Tags
bardolph tomb, Dennington, England, photography, Rous, St. Mary the Virgin church, statue, Suffolk, travel, vacation
One week ago, to the day, I was fast asleep in the TravelLodge Motel near Needham Market, Suffolk, with talk of a visit of to this tomb and the church that houses it, St. Mary the Virgin in Dennington (see previous post) in my dreams from the evening before.
So this photograph was yet to come, yet now it has passed, and emphatically so as I deal with what has been a frustrating day of automobile and financial disruptions. Nothing too serious, but enough to cause us to rejiggle our plans.
However, last week none of this was apparent and I was looking forward to the church visit and feeling the increasing pressure of the end of the vacation creeping up on me. Last days on a holiday are always a little melancholy, and the last day itself, with the silent drive to the airport, the unhappiest.
But as I consider these events over the course of just one week, I am pulled back to this tomb of the Bardolphs dating all the back to 15th century. A Knight and his lady lying there, a wyvern at her feet and an eagle at his. A week in my life means nothing to theirs, so long passed. And, as people, they mean nothing to me, beyond this sculpture that marks a life sufficiently important to warrant such recognition. Yet I find myself projecting something onto them, a sense of life that exists beyond time. Do their spirits – and the spirits of all others who have lived before and now gone – register anything in this living world of light and sound? Or am I as much of a shadow to them as they are to me?
Unanswerable questions but ones I like to contemplate.
I think the fair lady got the better deal with the wyvern. It's much nicer looking than the eagle. Maybe she belonged to the Wyvern Conservation Society — and they gave her one special.A beautiful tomb.
It is, isn't it? I also like the wyvern better – golden eagles, well they be two-a-penny common. 🙂
i noticed the beautiful dress before i ever looked at her feet. shows you what men look at and what women look at (just kidding). the pelican has golden wings — what does that symbolize? is this tomb a statue of marble?amazing what a little reading and information tells a person . . . . that is a dragon not a bird. looks like a pelican with golden wings to me. i wish i could visit the real thing, but i'm so glad you shared the photo and blog post richard. i love to learn about new things! thanks. deborah.