There is a very good opportunity for a silly photo if you are posing next to this statue. You can actually hang your bag / umbrella / whatever you have with you, from Constantine's extended hand. Very irreverent of course, but in York, no one much minds. This statue has been here only for about 10 years but has quickly become one of the city's iconic symbols.So what does the Roman Emperor Constantine have to do with York? Well, he was actually proclaimed Emporer in York, in 306, and the statue's plaque tells us that after his conversion to Christianity, he "established the foundations of Western Christendom."
This is a statue of St Edmund by Elizabeth Frink. He stands rather spookily between St Edmundsbury Cathedral and the Great Churchyard. There is an ongoing local campaign in East Anglia to reinstate St Edmund as patron saint of Britain (he was ousted by St George). The original St Edmund, King of East Anglia was killed by the Danes in 869, at Bradfield just outside Bury St Edmunds. Don't try hanging anything from this statue. The locals would lynch you.
Ruby is in Bury St Edmunds for the week, where she formerly lived and blogged. This post is part of a series to run until her return to York, comparing the two towns.
11 comments:
Great statues, I can see my family posing with them ;)
Come visit me for an award I've bestowed upon you!
Haven't visited in quite some time — been busy with family too (my sister and three nieces), so I just found out about your trip now. Be safe and have a wonderful time! I love your series of comparisons so far — great idea!
To damn right we'd lynch you! Leave Eddy be!
Andy
Tanya, an award? How exciting! Coming!
Hi Hilda, will come and see what you're up to :-)
Hello Andy - don't worry, I am sure Eddy statue is quite safe. I have a feeling he might jump down off his plinth and go after anyone he didn't like the look of any way. Autrement, ca va, toi? x
Dont Worry Ruby, Eddie remembers your gifts when leaving Bury. After all eddy has his Knights of St Edmund to look after his interests.
Is there a secret order of Knights in York by chance, maybe they meet some where to plan ..............the next magna carter
Bury Boy - I don't know if there are any secret orders of Knights in York. I kind of hope there aren't, but who knows! If they're planning another magna carta, that would be interesting!!
Coucou Ruby!
je n'avais pas realised that you carried on d'ecrire sur l'autre blog... et ca m'a fait very plaisir de te relire. I feel like I have an old friend qui revient, meme si on ne se connait pas!...
bises, et courage!
Beany
Hmmmm, there is an Edmundite Missions heree in Selma and St. Edmund Learning Center, sponsored by the Fathers of St. Edmund.
Coucou Beany, ca fait plaisir de te relire aussi. Je suis tres contente :-)
Rambling Round, that's interesting to know. The cult of Edmund is quite a big thing.
St Edmund looks a bit on a thin side. I prefer the Emperor, maybe because he was from Rome ...and I like Mediterranean men! Ciao. Antonella
I thought I hadn't seen that statue before - so there is something new in York after all - besides yourself.
Post a Comment