Category Archives: Ritual

New work: Kingston upon Thames revisited

Posted on August 5, 2018 by Robert J S Briggs

Nowadays, you’ll find me in Kingston upon Thames maybe four times a week as it’s my main place of work. However, save for a driving lesson in 2003 when I passed through but didn’t actually set foot in the town, … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglo-Saxon, Archaeology, Charters, Folklore, History, Landscape, Latin, Old English, Place-Names, Pottery, Ritual, Thames, Topography, Trade | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The “missing” Early Anglo-Saxon-period burials of historic north-east Surrey: bodies in the Thames?

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Robert J S Briggs

(I’ve only gone and done another really long post! This is of course a good thing, as there’s plenty of what I consider to be great stuff in what follows, so please make some time to give it a go. Still, … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglo-Saxon, Archaeology, Landscape, London, Portable Antiquities Scheme, Ritual, Surrey, Thames | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Beowulf in California

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Robert J S Briggs

Here’s a big bit of news I’ve been sitting on for a while because, well, I didn’t know if I’d be able to afford to make it happen. But I can! So, without further ado, I’m pretty darned chuffed to … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglo-Saxon, Battersea, Being organised, Charters, Documents, London, News, Old English, Ritual, Talk, Thames, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The forgetful frater, or, an eighth-century reminder to make good notes

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Robert J S Briggs

Here’s a little late-night blast from the library, not because I have something urgent I want to get off my chest but because it concerns something I came across earlier which chimed with me because of the nature of my current workload … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglo-Saxon, Books, Church, Excuses, Hagiography, History, Latin, Monasteries, Northumbria, Religion, Ritual | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Slinging swords and casting corns – a brief foray into experimental archaeology

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Robert J S Briggs

One of the downsides of being a taught student is having to submit multiple pieces of work on completely different topics – in this case three essays which together weighed in at a little shy of 10,000 words – on the same … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglo-Saxon, Archaeology, Battersea, Charters, Nottingham, Old English, Ritual, Surrey, Swords, Topography | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

At the edges of Old English toponomastics 1: a textual sidelight on Wanborough

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Robert J S Briggs

Learning Old English is no cakewalk, as I’m sure anyone who has done it will agree, but it does open a window into a fascinating world of writings, both Anglo-Saxon and modern. One of the first things I was given to … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Barrows, Charters, Landscape, Old English, Phenomenology, Place-Names, Religion, Ritual, Seven ditches, Topography, Wanborough, WPLongform | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Language, religion and the law: small matters for a Sunday afternoon

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Robert J S Briggs

People have tried to explain RSS feeds to me but I still don’t get what they are. As a result I tend to come across interesting articles through flitting about on the internet at work or via friends’ Facebook posts (I gave up Twitter well … Continue reading →

Posted in internet, Religion, Ritual | Leave a comment

The “Surrey Fens” causeways – finished at long last

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Robert J S Briggs

I’ve written and rewritten so much of this essay over the past year or two that I have nothing else to add, other than to recommend you head over to here and have a read of it (and if you … Continue reading →

Posted in Anglo-Saxon, Archaeology, Causeways, Charters, Documents, Domesday, Excuses, Religion, Ritual, Surrey, Woking | Leave a comment

Instant archaeology

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Robert J S Briggs

The passage of artefacts into the soil is the bread-and-butter of “dirt archaeology”, and my day spent grafting at Northolt Manor got me thinking about the processes involved in how things getting from (above-ground) A to (subterranean) B, and at … Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Excuses, Ritual | 1 Comment

Miracles & Charms

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Robert J S Briggs

I think the Wellcome Collection may be my new favourite place in London. Free entry, wonderful exhibits, killer bookshop, bumped into a good friend who I hadn’t seen in years – what’s not to love? I would recommend you try … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Folklore, London, Mexico, Religion, Ritual, Uncategorized | Leave a comment