Bishop of Branging is now published!

I just got notification that the fifth Felicia and Robin book has gone live on Kindle, and that means the paperback version will be out very soon too.  Link here: Kindle version

The Frampton Mosaics, a 'long Regency' love affair with archaeology

Mosaics at Frampton

The humanist movement had started an interest in things classical, which led to the initial acquisitive nature of the antiquarian, nicking everything that wasn’t nailed down – and a few things that were – from Greece and Italy.  Interest in the Roman world was much fuelled by the discovery of Pompeii in 1748 and Herculaneum, where excavations had begun ten years previously.  By 1768 much had been brought to light.   It was possibly the discovery of towns preserved in this way that led to a more scholarly and less larcenous approach to the study of the hidden past, an approach founded by Johann Joachim Winckelmann.  However, the interest in the Romans remained a deep and abiding one for the British, who have always been proud to have been conquered by these successful Imperialists so like the British proto-empire of the 18^th Century.  Roman finds in Britain were always therefore of great interest to the public.

The mosaics at Frampton, in Nunnery Meadows,  were discovered by labourers in 1794 and were subsequently presented to the Society of Antiquities in London in 1795 by James Engelheart.   Samuel Lysons FRS [17631819] carried out a fresh excavation in 1796-7 and produced a lithographic reproduction.  Unfortunately the mosaics were destroyed in 1850 due to troop movements [my comments here are unprintable].  There are mythical scenes and arguably some suggestion of early British Christianity [see PL Tite] 

The stir created by this, which must have been viewed almost as an English Pompei, and Samuel Lysons’ Lithograph of labourers digging was obviously a popular enough subject to be printed.  He was a noteworthy engraver and antiquarian, and one of the first archaeologists to study Roman sites in Britain, specialising in Mosaics.

Villas in Dorset appear to date from the late 3^rd Century, with a [now] recognised school of Durnovarian mosacists based in Dorchester and Ilchester [now in Somerset] but originally part of the territory of the Durotriges, the people of Wessex.

So, intrepid writers, will your hero or heroine uncover a Roman mosaic in Dorset?  Will there be buried treasure and will that lead to skulduggery?  Will they dug some actual skulls and will they be Roman, or something more sinister and recent? 

Bibliography:    Philip L Tite    “’Reading’ and ‘rereading’ the Frampton mosaics: etc” [available online]

                        Dorset Ancestors.com

I managed to set up an author's page!

Yes I did, this luddite now has an author page on FB HERE where I can post news of up and coming books and albums of pics for each series, and, er, stuff. 

Guest Post - on the name Bragi, by Elenhin Griffin

My friend was chatting to me about some things she'd discovered about Old Norse and the Viking gods, and I was interested, and I thought you guys might well be interested too, so I twisted her arm to write it up. I like her conclusions regarding the origins of the word bragging, as my etymology dictionary says 'origin doubtful' so I reckon she has as good a thought as anyone....

Bragi

The name Bragi is an English and original form of Brage. The name now carries the meaning of ’the best’ or ’the highest’. In some cultures and languages it is now ’Brage’ but it would appear that the English has kept the original spelling.

Bragi was one of the Norse gods, one whose duty was to ensure that the deeds of the heroes and gods were never forgotten. He was also charged the task by Odin, to welcome those lucky to receive a seat with the heroes of Valhalla.  A task he shared with Hermod.

The origin of the name comes from the word Bragr, or it could be said that the word Bragr comes from the name. The meaning of ‘bragr’ is ‘poetry’ but also ‘what Bragi does’ which rather serves to make it a question of the hen or the egg being first.

Bragafull, which might be translated as ‘Bragi’s cup’ or ‘promise cup’ is the toasting of a deed you mean to perform. This is supposed to bring good luck. Especially when made when plenty of ale is consumed in good company.

A personal theory is that the word ‘bragging’ thus originates in ‘Bragi’ as it really is the telling of a feat one is proud of. The task that was the duty of Bragi. Also worth of notice is that the word ‘bragd’ is a Swedish word meaning a heroic deed, or a major feat. Both show strong similarities to ‘Bragi’ though it is hard to find proof. ‘Bragd’ is also a word that has fallen somewhat out of popular use even in Sweden.

Though it is not always well known there is still a lot of ‘old Norse’ or old Scandinavian languages in English, something the Vikings are to be held accountable for.