Main article ''Churchyards'' Churchyards in northwestern France are often much older than the church itself. The shape and the height are both indicators of age. Churches often sit on sites of great antiquity, long predating Christianity.

Age indicators and location

The general rectangular shape of today's churchyard began in the

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages (historiography), Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th to the 10th century. They marked the start o ...

, so sometimes older grounds are indicated by oval or round forms. Selection of a location by the church involved commandeering pagan holy places, which were linked to landscape features. Springs were particularly important as they were thought of as points of contact between the underworld and the surface world. These locations were associated with particular pre-Christian gods and goddesses, sometimes Roman gods had previously replaced Gallic or

Celts The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...

ones.

Christian missionaries A Christian mission is an organized effort to carry on evangelism, in the name of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries. Sometimes individuals are sent and ...

were specifically instructed to take over sites of pagan worship, thus depriving the old gods of their perches, but also enabling the Christian religion to inherit some of the sanctity that native people associated with the site. Another broad indication of greater antiquity is the height of the churchyard earth in relation to the ground outside the walls. Centuries of repeated

burials Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and object ...

in the same location resulted in the gradual elevation of terrain.

Historic uses

Today a churchyard looks quiet and somber but in

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

times, despite protests by generations of

bishops A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

, the church grounds were popular sites for games, gatherings, dancing and dalliances. The church grounds being the only public grounds available. News and gossip brought out an audience, often after

mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

. Before the 17th century

gravestones A gravestone or tombstone is a marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. A marker set at the head of the grave may be called a headstone. An especially old or elaborate stone slab may be called a funeral stele, stela, or slab. The us ...

were rare with most country churches having none before the 18th century. The churchyard

cross A cross is a religious symbol consisting of two Intersection (set theory), intersecting Line (geometry), lines, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of t ...

usually was the only obstacle for the frequent activities on the church grounds. This cross was always found on the sunlite side mounted on stepped base, and indicated that the churchyard was consecrated ground. Sunny southern side of the church was the favored spot for burials. The northern exposure, associated with the

devil A devil is the mythical personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conce ...

, was designated for the graves of strangers, unbaptised children, outcasts and

suicides Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the increased use of stone monuments, brought pressure to use these shadow realms. Archery sometimes was practiced on these northern sides as well because less activity happened there.

References

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External links

Cemeteries * http://www.deathreference.com/Bl-Ce/Cemeteries-and-Cemetery-Reform.html Landscape architecture Normandy Northwestern France Environmental history of France