Henry we were gripped throughout the show! I loved the church in Essex and will visit next time I'm in the UK. During so much upheaval in the modern church is it good to see the roots and the effort taken to protect and spread the Good News. God bless
Ah this series is superb. Thanks again so much. Love what you said about how these people are working to help others and to go against the prevailing culture of greed and violence. Very moving insight. In a sense you are doing the same thing. In a cultural desert, you have built an oasis of substance and learning. . Thanks so much. One of the very best things I've ever found on TH-cam . Such a massive achievement. Greatly appreciated.
@@HenryVynerBrooks I work at a fairly high level in the arts as a writer and director and have sent this to many interesting people for whom these will be very absorbing viewing. You are doing great work here, Henry. Thanks again.
Another enthralling video! I love how fast moving, yet clear and concise your coverage is. The church is Greenstead (if that's how it's spelled) looks incredible, and after learning about Columbanus's early life, it was great to learn about his first monastery, looking forward to keeping watching.
St. Anne is Mary's Mother, and Jesus' grandmother. But what some people may not know, is that Anne is a much older Celtic Goddess of Agriculture & Sovereignty, sometimes referred to as Áine or Anu. It is significant that a priory was dedicated to St. John the Baptist, because St. John the Baptist and John the Apostle are rooted in the essence of Divine Feminine. John the Apostle is often claimed to be an alias of Mary Magdalene and the Baptist has been connected with St. Winifred which also has more ancient britonic roots. Come to Ireland and you will see many ancient sites dedicated to the Celtic goddess of sovereignty AN 💚
Thanks again for the interaction on what is a complex subject (of which I am not an expert). In this instance though, I would stress what (we must assume) Columbanus meant by the association; namely that he saw himself in the line of John as a 'prophet crying in the wilderness'. This was picked up in Ep.2 of our Book Distillery Podcast with Dr Alex O'Hara. th-cam.com/video/xRKDZhhEQoE/w-d-xo.html
This is a wonderful series, really enjoying your enthusiasm for the subject and I am learning so much. One tiny criticism (meant with the best of intentions), an Irish Cashel is a single word with emphasis on the first syllable, it isn't an ancestor of Superman ;-)
Thanks Sean, I am all at sea with Irish pronunciations. I thought I was ok with Italian though , only to get back from Italy and realize that I had been getting their former prime ministers name wrong. Dyslexics rule K.O.😅 any really appreciate your encouragement, makes it all worth while. Every blessing, Henry Vyner-Brooks
@@savingeurope Thank you notifications bell! It’s great getting the notifications whenever you releas a new vid Henry! Always up for a challenge eh Tom, see you in the next round!
Fantastic, as usual! The section on the reconstructed monstery in Germany is very interesting. Whilst you cite St Bernard's life of Malachy as one source on how the medieval Irish churches looked like, in fact a more contemporaneous example is found in Cogitosus' Life of St Bridget wherein he describes her church at Kildare. This was composed in around the 650s and is of great importance. Of course, it's obvious from the Irish form of the placename as to what Bridget's church was made of: Kildare in Irish is Cill Dara which means 'church of the Oak'. But in the Life of Bridget it describes the interior of the Church, its altar and lamps, etc.
Luke, thanks so much for this info....how frustrating I didn't know it! I think what is interesting about Bernard's comments is that a. the building are still wood in the 11th-12th century when most of Europe has moved to stone for ecclesiastical structures, and b. Bernard's comment, 'in the manner of the Irish' suggests that they were still known for it elsewhere on the continent. Anyway, thanks for your input into the conversation, its very helpful! best regards Henry
Henry suggested I ask you my question: Did Columba and Columbanus ever cross paths? Columba was 20 years older, but I wonder if at the least they may have heard of each other. What do you think?
@@junejohnson3272 it is a good question and I think the answer is not that we know. I can't recall seeing any reference to this in the source material. But the fact that Columbanus spent time at Bangor and that monastery's links to the wider Columba familia (i.e. the network of monastries affiliated with Iona) nevertheless makes that a real possibility given its proximity to Iona. However, it might be worth checking Adomnán's Vita Columba in case there does exist such a reference.
