Monday 25 June 2012

The Missing Post - the Green Children of Woolpit

I've been away and so I'll be catching up on everyone's blogs and comments in the next few days. But guess what - here is the missing post! (or nearly - actually, I've changed it a bit). Graham B kindly sent me a copy, which apparently made it onto Google Reader.

It's about Suffolk, one of my favourite counties. I like to go there just to relax, but last week I was there for work and believe me it was a surprisingly different experience. (More of that soon.)

Meanwhile this is what I was thinking about Suffolk 10 days ago, or thinking about the village of Woolpit, to be precise. And how much you can find out if you follow up little clues.
Such as Woolpit's village sign (below). It is easy to whiz past it in the car ...

but I wonder how many visitors ask themselves what the green figures mean.

Well, here is their story...

Old histories of Suffolk record that long ago, in the reign of King Stephen (12th century), two strange green children were found cowering in a hole in the ground near Woolpit They spoke no English, and their clothing was made of unfamiliar material. They only ate green beans, refusing bread. They were confused and were in short, not like normal children at all.

One, the boy, quickly died, but the other, a girl, survived. She took the name of Agnes Barre, learned to speak like the locals, and settled down. She was always considered to be "wanton," whatever that means - promiscuous, perhaps - or just self willed. But she found a husband, and had children, and some local people are still said to be descended from her.

Agnes remembered that her original home was bathed in perpetual twilight, and that a luminous land shone some distance away from beyond a great river. But nobody ever identified this strange land.

The finding of the children is well documented, although it must have been embellished in the telling and re-telling over nine hundred years. (There's an interesting analysis of it here.) So who were the green-skinned children?

Some people believe they were little aliens. Others think they were refugees with a disease called "chlorosis" (although chlorosis itself is one of those weird old diseases that are no longer reported in humans.)

Perhaps they were connected with the folklore figure of the Green Man. And goodness knows what HE meant to these unlettered peasants, but there is a fifteenth-century carving of a green man in Woolpit church, sprouting leaves as whiskers.

Whether or not he's connected with the green children, he is another of the unusual things about Woolpit. When you walk into its church, the collection of large, remarkable pew ends really draws your attention.

They're all different. Some are called "poppyhead" because they are carved with foliage like that of poppies. Others depict all kinds of weird and uncanny things, often monsters or demons to warn congregations that evil is always among us. Some depict everyday life and local characters.

Woolpit's carvings include a lion with a human head. That head looks like a portrait of someone real, to me, the kind of face you might see in a country pub.



I know someone who looks just like the carving below, though he wouldn't thank me for saying so ... and he doesn't usually wear a medieval hood

Is this a little lap dog, alertly watching its master or mistress at prayer? (dogs often accompanied their owners into church)


But what's this? A sheep? Hardly, since it has paws, not hooves.



This one has hooves but it looks like a lion I doubt anyone in 15th century Woolpit had ever seen a real lion.


And the one below is definitely a fabulous and unreal beast. In fact, with its wings and devilish horns, I think this one could possibly be a baddie, a bit of evil to be on guard against.


Woolpit's church is mostly 14th and 15th century, though there was a church there long before that. On the roof, large wooden angels guard the congregation. Rather hard to see from my photo but perhaps you can spot some sticky-out wings high up there.


I don't think English people are specially religious, but even those who do not attend services feel a sense of ownership for their parish church.

I always try to support events in aid of village churches, like this street party in the Cotswold village of Cold Aston, with stalls, entertainments and food throughout the village.


Cold Aston is on the other side of the country to Woolpit, but is also a nice place. I hope it doesn't live up to its name this year. Its event is on 21 July, so there's still time for a respite from the almost ceaseless rain and temperatures so cold that we are lighting fires in the evening.

PS . I hope you feel the post was worth waiting for but should point out that the weather is, if anything, even WORSE than when I wrote it! :)

50 comments:

  1. Fascinating story - have checked out the link and read that too! There are many things we do not understand aren't there?! Lovely church and I love all those pew ends.

