A Consensus of Symbols: Medieval & Historic Graffiti in the Medieval Buildings of Kent

By Wayne Perkins

The study of medieval (or 'historic') graffiti has been in the ascendant recently, with popular books published on the subject. These mainstream publications have helped to disseminate the new interpretative frameworks and ideas that culminate the last thirty years of academic research into medieval inscriptions (Easton 1999; Champion 2015; Billingsley 2020).

Fig 1: Marian mark one of six apotropaic symbols around the narthex doorway at St Mary Bexley

The re-evaluation of medieval graffiti has brought to light many more subtleties and meanings than hitherto imagined. In this context, the term graffiti is used to identify unofficial inscriptions and symbols that have been added to medieval buildings but do not fall under the category of vandalism. A new categorisation for medieval graffiti has now been created, which includes ship graffiti, merchant's marks, heraldic and devotional graffiti, with up to thirty-two categories recognised (Champion 2015). Even though graffiti is notoriously difficult to date, it can usually be broken down into belonging to either the 'pre' or 'post-Reformation periods. Further examination of corpora can see some forms persisting over time, older symbols disappearing, and new forms emerging.

Fig 2: Several Marian marks around the porch entrance along with initials and dots St Mary’s Chiddingstone

Perhaps one of the most startling aspects of the new paradigm is the identification of so-called 'apotropaic' graffiti, sometimes called 'ritual protection marks.' These marks appear to have been added to protect the building (and its inhabitants) from harm. In general, apotropaic graffiti can be found in both ecclesiastical and secular buildings up to c.1800. Intriguingly, after this point, it seems that graffiti inscriptions take a far more prosaic turn, becoming focussed upon the everyday.

Fig 3: Beautifully executed faux consecration cross on the font at Ash, Kent

The study of medieval graffiti originated in the 19th century, recorded by antiquarians as part of the emerging discipline of church archaeology. Although a large corpus of graffiti exists from this period, many marks were misidentified. Antiquarians divided their corpora into two broad categories; those marks were considered masons' marks, whilst often the rest were deemed to be the result of vandalism incurred by an illiterate congregation. By the mid-20th century, the subject had become something of a backwater for research, even right up to 1987 when Violet Pritchard published her study, 'English Medieval Graffiti.' Although Pritchard's work made an important contribution to the discipline, she was still labouring under a 'processual' type of archaeology, which often interpreted archaeology in the light of utilitarian explanations.

Fig 4: Six petalled rosette cut into the oak door at St Margaret’s, Rainham

My survey comprises data collected from a random sample of medieval buildings in Kent, in which all the buildings were subject to an English Heritage Grade 2 non-invasive photographic survey. Using an LED torch, the images were captured by applying raking light to surfaces at a 45 degree angle. The three most common symbols recorded were the Marian mark, the compass-drawn circle and the saltire, all ubiquitous to English corpora elsewhere.

The Marian Mark exists in several variations; in its 'M' form (for 'Maria'); or as a 'W' formed of two overlapping 'V's.' It is believed to be a cipher for the cult of the Virgin, as the overlapping 'V's are thought to stand for 'Virgo Virginum' (Virgin of Virgins) (Easton 1999:25, Champion 2017a). Crowned monograms using both 'W' and 'M' forms are known from other ecclesiastical contexts such as bench-end decoration and ampullae.

The compass-drawn circle is often interpreted as evoking the Virgin Mary. In Western Christian symbolic art, the circle - formed without a break or an angle - was seen as embodying perfection. It was also understood to represent eternity, heaven, and the Virgin's purity and unbroken virginity (Stemp 2010). Other circular motifs intimately associated with the Virgin in early Christian art include the six-petalled rosette. It has been demonstrated that its form can be traced back to the 8th century BC when it was used in ancient Syrian sacred art (Easton 2015: 54).

The saltire or Greek cross, manifesting simply as an 'X,' can be found in almost every corpus of medieval graffiti. It is often found in significant concentrations around the doors and porches of churches (Champion 2015: 63). The symbol - often crudely executed - can appear in multiples and varying sizes, with differences in depth of cut and consistency, suggesting that, at least in some cases, it may have been executed in haste.

The favoured deployment around thresholds suggests it was an occlusive symbol with an apotropaic function (Easton 1999, 25). In its most basic form, it is the central component of the early Christian 'Chi-Rho' symbol (Ellwood Post 1974), and it may act as shorthand for that symbol in its 'X' form.

Following the survey, several general observations were made -

• Preliminary spatial analysis revealed that most of the apotropaic graffiti was recorded around thresholds,
• Most of the marks and symbols were 'notary' in nature; that is to say, they were rendered without text or explanation, suggesting that their meaning must have been innate - and understood even by the illiterate
• Precise dating for the marks is not possible in most cases, as identical marks have been found on a variety of materials from the 12th to the 17th centuries
• Some of the symbols bear a strong resemblance to powerful ancient antecedents
• Many of the symbols recorded during the survey fell within a narrow repertoire which reoccurred in both religious and secular buildings

The occurrence of identical symbols recorded in various archaeological contexts and on various materials suggests that it is the symbol - in relation to its location - which provides its meaning. A consensus is growing that many of the apotropaic marks were based upon a known repertoire of shared symbols.

The corpus of marks shows that some persisted over time, even though their meanings may have shifted due to the shifting cultural contexts during the lifetime of a building. It is generally agreed that apotropaic marks are the material traces of once practiced sympathetic magic. Most of the graffiti had been made by the parishioners themselves. Champion has suggested that 'bet ween them, these symbols represent a level of folk belief that permeated the whole of medieval society' (Champion 2015: 25, 28). The marks, it seems, were made by the laity, to which the clergy turned a blind eye.

Fig 5: An X or possible Chi-Rho symbol in the gardrobe of Hall Place, Bexleyheath

Fig 6: Two saltires cut into the shrine of the folk saint, Robert de Newington, St Mary, Newington-next-Sittingbourne

Bibliography

1 Unfortunately, there is not space within this introductory article to outline all the categories of graffiti, nor to include the full history of inter-disciplinary research that has taken place over the last three decades.

2 Archaeologist Matthew Champion is main person responsible for the categorization of graffiti types, now aided by a new wave of buildings archaeologists making new discoveries in the field.

3 Both terms can be used interchangeably and are now the accepted terminology by both the National Trust and Historic England. They are NOT to be called ‘witch marks,’ which are something completely different. Apotropaic is from the Greek, defined as, ‘supposedly having the power to avert evil influences or bad luck.’

4 In general, after 1800 graffiti tends to be made up just of names and dates, some dating to World War Two or lists of bell ringers in a bell chamber of a church, for example.

5 This is a broad generalization and does not give the early archaeologists full credit. However, an examination of 19th-century corpora will show that almost every mark (no matter how poorly executed) was credited as a masons’ mark.

6 The weaknesses of Processual archaeology is adequately explained on the Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Processual_archaeology

7 This symbol is commonly referred to as a daisy wheel, a hex/hexafoli, and the Flower of Life.

8 In these contexts, the symbol is clearly depicted as a ‘solar wheel’ among its contemporary imagery.

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