@@savingeurope there are references in the Irish annals to Domhliag or stone churches and the earliest recognisable ones include the stone cathedral of Clonmacnoise date to c. 900, and which is non-cyclopean in style. Tuamgraney church in East Clare is maybe 950s and a stone church with a massive lintel and it appears to have been built at the same time as the roundtower at nearby Inis Cealtra/Holy Island. But still many were wood and unicameral in design. What is interesting is that the stone churches, at least initially, emulated the wooden ones in their design. One of my favorites is the 12th century oratory church of Templecronan in the Burren. Beautifully simple, unicameral, and situated next to a stone reliquary shrine that remarkably still stands. Tomás Ó Carragáin has written a lot above these pre-12th century churches if anyone wants to do more reading on this topic :)
Well done H! Such a lovely family adventure to explore interesting places and early power of now established Christianity. Would have been lovely if you had found evidence in the second location for Colum Barnus's monastery, makes the life of a Benedictine in the valley look both well-grounded and a little less challenging to the good old days of the 6th C!! ;-) dx
Thanks David, yes, that would have made 'good' visual content too!!. My regret is that we just had to rush from place to place and so little time to really reflect and explore.... maybe another time...you and me....grumpy old men road trip!!
Why did such a powerful empire ( Roman) end up being a small area in the east , Constantinople. Was it overstretched or was it because they never conquered the Germanic peoples ?
That's a v, good question Kev. Its complicated but essentially there is a mixture of economic, cultural and mass migration following climatic changes further east over a sustained period. I deal with this a bit in episode 1 and in more detail in the Saving Europe book. Thanks for interacting, hope that was moderately helpful.
This show is so well done!
Thanks Jeannie, that is such an encouragement xx gald you're enjoying it. best regards Henry
Henry we were gripped throughout the show! I loved the church in Essex and will visit next time I'm in the UK. During so much upheaval in the modern church is it good to see the roots and the effort taken to protect and spread the Good News.
God bless
Thanks Val, really appreciate your encouragement 😊, God bless, Henry
Ah this series is superb. Thanks again so much. Love what you said about how these people are working to help others and to go against the prevailing culture of greed and violence. Very moving insight. In a sense you are doing the same thing. In a cultural desert, you have built an oasis of substance and learning. . Thanks so much. One of the very best things I've ever found on TH-cam . Such a massive achievement. Greatly appreciated.
Thank you for the encouragement, so glad you are enjoying the videos. Comments like this make it all worthwhile! Best regards Henry Vyner-Brooks
@@HenryVynerBrooks I work at a fairly high level in the arts as a writer and director and have sent this to many interesting people for whom these will be very absorbing viewing. You are doing great work here, Henry. Thanks again.
Another enthralling video! I love how fast moving, yet clear and concise your coverage is. The church is Greenstead (if that's how it's spelled) looks incredible, and after learning about Columbanus's early life, it was great to learn about his first monastery, looking forward to keeping watching.
Thank you looking forward to see the next one 💚
Just watched it again myself after four years and really enjoyed it too! It's amazing how you forget!
You and your sons must of enjoyed making it. I didn’t realize you did it four years ago
Glad you're enjoying it. And thanks for leaving comments. Any questions just ask. Best regards Henry Vyner-Brooks
St. Anne is Mary's Mother, and Jesus' grandmother. But what some people may not know, is that Anne is a much older Celtic Goddess of Agriculture & Sovereignty, sometimes referred to as Áine or Anu. It is significant that a priory was dedicated to St. John the Baptist, because St. John the Baptist and John the Apostle are rooted in the essence of Divine Feminine. John the Apostle is often claimed to be an alias of Mary Magdalene and the Baptist has been connected with St. Winifred which also has more ancient britonic roots. Come to Ireland and you will see many ancient sites dedicated to the Celtic goddess of sovereignty AN 💚
Thanks again for the interaction on what is a complex subject (of which I am not an expert). In this instance though, I would stress what (we must assume) Columbanus meant by the association; namely that he saw himself in the line of John as a 'prophet crying in the wilderness'. This was picked up in Ep.2 of our Book Distillery Podcast with Dr Alex O'Hara. th-cam.com/video/xRKDZhhEQoE/w-d-xo.html
I enjoy your contextualising of all aspects.of the.monastic world of the early missionaries.
Thanks Mick, it all grew out of my own need to understand it first, and then after that, well, it seemed a shame to keep it to myself!
