Holy well

The term haeligewielle is in origin an Anglo-Saxon toponym attached to specific springs in the landscape;[1] its current use has arisen through folklore scholars, antiquarians, and other writers generalising from those actual 'Holy Wells', which survived into the modern era.

[2] Holy wells in different forms occur in such a wide variety of cultures, religious environments, and historical periods that it seems to be a universal human instinct to revere water sources.

While there are a few national studies of holy well lore and history, mainly concentrating on Ireland and the British Isles, there is a need for more work examining other regions.

[16] The eco-pagan movement has largely accepted the new historiographical approach,[citation needed] but occasionally rather more old-fashioned accounts of holy wells are published, for instance, Gary Varner's Sacred Springs (2002).

The late Francine Nicholson, an independent student of Celtica, argued forcefully and controversially that the Celts had a unique sensitivity to sacred wells, but never elaborated this in any published work.

[18] In a sense, the restoration of holy wells began almost as soon as they were in decline, as a number became the subject of antiquarian interest and some were turned into garden features and put to other decorative uses.

However, in more modern times wells have been restored as an expression of interest in the past, sometimes from romantic or religious motives, but mostly as a statement of continuity with the history of a particular community.

A good example is St Osyth's Well at Bierton (Buckinghamshire), 'restored' (and in the process rebuilt completely) by the Parish Council as part of a project marking Millennium Year in 2000.

[19] The most active holy wells in Britain are those linked to Christian pilgrimages, at Walsingham, Fernyhalgh (Lancashire) and Holywell (Wales), or popular tourist sites (Bath, Somerset).

[21] Historiographically, the publication of Janet and Colin Bord's Sacred Waters (1985) was influential in reviving interest in the history and folklore of holy wells in Britain.

Attempts to maintain a regular journal for the study of holy wells have been erratic (Source enjoyed two runs from 1985 to 1989 and 1994 to 1998, and the web-based Living Spring has had only two issues to date).

Holy well at Coole in County Cork, Ireland
Doon Well at Kilmacrennan in County Donegal, Ireland, c.1900. On the left, two women are praying by the well. On the right, an array of crutches, bandages and rosary beads deliberately left at the well by pilgrims.
Saint Bernard's well at Stockbridge near Edinburgh in 1800. [ 4 ]
Dupath Well in 1912. [ 12 ]
St Peter's Well at Houstin in Scotland. A rare Scottish covered well.