| More On Wells Some of the books I'm aware of which cover the holy wells field. There are quite a lot of local and themed studies out there, so this list just contains what I think are the most useful ones for someone who's generally interested in wells. |
The Legendary Lore of the Holy Wells of England, by Robert C Hope (Elliott
Stock, 1893)
The original holy wells compendium, a list of sites and their folklore from most of
the English counties. It seems a little old-fashioned even for 1893, a real work of
antiquarian enthusiasm which brings together stray details from books of local
history, topography and folklore, newspapers, and even Hawkins's History of
Music... Of course you can only find the original in libraries, but RA Kessinger Ltd
do produce this reprint version. They run off each copy as it's requested, so it takes
a while, and the lovely line-illustrations and old photos suffer quite a lot in the
process. The finished result looks a bit floppy and flimsy, too! But at least it means
this first holy wells book of all is available to modern 'well-ies'.
Stock, 1893)
The original holy wells compendium, a list of sites and their folklore from most of
the English counties. It seems a little old-fashioned even for 1893, a real work of
antiquarian enthusiasm which brings together stray details from books of local
history, topography and folklore, newspapers, and even Hawkins's History of
Music... Of course you can only find the original in libraries, but RA Kessinger Ltd
do produce this reprint version. They run off each copy as it's requested, so it takes
a while, and the lovely line-illustrations and old photos suffer quite a lot in the
process. The finished result looks a bit floppy and flimsy, too! But at least it means
this first holy wells book of all is available to modern 'well-ies'.
Sacred Waters - Holy Wells & Water Lore in Britain & Ireland, by Janet & Colin
Bord (Granada, 1985)
A comprehensive account of the folklore of wells and water in the British Isles. By
the 1980s there was quite a body of information about wells, scattered around in
various local studies and books of folklore as well as Hope's book. For the first
time, the Bords brought it all together in a coherent account which examined various
themes in well-worship - healing, ghosts, saints, the connection between wells and
other ancient sites, and so on. The book has lots of good illustrations, too, and is
very readable. It's probably the best place to start for the general reader - though it
may well not be easy to track down these days.
Bord (Granada, 1985)
A comprehensive account of the folklore of wells and water in the British Isles. By
the 1980s there was quite a body of information about wells, scattered around in
various local studies and books of folklore as well as Hope's book. For the first
time, the Bords brought it all together in a coherent account which examined various
themes in well-worship - healing, ghosts, saints, the connection between wells and
other ancient sites, and so on. The book has lots of good illustrations, too, and is
very readable. It's probably the best place to start for the general reader - though it
may well not be easy to track down these days.
The Living Stream, by James Rattue (Boydell & Brewer, 1995)
And then I turned up! After a long while being interested in wells, I became
dissatisfied with a great deal of what was available to read about them and so wrote
this, which was intended to a) provide a history of the revering of wells, how it had
developed over time, rather than a collection of folklore, and b) focus on England
rather than the Celtic nations which seemed to me to have received most of the
attention up till then. It turned out to be a bit polemic and were I writing it again I'd
tone down some parts, but I think the argument stands up and has been pretty well
accepted by most researchers in the field. I like to think Living Stream is easy for
the general reader to understand, but it's still basically an academic book, and the
only illustrations are a few maps. Note that you can't buy it from me! You'll have
to contact the publishers, Boydell & Brewer, or find it through a bookseller.
And then I turned up! After a long while being interested in wells, I became
dissatisfied with a great deal of what was available to read about them and so wrote
this, which was intended to a) provide a history of the revering of wells, how it had
developed over time, rather than a collection of folklore, and b) focus on England
rather than the Celtic nations which seemed to me to have received most of the
attention up till then. It turned out to be a bit polemic and were I writing it again I'd
tone down some parts, but I think the argument stands up and has been pretty well
accepted by most researchers in the field. I like to think Living Stream is easy for
the general reader to understand, but it's still basically an academic book, and the
only illustrations are a few maps. Note that you can't buy it from me! You'll have
to contact the publishers, Boydell & Brewer, or find it through a bookseller.
Holy Wells in the British Isles, by Christina Martin (Wooden Books, 2000)
This is a lovely small book, part of the Wooden Books series about ancient and
numinous sites. Christina covers twenty-or-so wells throughout Britain, and
illustrates them with her evocative drawings. Many more wells are mentioned
through the text. Very friendly and beautiful to read through.
This is a lovely small book, part of the Wooden Books series about ancient and
numinous sites. Christina covers twenty-or-so wells throughout Britain, and
illustrates them with her evocative drawings. Many more wells are mentioned
through the text. Very friendly and beautiful to read through.