This is a wonderful series, really enjoying your enthusiasm for the subject and I am learning so much. One tiny criticism (meant with the best of intentions), an Irish Cashel is a single word with emphasis on the first syllable, it isn't an ancestor of Superman ;-)
Thanks Sean, I am all at sea with Irish pronunciations. I thought I was ok with Italian though , only to get back from Italy and realize that I had been getting their former prime ministers name wrong. Dyslexics rule K.O.😅 any really appreciate your encouragement, makes it all worth while. Every blessing, Henry Vyner-Brooks
Epic! Always a delight to see the next episode!
Well done Andy, you beat Thomas to being the first comment! glad you enjoyed it xx
@@savingeurope Thank you notifications bell! It’s great getting the notifications whenever you releas a new vid Henry! Always up for a challenge eh Tom, see you in the next round!
Well done, Henry! Keep 'em coming!! X
Thank you! Will do!
As they say the plot thickens . Not being any way academic. I'm intrigued with programme .
Fantastic, as usual! The section on the reconstructed monstery in Germany is very interesting. Whilst you cite St Bernard's life of Malachy as one source on how the medieval Irish churches looked like, in fact a more contemporaneous example is found in Cogitosus' Life of St Bridget wherein he describes her church at Kildare. This was composed in around the 650s and is of great importance. Of course, it's obvious from the Irish form of the placename as to what Bridget's church was made of: Kildare in Irish is Cill Dara which means 'church of the Oak'. But in the Life of Bridget it describes the interior of the Church, its altar and lamps, etc.
Luke, thanks so much for this info....how frustrating I didn't know it! I think what is interesting about Bernard's comments is that a. the building are still wood in the 11th-12th century when most of Europe has moved to stone for ecclesiastical structures, and b. Bernard's comment, 'in the manner of the Irish' suggests that they were still known for it elsewhere on the continent. Anyway, thanks for your input into the conversation, its very helpful! best regards Henry
Henry suggested I ask you my question: Did Columba and Columbanus ever cross paths? Columba was 20 years older, but I wonder if at the least they may have heard of each other. What do you think?
@@junejohnson3272 it is a good question and I think the answer is not that we know. I can't recall seeing any reference to this in the source material. But the fact that Columbanus spent time at Bangor and that monastery's links to the wider Columba familia (i.e. the network of monastries affiliated with Iona) nevertheless makes that a real possibility given its proximity to Iona. However, it might be worth checking Adomnán's Vita Columba in case there does exist such a reference.
@@savingeurope there are references in the Irish annals to Domhliag or stone churches and the earliest recognisable ones include the stone cathedral of Clonmacnoise date to c. 900, and which is non-cyclopean in style. Tuamgraney church in East Clare is maybe 950s and a stone church with a massive lintel and it appears to have been built at the same time as the roundtower at nearby Inis Cealtra/Holy Island. But still many were wood and unicameral in design. What is interesting is that the stone churches, at least initially, emulated the wooden ones in their design. One of my favorites is the 12th century oratory church of Templecronan in the Burren. Beautifully simple, unicameral, and situated next to a stone reliquary shrine that remarkably still stands.
Tomás Ó Carragáin has written a lot above these pre-12th century churches if anyone wants to do more reading on this topic :)
@@lukemcinerney7458 Thank you! If nothing else, it might make an interesting side adventure in a period novel!
Well done H! Such a lovely family adventure to explore interesting places and early power of now established Christianity. Would have been lovely if you had found evidence in the second location for Colum Barnus's monastery, makes the life of a Benedictine in the valley look both well-grounded and a little less challenging to the good old days of the 6th C!! ;-) dx
Thanks David, yes, that would have made 'good' visual content too!!. My regret is that we just had to rush from place to place and so little time to really reflect and explore.... maybe another time...you and me....grumpy old men road trip!!
@@savingeurope Sea Scouts reunion?
Why did such a powerful empire ( Roman) end up being a small area in the east , Constantinople.
Was it overstretched or was it because they never conquered the Germanic peoples ?
That's a v, good question Kev. Its complicated but essentially there is a mixture of economic, cultural and mass migration following climatic changes further east over a sustained period. I deal with this a bit in episode 1 and in more detail in the Saving Europe book. Thanks for interacting, hope that was moderately helpful.