am an archaeologist with over twenty years of experience. After a decade or so working as a volunteer on excavations in the 1990’s, I undertook my degree in Archaeology at the University of Birmingham. In the last year of my degree I helped to supervise the university’s annual excavations. Directly after my exams I began my career in Commercial Archaeology as a Field Archaeologist with Oxford Archaeology and remained there for four years. Anticipating a career in archaeology in France I volunteered on excavations at Rom and at Prisse-la-Charriere, Niort (for Poitiers & Rennes University respectively). In due course I worked for the States’ premier scientific organization, I.N.R.A.P. (Institut Nationale des Récherches Archéologiques Préventives) as well as for a number of private companies. I returned to the UK in 2013 and resumed my role as a Supervisor, undertaking projects around Oxfordshire with John Moore Heritage Services before moving to London in 2014. I now undertake Historic Building Surveys and supervise urban excavations in the City of London as well as overseeing rural excavations in surrounding Sussex, Surrey & Kent. Wayne Perkins BA Hons (Archaeology) ACIfA (Associate Member, Chartered Institute for Archaeologists)

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