Wuffings

Friday 7th February 2025: Old English Goddesses Lost and Found – an online study-day with world-class language-history specialist Stephen Pollington on the evidence in Anglo-Saxon and related sources for the belief in goddesses in early English culture, beginning with extraordinary description of the Mother Goddess Nerthus by the late first-century Roman historian Tacitus.  

Friday 14th February 2025: The Origins of the St Valentine’s Day – an online study-day with Dr Sam Newton FSA on the ancient Roman origins of this romantic holiday still celebrated every year. The feast of St Valentine appears to have been established between 492 and 496 by Pope Gelasius I, who also abolished the Bacchic rites of the Roman festival of Lupercalia, which were observed annually in Rome from 13th to 15th February. The rites of Lupercalia are described by the famous poet Ovid (died c. 18 AD) and beautifully illustrated in the treasure-hoards from Mildenhall and Thetford from late Roman Britain.

Friday 24th March 2025: What a Way to Go! The Sutton Hoo Ship-Burial’s 1400th Anniversary – an online study-day with Dr Sam Newton FSA. All aboard the dream-ship of Sutton Hoo 1400 years after the king embarked on his last voyage – and what a way to go! Beginning with a look at the powerful significance of the rite of ship-funeral, we shall then take a new look at the reality of some of the artistic and technical wonders stowed amidships in the light of recent work. Outstanding is the personal regalia of this warrior-king, especially the superb examples of gold cloisonné jewellery, with their beautiful inlays of garnet and blue glass, which reveal such a sophisticated synthesis of cross-cultural designs executed with such astonishing technical skill. This really was a golden age!

Above: One example of the gold and garnet cloisonné jewellery showing “such a sophisticated synthesis of cross-cultural designs executed with such astonishing technical skill” is this pair of little gold and garnet buttons from the Sutton Hoo scabbard-belt (©Dr Sam Newton 24th April 2002), probably made in nearby Rendlesham. One is 2.3 cms in diameter and made of 89.0% gold and 10.6% silver. The other is 2.0 cms in diameter and made of 86.5% gold and 10.5% silver. Each is inlaid with 110 garnets (underlain with light-catching gold foils) some of them tiny, yet all cut to fit exactly into their gold cells. Note the perfect geometrical design and the use of lighter-hued garnets, which recent research shows came from from Sri Lanka and Bohemia, to form crosses against a background of darker red garnets from India.

– more events to be announced soon –

 – click here for the full programme on Eventbrite –

– please note that these events are not recorded –

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