Course: Beliefs, Monuments and Landscapes: A Sense of Place

Wednesdays 18 September – 23 October 2024

10am – 1pm

Aim: To explore values and activities in the landscape that reach beyond the simply economic and which relate to culture, aesthetics, and religion with specific reference to the British Isles.

Course description: Humans have created a landscape for themselves that frequently extends beyond the requirements of food, shelter, and the manufacture of material artifacts. We will consider the expression of humans in relation to their landscape in the symbolism of monuments they created through beliefs, folklore, legends and aspects of social behaviour.

Included are pre-historic and historic cults, pilgrimage, continuity and change in cultures and in aspects of faith. There will be critical reference of available evidence, with examples from megalithic monuments, cults of the saints, monasticism and legends including Arthurian matter. The geographical focus will be on Britain and Ireland.

Tutor: Dr Hadrian Cook, Rev Michael Camp and Bill Moffat

The 6-week course will run from 18 September to 23 October, with lectures every Wednesday morning 10am to 1pm (including a break).

Venue: Museum Hall

This course is fully accessible