Base

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I got chatting to a lovely lady over the weekend who explained to me why the base of some columns in churches are shiny. Originally there wouldn't have been any seats for the congregation and people would perch whereever they could find a suitable spot. Over time the lanolin from their woollen clothes leached into the stones of the columns producing the shiny effect. Having been absorbed over many years into the stone it can't then be removed. I do so love a snippet of social history.

Arilx

Comments

  1. Sue in Suffolk15 December 2020 at 08:04

    I good bit of church history and When I get back to church visits I shall check that out!

    ReplyDelete
  2. kjsutcliffe15 December 2020 at 09:11

    Now I did not know that😮 tis a very good snippet!

    ReplyDelete
  3. crafty cat corner15 December 2020 at 11:42

    That's a lovely story, my mind in imagining those people perched on the bottom of the column.
    Briony
    x

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beth Waltz15 December 2020 at 16:46

    Makes sense to me, especially the part about people roosting wherever they could. There are a few Orthodox churches in our area that still provide seating ONLY for the elderly or disabled (which practice deters the napping one sometimes encounters in Quaker silent meeting...)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Debby16 December 2020 at 19:52

    I love random bits of information like that.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Kezzie22 December 2020 at 00:49

    That is VERY interesting to know! Thanks so much for sharing!

    ReplyDelete

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