Standing on Holy Ground in the Middle Ages

The ground beneath our feet plays a crucial role in our relationship with the environments we inhabit and the spaces with which we interact. Lucy Donkin's book "Standing on Holy Ground in the Middle Ages" explores how the floor surface shaped the ways in which people in medieval western Europe and beyond experienced sacred spaces, including the veneration of holy footprints, consecration ceremonies, and the demarcation of certain places for particular activities. It also details how interaction with this surface shaped people's identities, such as trampling and prostration, the repeated employment of specific locations, and burial beneath particular people or actions. Donkin frames the ground as a shared surface, both a feature of diverse, distant places and subject to a variety of uses over time, and offers a model for understanding spatial relationships in other periods, regions, and contexts.

Format: Hardback
Length: 504 pages
Publication date: 19 February 2022
Publisher: Cornell University Press

In the Middle Ages, the study of "Standing on Holy Ground" sheds light on the profound impact that the floor surface had on the way individuals in medieval western Europe and beyond experienced sacred spaces. The ground beneath our feet holds a significant, yet often overlooked,role in our relationship with the environments we inhabit and the spaces we interact with. By examining this surface as a point of encounter, Lucy Donkin situates it within a vertical hierarchy of layers, encompassing the earth itself, permanent and temporary floor coverings, and the living bodies above ground and the deceased beneath. This approach offers fresh insights into the definition and decoration of sacred spaces, including the veneration of holy footprints, consecration ceremonies, and the demarcation of specific areas for particular activities.

Through a diverse range of visual and textual sources, "Standing on Holy Ground" delves into the ways in which interaction with this surface shaped people's identities, whether as individuals, officeholders, or members of religious communities. Gestures such as trampling and prostration, the repeated use of specific locations, and burial beneath particular individuals or actions utilized the surface to convey likeness and difference. From pilgrimage sites in the Holy Land to cathedrals, abbeys, and local parish churches across the Latin West, Donkin presents the ground as a shared surface, both a characteristic of diverse, distant places and subject to a variety of uses throughout history. Moreover, "Standing on Holy Ground" serves as a model for understanding spatial relationships in other periods, regions, and contexts.

In conclusion, the study of "Standing on Holy Ground" provides a valuable perspective on the role of the floor surface in shaping the experiences of sacred spaces in the Middle Ages. By examining this surface as a point of encounter and within a vertical hierarchy of layers, Donkin offers new insights into the definition, decoration, and use of sacred spaces. Through the exploration of gestures, locations, and burial practices, the book demonstrates how the ground beneath our feet played a crucial role in shaping people's identities and relationships with the environment. Moreover, it provides a model for understanding spatial relationships in other periods and contexts, highlighting the enduring significance of the ground in our lives and the spaces we inhabit.

Weight: 85g
Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781501751127