Beautifully written. Evocative. I spent time in the crypt at Hexham with the lights off, and after a few minutes of dread, there appeared patches of luminescence along ancient roman cap stones. Glowing lichen - bioluminescent - outlining the water leaf carvings.
Thank you for your kind words and your interesting observation, Andy. It makes me want to go back and try and 'see' in the dark. Was the crypt at Hexham very deep?
I haven't spent much time in actual crypts, but I am a theater-maker and have spent the better part of the last 20 years submerged in the dark shadows of backstages, surrounded by the ghosts of productions past. Theaters are generally, by necessity, void of all natural light, and even more so behind the scenes (where I spend my time, as I am a stage manager, not a performer) so as not to draw focus from whatever's happening on stage. I don't find the darkness creepy though, possibly because I always have my trusty mini-flashlight stored in my back pocket, or possibly because there's a familiarity and comfort in a well-organized backstage that feels exactly like every other well-organized backstage I've ever called home. The downside to all this, however, is that my Vitamin D levels are chronically low and I try to spend my precious vacation days in the sunniest destinations possible :)
This is so interesting, Mary. Thank you for your comment. As a fairly well organised person, I like the thought that you need to be tidy in such a low light environment. I guess if you did find it creepy, you would have found a different kind of job, although I can imagine there would be unusual and unexpected noises in a theatre. Like you say, the ghosts of past performances...
Dec 4, 2022·edited Dec 4, 2022Liked by Yasmin Chopin
I loved this, Yasmin! Captivating! So this is how you came to place writing? I can imagine how this would be a truly inspirational experience as you submerged yourself, so to speak, into the past. I have never been in a crypt, and I don't think we have any here in the states like the one you write about. I could be wrong, but I've not heard of them. But places of interment certainly do carry an energy that is impossible to ignore. I personally don't think I would've been too productive there, either - damp and cold wouldn't help my creative process! But yes, certainly a place to feel and reflect upon later as you did. Brings to mind Jean Sprackland's 'These Silent Mansions' and her passion for uncovering the lives of those physically long gone and where only faded writing on a stone remains.
I wonder why the bodies were removed? I see you mention that the coffins removed - or some of them - were made with (toxic) lead, but the bodies weren't re-interred? What did they do with them I wonder? It's no wonder you wanted to carve an entire book out of this one place! I would certainly read it!
Thank you for your comment, Lynn, and I'm glad you enjoyed this post. I think you are right, there is a whole book here. Ever since this experience, I've been fascinated with the burial 'problem' London had when it expanded so fast during the Industrial Revolution (18th-19th century) that the number of bodies overwhelmed graveyards - some were hidden on waste dumps or thrown into the Thames, and worse. It's a rather gruesome picture of death, disease, and public hygiene. But those in St Pancras crypt were the lucky ones, they had money, and they could afford a safe burial in a lead-lined wooden coffin, locked away from body-snatchers and wild dogs.
An inspiring piece and what an experience for five days. I had an office in a church basement for a year or so and found I craved daylight and would rush out at lunchtime to soak up whatever light there was. It was a lovely friendly office of a small charity that didn't have much money and occasionally rats ran down the corridor between the offices!
Goodness me - the church basement office sounds like quite a unique workplace. I can relate to the desire for daylight. In the crypt I found myself regularly peering through the pierced roundels in the doors to catch a glimpse of daylight and human activity - the largest gap was no more than 1cm square.
Beautifully written. Evocative. I spent time in the crypt at Hexham with the lights off, and after a few minutes of dread, there appeared patches of luminescence along ancient roman cap stones. Glowing lichen - bioluminescent - outlining the water leaf carvings.
Thank you for your kind words and your interesting observation, Andy. It makes me want to go back and try and 'see' in the dark. Was the crypt at Hexham very deep?
It is around 6m deep - built by Wilfred in the C7th. There's another one at Ripon Cathedral too. Here's a 3d model of the inside of the crypt https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/hexham-abbey-crypt-39f7d10da5f44a53bd85f539854e5cf3
Thank you for this extra info, Andy. The 3D model gives a real sense of the place.
I haven't spent much time in actual crypts, but I am a theater-maker and have spent the better part of the last 20 years submerged in the dark shadows of backstages, surrounded by the ghosts of productions past. Theaters are generally, by necessity, void of all natural light, and even more so behind the scenes (where I spend my time, as I am a stage manager, not a performer) so as not to draw focus from whatever's happening on stage. I don't find the darkness creepy though, possibly because I always have my trusty mini-flashlight stored in my back pocket, or possibly because there's a familiarity and comfort in a well-organized backstage that feels exactly like every other well-organized backstage I've ever called home. The downside to all this, however, is that my Vitamin D levels are chronically low and I try to spend my precious vacation days in the sunniest destinations possible :)
This is so interesting, Mary. Thank you for your comment. As a fairly well organised person, I like the thought that you need to be tidy in such a low light environment. I guess if you did find it creepy, you would have found a different kind of job, although I can imagine there would be unusual and unexpected noises in a theatre. Like you say, the ghosts of past performances...
I loved this, Yasmin! Captivating! So this is how you came to place writing? I can imagine how this would be a truly inspirational experience as you submerged yourself, so to speak, into the past. I have never been in a crypt, and I don't think we have any here in the states like the one you write about. I could be wrong, but I've not heard of them. But places of interment certainly do carry an energy that is impossible to ignore. I personally don't think I would've been too productive there, either - damp and cold wouldn't help my creative process! But yes, certainly a place to feel and reflect upon later as you did. Brings to mind Jean Sprackland's 'These Silent Mansions' and her passion for uncovering the lives of those physically long gone and where only faded writing on a stone remains.
I wonder why the bodies were removed? I see you mention that the coffins removed - or some of them - were made with (toxic) lead, but the bodies weren't re-interred? What did they do with them I wonder? It's no wonder you wanted to carve an entire book out of this one place! I would certainly read it!
Thank you for your comment, Lynn, and I'm glad you enjoyed this post. I think you are right, there is a whole book here. Ever since this experience, I've been fascinated with the burial 'problem' London had when it expanded so fast during the Industrial Revolution (18th-19th century) that the number of bodies overwhelmed graveyards - some were hidden on waste dumps or thrown into the Thames, and worse. It's a rather gruesome picture of death, disease, and public hygiene. But those in St Pancras crypt were the lucky ones, they had money, and they could afford a safe burial in a lead-lined wooden coffin, locked away from body-snatchers and wild dogs.
Wow! What history there!! So much for you to dive into - enjoy the plunge!!
An inspiring piece and what an experience for five days. I had an office in a church basement for a year or so and found I craved daylight and would rush out at lunchtime to soak up whatever light there was. It was a lovely friendly office of a small charity that didn't have much money and occasionally rats ran down the corridor between the offices!
Goodness me - the church basement office sounds like quite a unique workplace. I can relate to the desire for daylight. In the crypt I found myself regularly peering through the pierced roundels in the doors to catch a glimpse of daylight and human activity - the largest gap was no more than 1cm square.