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  2. oh my.....extraordinary stuff.....and a fascinating read, there's nowt so strange......!!

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  3. Your post was definitely worth waiting for. What an intriguing story! When I first saw the green children on the sign (along with the wolf), I assumed it was from some fairy tale. An English version of Hansel and Gretel, perhaps? Little Green Riding Hood? I had never imagined tales of green aliens in Suffolk.
    I live approximately 50 miles from Rosewell, New Mexico, which has some of its own tales of little green people.....

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  4. Awesome post... I enjoyed reading the story of the green children, which I heard never heard of before. I love mythical creatures too - one of the more interesting parts of my archaeology studies... animals in Celtic art, Viking art, etc. - I spent many hours researching such stories out of interest. When I was a kid, I used to love the stories about Dartmoor, such as the one about Wistman's Wood. Well to be honest, I still love those stories :-)

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  5. Fascinating, both the story of the children and the pictures. Definitely worth the wait.

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  6. Loved this very interesting post. Fascinating stories.

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  7. It is so interesting to read about the green children!

    And church carvings - marvelous!

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  8. I believe that they were green only because in the hills of Kentucky, there are people who are blue (http://abcnews.go.com/Health/blue-skinned-people-kentucky-reveal-todays-genetic-lesson/story?id=15759819#.T-g_SrUV0bw).
    Great photos of the church. Love the wood carvings!

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  9. What an intriguing place. Background always brings the place alive.

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  10. Great post and worth the wait. So interesting, starting with the names Woolpit and Cold Aston and ending with all those decorative pew ends. One just has to wonder about green children.

    Darla

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  11. I am fascinated by this! I also loved seeing the pictures of the church. It only makes me want to make a return visit to England. I am off to read more about Woolpit~

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  12. I'm so glad this surfaced via Google Reader, because it's an utterly fascinating post, and that church? That church just might entice me back into the fold! ^^

    I love old folklore stories. Thanks for this one!

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  13. Great post, well worth waiting for. Green children, sounds like the forest boy found in Germany.
    I love the Poppyheads!

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  14. I love stories like these - thanks for sharing.

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  15. I love Suffolk, though most of my time there was spent on the coast and estuaries.
    I had known of the green children of Woolpit but hadn't been there for over thirty years and had forgotten the detail of the church.
    Thank you for bringing back happy memories of a wonderful county.

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  16. Great story. Thankyou for sharing

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  17. There is a story, I cannot mind where from, regarding a 'greenish man' who comes out of the sea, caught by fishermen I think.
    Lots of tales like that, especially in sparsely populated areas.
    Lovely county, but a lover of money I think Suffolk!

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  18. Thanks for sharing the weird carvings. I can imagine how much more I would have liked Sunday services in my youth if I had a different sort of fanciful carving to look at each week when the sermon became a chore!

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  19. Your post reminds me that when I travel to the UK I spend far too much time in London, wonderful though that city is. I need to spend more time in the small villages and countryside---Constable country.

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  20. What an interesting story. Love the little doggie pew end!

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  21. What a fascinating post-definitely worth waiting for! Those carvings are amazing and the story of the green children so weird and a little spooky. I loved it all!

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  22. I love those old folk loses that come out of Europe.

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  23. I think we share the same rain. We have seen quite a lot of it in my part of the world, too. I liked getting your inside scoop regarding the “green” kids. Very interesting, indeed! And all the fantastic knobs depicting different creatures at the church pews would keep me there with my camera for hours. What a unique place to say your prayers. :)

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  24. Those church carvings are wonderful; they’re just asking to be polished!

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  25. Green children - how odd! But these old folk tales from so long ago are the most interesting!

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  26. Jenny, I enjoyed every word. I love folk lore. When I research "far fetched" stories I usually find there is enough truth in them to make them interesting. I would love to spend time in the church. The wood carvings are amazing. Thank you for sharing. Bonnie

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  27. What a most charming story and town, Woolpit, new to me and now I have to further check this out...what an amazing delightful story, (just my kind of adventure!) All the carvings are stunning as well....great photos, from the very start, the little green children (and their story) so interesting!

