An Amazing Place To Visit - Sutton Hoo.
By Darkwing
@Darkwing (21583)
October 21, 2008 1:08pm CST
I went away for a few days break, to Suffolk, just after my birthday. I know East Anglia holds a lot of Viking and Anglo Saxon history, so I went with my National Trust Card in hand!On checking out the National Trust places to visit, I came across Sutton Hoo, near Ipswich.
There is a burial area containing seventeen mounds from Anglo Saxon times, an exhibition hall and a well-stocked gift shop. The biggest burial mound was excavated in 1939 and found to contain the remains of a Saxon ship, together with the remains of what was thought to have been a king's body and several treasures. A special chamber had been prepared for the body, which was surrounded by carefully selected treasures, including spears, an axe, a sword and a might shield. Each of these signified that the king had been a great warrior. There was also a sceptre and an iron standard... symbols of his power... ivory drinking horns, wooden ale tubs and a large bronze cauldron. Most impressive of all the treasures though, was a magnificent jewel studded, silver battle helmet with very intricate designs on it.
This grave is thought to have been the burial site of the Anglo Saxon King, Raedwald, who died around AD625. Little wonder that there wasn't much left save the metal objects. I can't help standing in awe of the men who dug the grave though, with the primitive tools they had, and then dragged the ship up from the river to place it in the hollow. I'm going to have to pay another visit to Suffolk sometime, as there is a lot of Anglo Saxon history in East Anglia, as that was the coast they sailed towards. I have discovered that there is an Anglo Saxon recreated settlement in West Stow, in the same vacinity, which I would also like to visit.
Do any of you have interest in your probable ancestry, the Vikings and the Saxons, for instance? Do you like to go around to exhibitions and burial places to learn about them? I love my heritage and can never learn enough!
3 people like this
6 responses
@shelagh77 (3643)
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25 Oct 08
Wow Darkwing! I havent been able to get into mylot for ages and one of the first discussions I see is a discussion on Sutton Hoo, which I have just covered for one of my sites! I have a friend who lives near there, and if you were approached by a friendly Collie dog and several walkers you may very well have met her whilst you were there.
I love ancients sites, too and I find it interesting when I find out a lot about the site they have discovered then I get vibes from the one under that that they haven't found yet.
There is a Roman Villa, Lullingstone, near where I live, and when I was a child were were taken round the site, which had been newly excavated. I still have a postcard featuring the mosaic floor, and I have never forgotten that day either.
If I remember rightly there is a skeleton removed from the site which now resides in the Dartford Museum, too.
1 person likes this
@Darkwing (21583)
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26 Oct 08
I don't recall any Collie my friend. I believe there are still a few graves which haven't been excavated, but I'm sure they found the most important one.
I'm more interested in Saxons and Vikings than Romans but the Romans also were very skillful in their designs. I learn something new every day... I didn't even know Dartford had a museum. lol. I really want to get to West Stow though... there is a rebuilt Saxon Village and they reinact Saxon life, crafts, cooking etc. My friend would like to visit there too... he had missed that one! lol.
Brightest Blessings and thank you for your contribution, my friend. It is a long time. x
@GardenGerty (160626)
• United States
21 Oct 08
I do not know enough of my heritage to know whether I am Viking or Norse or Angle or Saxon, I know that I have some family heritage of English, Scots, Irish, and just found out Welsh. I am also German. I know more about the Native American part of my heritage, though, and that is still precious little. I just got my tribal membership card. I would love to come travel with you and see the sites and sights, though. I know that there is some history there in my background.
@Darkwing (21583)
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21 Oct 08
It certainly sounds as though there is something of the Germanic peoples in your ancestry my friend. I would love to take you around to some of the different places here. I have great difficulty in checking back my ancestry as one of my grandfathers had the name West, which is probably the second or third most common name in the country. The other, however, had the name Washer, which could have derived from a German name, and could quite well be linked with Germanic tribes. He was a big man, and definitely had a Viking type look about him, but he was a devout Christian, so who knows. I really must delve further into it, but given that Sussex stood for South Saxons and I was born here, I would imagine there is just a trace of Anglo Saxon there, at least.
Brightest Blessings, my friend and thank you for your contribution.
1 person likes this
@littleowl (7157)
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21 Oct 08
Hi Darkwing-I amm very interested in the history of the Saxons and the Vikings and the Romans...I love the way you just up and visit these places learning about all of these things and admire you for doing it...the other thing that really interests me is old graveyards they are intriguing and have old graves of people way back some cemeterys I have seen have people still there from the 1600's, plus the historry of churches are some amazing too the one near me has an amazing history..it dates back to the 1200's when it was a shack and has built it's way up since then..before that it WAS a Pagan site of worship!! Surprise surprie and also has a ley line running straight through it...but Suffolk sounds a brilliant place to visit too...Bright Blessings littleowl
1 person likes this
@Darkwing (21583)
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22 Oct 08
Funny you should say that, my friend. The first part of our local Church was built by Saxons, and then added to by the Normans when they took over. Then the tower was added much later. There is a sundial in the wall of the old part of the church, which is just a hole, without an arm. They used to push a stick in the hole apparently to tell whether it was time for evensong or whatever. We also have some very, very old graves in the cemetery. I call them tombs, because they're the big, box-type ones. Then you'll find some with very small head and footstones. Yes, all that stuff interests me as well my friend. We have leylines crossing under the old part of the church, and the east to west one goes under the pub too. There is also a disused tunnel running from the old vicarage to the church, and then to the pub which was their hostelry. Things don't change much, eh? lol
I'll tell you where there's a very interesting graveyard... two, in fact. One is at Ditchling Church and the other Slaugham. I do believe I saw a templar's cross on one of the graves in Slaugham, but it was dusk and difficult to make out properly. The writing on the side had worn too, so I need to revisit. Then I can pop in the Chequers for a quick one afterwards! lol.
Brightest Blessings and thank you for your contribution.
@littleowl (7157)
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23 Oct 08
That must be really interesting and there is a lot of hidtory in Sussex near us too as you know, even in Horsham Park there is a Barn where we have a Spiritualist church and that too has a two leylines running straight through it! Am sure one of them comes from Billingshurst...Brightest Blessings littleowl
1 person likes this
@tamarafireheart (15384)
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22 Oct 08
Hi Darkwing,
Nice to hear from, You must have had a lovely time there, yes I love things like that, as my path lean toward the saxon side I will be weel interested in the ship and the buriel place, oh I would like that. Thank you so much for letting us see theres things through your eyes. Bright Blessings.
Tamara
1 person likes this
@Darkwing (21583)
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22 Oct 08
Hi Tamara... I would have liked more time there but I've vowed to go back on day and maybe I can manage West Stow at the same time. The actual mounds are roped off but you can view the main grave and the rest of the mounds from a vantage point, and you can walk right around the area. That in itself gives you certain feelings of energies, I think. I was more astonished in the intricacy of the craftwork they used to accomplish, like buckles, shields, etc. Some of the work was beautiful... it amazed me. With the name I have, I was particularly interested in the hawk's head and dragon on King Raedwald's shield!
Brightest Blessings and thank you for your contribution, my friend. x
