Exploring the medieval heritage of Aberdeenshire and Moray, the essays in this volume contain insights and recent work presented at the British Archaeological Association Conference of 2014, based at Aberdeen University. The opening, historical chapters establish the political, economic and administrative context of the region, looking at both the secular and religious worlds and include an examination of Elgin Cathedral and the bishops’ palaces.
The discoveries at the excavations of the kirk of St Nicholas, which have revealed the early origins of religious life in Aberdeen city, are summarized and subsequent papers consider the role of patronage. Patronage is explored in terms of architecture, the dramas of the Reformation and its aftermath highlighted through essentially humble parish churches, assailed by turbulent events and personalities. The collegiate church at Cullen, particularly its tomb sculpture, provides an unusually detailed view of the spiritual and dynastic needs of its patrons. The decoration of spectacular ceilings, both carved and painted, at St Machar's Cathedral, Provost Skene's House and Crathes Castle, are surveyed through the eyes of their patrons and the viewers below. Saints and religious devotion feature in the last four chapters, focusing on the carved wooden panels from Fetteresso, which display both piety and a rare glimpse of Scottish medieval carnal humour, the illuminated manuscripts from Arbuthnott, the Aberdeen Breviary and "Historia Gentis Scotorum".
The medieval artistic culture of north-east Scotland is both battered by time and relatively little known. With discerning interpretation, this volume shows that much high-quality material still survives, while the lavish illustrations restore some glamour to this lost medieval world.
Author(s): Jane Geddes (ed.)
Series: The British Archaeological Association Conference Transactions, 40
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2016
Language: English
Pages: 264
List of Abbrevations vi
Preface vii
Locating Aberdeen and Elgin in the Later Middle Ages: Regional, National and International Paradigms / David Ditchburn 1
The Medieval Church in the Dioceses of Aberdeen and Moray / Richard Oram 16
Elgin Cathedral and Medieval Church Architecture in North-East Scotland / Richard Fawcett 33
Bishops' Palaces in the Medieval Dioceses of Aberdeen and Moray / Penelope Dransart 58
Excavations within the East Kirk of St. Nicholas, Aberdeen / Alison S. Cameron and Judith A. Stones 82
Post-Reformation Church Architecture in the Marischal Earldom, 1560–1625 / Miles Kerr-Peterson 99
Patronage of the Collegiate Church at Cullen / Lizzie Swarbrick 121
From Relegation to Elevation: The Viewer’s Relationship with Painted Ceilings from the Medieval to Renaissance Eras in North-East Scotland / Fern Insh 139
Piping Pigs and Mermaid Groping: Six Carved Panels from Fetteresso / Jane Geddes 158
The Arbuthnott Manuscripts: The Patronage and Production of Illuminated Books in Late Medieval Scotland / Julian Luxford 183
The Arbuthnott Book of Hours: Book Production and Religious Culture in Late Medieval Scotland / Marlene Villalobos Hennessy 212
North-Eastern Saints in the Aberdeen Breviary and the "Historia Gentis Scotorum" of Hector Boece: Liturgy, History and Religious Practice in Late Medieval Scotland / Tom Turpie 239
Index 248