The Magic and Mystery of Holy Wells, by Edna Whelan (Capall Bann, 2001)
I'm not an enormous fan of Capall Bann and its output about earth-mysteries and
allied subjects, but Edna Whelan's book is a useful short account of holy wells, even
if it's a bit old-fashioned in its approach to them. Most of the examples are drawn
from Yorkshire and show how one area can illustrate the whole variety of holy and
other wells. You get the benefit of Edna's lovely drawings - albeit not done justice by
the reproduction.
I'm not an enormous fan of Capall Bann and its output about earth-mysteries and
allied subjects, but Edna Whelan's book is a useful short account of holy wells, even
if it's a bit old-fashioned in its approach to them. Most of the examples are drawn
from Yorkshire and show how one area can illustrate the whole variety of holy and
other wells. You get the benefit of Edna's lovely drawings - albeit not done justice by
the reproduction.
FishStoneWater - Holy Wells of Ireland, by Anna Rackard & Liam
O'Callaghan (Atrium, 2001)
Although like Edna Whelan's this is a regional well-study, it warrants a
look because it's completely different from every other holy well book.
It's a beautifully produced, wonderfully composed collection of
photographs illustrating about thirty Irish holy wells and the pilgrimages
and customs surrounding them. Glorious, and a moving depiction of
quiet piety and ordinary people.
O'Callaghan (Atrium, 2001)
Although like Edna Whelan's this is a regional well-study, it warrants a
look because it's completely different from every other holy well book.
It's a beautifully produced, wonderfully composed collection of
photographs illustrating about thirty Irish holy wells and the pilgrimages
and customs surrounding them. Glorious, and a moving depiction of
quiet piety and ordinary people.
Cures and Curses - Ritual & Cult at Holy Wells (Heart of Albion, 2006); Holy
Wells in Britain, a Guide (Heart of Albion, 2008), both by Janet Bord
I'm treating these two books together because they really are companion
volumes. Janet & Colin Bord's Sacred Waters looked at the folklore of holy
wells and finished with a gazzetteer of sites; a generation
on, and we know so much more that this update spreads into two books. Cures
and Curses tackles well lore in a series of more than seventy short essays,
'from Ampullae to Witches', as the blurb says. St Winifred's Well at
Holywell makes slightly more appearances than one might expect, but I do
wonder whether Tristan Gray-Hulse should really have a credit as joint author
were he not the modest man he is. Holy Wells in Britain takes the country
county-by-county and gives a full account of several hundred wells which are
rewarding to visit, together with a splendid range of photographs revealing how
wonderfully varied British holy wells really are. Sacred Waters was a rather
weightier and glossy volume; but together, these two books are now
indispensable for anyone getting interested in hydrolatry.
Wells in Britain, a Guide (Heart of Albion, 2008), both by Janet Bord
I'm treating these two books together because they really are companion
volumes. Janet & Colin Bord's Sacred Waters looked at the folklore of holy
wells and finished with a gazzetteer of sites; a generation
on, and we know so much more that this update spreads into two books. Cures
and Curses tackles well lore in a series of more than seventy short essays,
'from Ampullae to Witches', as the blurb says. St Winifred's Well at
Holywell makes slightly more appearances than one might expect, but I do
wonder whether Tristan Gray-Hulse should really have a credit as joint author
were he not the modest man he is. Holy Wells in Britain takes the country
county-by-county and gives a full account of several hundred wells which are
rewarding to visit, together with a splendid range of photographs revealing how
wonderfully varied British holy wells really are. Sacred Waters was a rather
weightier and glossy volume; but together, these two books are now
indispensable for anyone getting interested in hydrolatry.
English Holy Wells: A Sourcebook by Jeremy Harte (3 vols: Heart of Albion,
2008)
At last! Jeremy Harte's colossal work of research, investigating every
Christianised holy well in England (excluding Cornwall) significantly rewrites
the story. For the first time, he establishes exactly what we know securely
about English wells, and from that sound basis proceeds to develop a new
chronology of the development of the well-cult between the conversion of
Britain and the Reformation. It's difficult to overstate what a fantastic
contribution this makes to the study of holy wells - and it's engagingly written
and accessible, too, wearing its enormous learning very lightly. Cannot be
highly enough recommended.
2008)
At last! Jeremy Harte's colossal work of research, investigating every
Christianised holy well in England (excluding Cornwall) significantly rewrites
the story. For the first time, he establishes exactly what we know securely
about English wells, and from that sound basis proceeds to develop a new
chronology of the development of the well-cult between the conversion of
Britain and the Reformation. It's difficult to overstate what a fantastic
contribution this makes to the study of holy wells - and it's engagingly written
and accessible, too, wearing its enormous learning very lightly. Cannot be
highly enough recommended.