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  28. This was an excellent read to go with my morning coffee, thank you! I love such puzzling tales that have (probably) some true origin or other.

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  29. well by seeing the pic of these green children, i thought they were some from a horror movie... so innocent and yet so scary... i wonder what the people were thinking at the time they were found that long ago... and who knows somebody trying to locate their home?

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  30. Absolutely fascinating - I so enjoyed reading this - what food for thought there is here. And I agree with you about Suffolk - lovely county.

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  31. I agree with your point about churches. In most churches I find it possible to relax and be at peace even though I have no religious beliefs. In fact I get quite upset when churches are closed and locked and not available for some quiet contemplation (as well as for some photography).

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  32. Thanks, Jenny for republishing your Woolpit post! We were waiting for it :o) This evening wiil show it to my daughter :o) Love all church`s pictures. Looks fantastic!
    Have a lovely week, dear friend
    love
    Natasha

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  33. this is fascinating---i wonder if the carving on the church pews is anything like how some churches had gargoyles to scare off evil spirits!

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  34. The carvings in the church are fascinating. The man that you recognized reminds me of the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz movie.

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  35. Wonderful story! I love folk tales. It always does a place good to have a legend to it's name. I'm sorry about the weather. It's the exact opposite in Provence, so hot that you can't hardly stand it! I hope it clears up soon and you have some bright sunny days coming.
    Ashley

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  36. Oh, Jenny, I do so like your posts! This one is intriguing and beautiful. And thank you for supporting local causes. It's so important!

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  37. Hi Jenny,

    Such a strange and haunting story of little, green children, made all the more interesting through the (no doubt) embellished retelling. And those pew carvings certainly let our imagination run wild. One reminds me of the mythical griffins. This is one fascinating little village!

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  38. I'm glad this one was recovered. I am fascinated by the green children. Do find out more about them. Maybe they appeared green because they ate everything green? Like people turn ornage if they eat too many carots or too much pumpkin.

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  39. Chlorosis, definitely for my money. A lot of the diseases that were rife when I was growing up are no longer reported - but most of them are still out there somewhere.

    Fascinating story, beautifully written. Another gorgeous post, for which much thanks.

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  40. A wonderful tale and those carvings are amazing, Jenny!

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  41. What a fine post. The story of the green children is quite fascinating and all those pew end carvings are amazing. Such detail in that beautiful building.

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  42. Amazing pew sculpture and to have it long lived as it is, remarkable! That is wonderful to have something so unique.

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  43. The weather isn't great here as well :( But your blog post surely made me smile. Your attention to detail is awesome!

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  44. very cool...this is filled with fascinating things...love the story of the green children and send my mind a wandering...how cool on all the pew ends as well...

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  45. Looks wonderful! Will you be coming to the Cotswolds in July, then?

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  46. Hi, I'm new here. I found your blog by blog hopping. I love to read the stories and see the beautiful pics that people all over write and show. Your pics are amazing and so clear and I love the retelling of old folklore. I tend to believe most of those stories, who am I to tell differently. I am now your newest follower. Hugs and God bless.

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  47. Wow, what fascinating mythology! Chlorosis, huh? That's pretty cool and weird.

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  48. What a lovely post - definitely worth waiting for! I saw it in my Google Reader too but I did not have the full version like your friend. How peculiar.

    I wonder if the children weren't olive skinned? I've often noticed my brother looking greenish and sallow if he is unwell and untanned.

    I love Suffolk - shall have to go back there soon.

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  49. The feral man mentioned above was another Suffolk mystery: he was fished out of the sea in a net, at Orford which is not far from Woolpit, and taken to the C12th Castle there which you can still visit. He ate raw fish, and was never 'tamed' and eventually escaped back to the sea, never to be seen again

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