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M. Champion
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Medieval Graffiti: The Lost Voices of England's Churches Hardcover – September 15, 2015

by Matthew Champion (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 215 ratings
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For centuries carved writings and artworks in churches lay largely unnoticed. So archaeologist Matthew Champion started a nationwide survey to gather the best examples. In this book he shines a spotlight on a forgotten world of ships, prayers for good fortune, satirical cartoons, charms, curses, windmills, word puzzles, architectural plans and heraldic designs. Drawing on examples from surviving medieval churches in England, the author gives a voice to the secret graffiti artists: from the lord of the manor and the parish priest to the people who built the church itself. Here are strange medieval beasts, knights battling unseen dragons, ships sailing across lime-washed oceans and demons who stalk the walls. Latin prayers for the dead jostle with medieval curses, builders’ accounts and slanderous comments concerning a long-dead archdeacon. Strange and complex geometric designs, created to ward off the "evil eye" and thwart the works of the devil, share church pillars with the heraldic shields of England’s medieval nobility.
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  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Ebury Press
  4. Publication date
    September 15, 2015
  5. Dimensions
    5.25 x 1 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    009196041X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0091960414
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Matthew Champion studied history and landscape archaeology at the University of East Anglia. As a freelance archaeologist he is widely regarded as England’s leading expert on medieval graffiti inscriptions, and has worked with organizations such as English Heritage and the National Trust, as well as writing and lecturing extensively upon the subject. Matthew is currently Project Director of the multi-award winning Norfolk and Suffolk Medieval Graffiti Survey.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ebury Press; First Edition (September 15, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 009196041X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0091960414
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 1 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 215 ratings

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M. Champion

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
215 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Cameo D. Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars Great images and pictures to help you envision the text.
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2019
Verified Purchase
A fascinating compilation of the marks left in the stonework of some of England's churches. His descriptions were clear with helpful background information and era specific context. I especially liked his inclusion of pagan markings as this was a time when the general population was incorporating Christianity with the beliefs they had held from long before.
2 people found this helpful
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Charlene Jandik
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book!
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2017
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Interesting and informative book on the medieval mind without getting too bogged down with teaching history or architecture.
I purchased before my trip to the UK and had fun trying to spot Medieval graffitti!
3 people found this helpful
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M. B. Hopkins
4.0 out of 5 stars A fine treatise
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2015
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Marvelous book. Targeted to a small audience, Matthew Champion has written an informative and explanatory treatise on the interpretation of medieval church graffiti. The only thing it needs is more illustrations.
8 people found this helpful
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Gary
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2018
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thanks
One person found this helpful
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Meryl Macdonald
5.0 out of 5 stars This a fascinating book, once you've been hooked on ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2015
This a fascinating book, once you've been hooked on this medieval graffitti lark, it's impossible to go into a church without scanning any available surface in search of some inscription, left by a person, who had something to say all those centuries ago.
8 people found this helpful
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Holly Herda
3.0 out of 5 stars Misses the Mark
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2020
I feel like the author couldn't decide if he wanted this to be geared toward an academic or popular audience. The style and content seem to alternate between the two. Pictures/sketches of the actual graffiti are few and far between, which is bound to disappoint a popular audience. (Instead, it's a lot of long-winded description.) Likewise, a lot of the ideas espoused in the book would have been better supported with the addition of graphs/tables/maps/footnotes. As an academic (but not someone specializing in this time period) there were many instances where the author raised an intriguing idea, and I found myself longing for visuals to support it. A few maps would have also made things easier for those unfamiliar with English geography.

The structure of the book is not great either. Each chapter focuses on a different type of graffiti. The author then rattles off all the prevailing theories as to what that graffiti means in one big stream of consciousness. (Often going off on long tangents about the day-to-day operations of a medieval English church, and medieval English society in general.) Splitting each chapter into sections--one for each theory or interpretation--would have resulted in a far more polished book and kept the author on track.
2 people found this helpful
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Caryl
5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating history
Reviewed in Canada on February 5, 2024
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Although much about the distant past is not known with the lack of written records - this book explains the theories and has fascinating glimpses into the possible meanings & significance of the graffiti.
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Peasant
5.0 out of 5 stars The lost voices of English Churches.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 2, 2016
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A number of people seem to have been disappointed by this book, so lets first say what it is not. It's not a coffee-table book packed with glossy photographs with precious little explanation. It's not a book full of wild theories or unsubstantiated if exciting speculation. It's not the sort of book you idly flick through while the telly is on. Written for an intelligent lay audience, it is a thorough and thought-provoking book which covers a little-known field. It's also a fascinating and enjoyable read.

I've been using this book while on a trip visiting medieval churches and, though this is only a brief review, it weighs in the balance with some of the other comments. First, it is a well-argued, well-written book with plenty to think about. Secondly, the amount of illustrations is absolutely enough; there are photos and line drawings a-plenty to illustatre every point made in the text and give you a very clear idea of what you are reading about. Thirdly, it is an easily-accessible corner of a genre of history which is increasingly popular - the history of thsoe who don't appear in the written records - the ordinary people who are the ancestors of most of us and whose lives are fascinating but difficult to find out about.

Buy this book and an LED torch - ideally one of those bar-shaped ones. Read the book, then start looking closer at churches, abbeys, castles and so on; you'll be astonished at what you'll find. There is also a very interesting facebook group run by the author.
38 people found this helpful
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andrea guelfi
3.0 out of 5 stars Interessante
Reviewed in Italy on October 2, 2016
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Un libro interessante che potrebbe avere un approccio più visuale rispetto al tema trattato. Per esperti del settore e poco adatto a chi approccia per la prima volta a queste tematiche.
One person found this helpful
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chris johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Matt Champion tackles a scantily researched subject with great enthusiasm and presents his views on the people who ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2015
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A fascinating book that will get many of its readers taking a much closer look at their parish churches. Matt Champion
tackles a scantily researched subject with great enthusiasm and presents his views on the people who carved such
wonderful symbols, and for what reason, with great clarity.
3 people found this helpful
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mary harrison
4.0 out of 5 stars This is an interesting account of the graffiti found in ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 5, 2016
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This is an interesting account of the graffiti found in many churches mainly in East Anglia. It offers insights into the social history of various villages, some much richer than others. As a taster for a more widely researched, more detailed and argued work, it is ideal.
Illustrations are adequate and encourage the reader to go out and find more examples.
One person found this helpful
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