Garlands represented innocence

This was a long-surviving custom in some parish churches and it featured a display of maidens’ garlands usually hanging in the rafters.

A maiden’s garland was displayed at the funeral of an unmarried woman or girl. It was a visible sign of her virginity, purity and innocence and accompanied the coffin, but was usually kept in the church after the funeral. Each garland differed slightly in appearance but was rather like a wreath made from linen or even paper with flowers, either real or hand-made, being attached.

The date and origin of this custom remain obscure. There are indications the custom was practised in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome and Etruria.

One theory is that is was introduced to England by the Romans as early as the 1st century, and then adopted by the Roman Catholics as faith spread across the world. It was then a symbol of the virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It has been suggested the garlands were used in Catholic European countries which initially included England, but the custom was concealed in England as a result of the 16th century Protestant Reformation, although the practice was said to continue in secret.

In some countries the garlands were known as virgins or crowns, and a curious name was crants, supposedly from the German word Kranz, which meant a garland, wreath or chaplet. A chaplet was a form of circular hat and it was a string of prayer beads, rather like a shortened rosary.

The garland was usually made from white paper or linen and decorated with rosettes coloured white, pink or some other relevant colour. Streamers in the same colours might also be attached and a white glove would hang from the centre of the garland as a further symbol of the deceased girl’s innocence. The garland was sometimes placed on top of the coffin during the funeral mass or carried into the church by young people dressed in white who preceded the coffin during the funeral procession.

The number or identities of the young people carrying the garland is not specified but they could be siblings, other relations or merely friends.

I am not sure whether a young man would be considered a suitable carrier of the garland although this did apparently happen occasionally.

There are records of them being carried in memory of a young man who had suffered an early death. If he was innocent, pure and unmarried, a garland of this type may have accompanied his coffin and been buried with him, or alternatively displayed within the church.

Once the funeral was over, the garland would be either placed in the grave or retained within the church, being hung in either the chancel or over the pew that was normally occupied by the girl with her parents and siblings. It appears to have been left there for a period of time that was determined by the priest and when it was removed, it was hung in another part of the church, perhaps with similar garlands. Most of the surviving examples date from the 18th century.

From time to time, churches were subjected to thorough cleaning or orders from vicars for certain unwanted items to be removed and so many of these garlands were taken away. For the people, this was considered unwise and some thought such an act would bring misfortune to the church and/or its congregation and so the general practice was to leave any garlands hanging in the church until they rotted away.

In some cases, the remains were discreetly buried in the churchyard, although I am assured many Anglican churches continue to display their garlands, some dating from as recently as the 19th century.

The earliest recorded use of a maiden’s garland was at St Mary’s ancient church at Beverley in East Yorkshire, and this dates to 1680 – after the Reformation.

There is also a record of one accompanying the funeral of Hannah Phillips of Astley Abbots near Bridgnorth in Shropshire. She died on the eve of her wedding day in May 1707.

The last time a maiden’s garland was carried during a funeral was said to be in September 1973. The church was at Abbotts Ann, a village near Andover in Hampshire, which is appropriately dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. This is one of the churches where such garlands were made for boys or men as well as girls and women. This Anglican parish church maintains a collection of more than 40 maidens’ garlands known as virgins’ crowns. This is said to be the largest known collection in existence and this parish is the only one in England that continues the tradition of awarding a virgin’s crown.

A crown may be requested by the relatives of the deceased who must have been born, baptised, confirmed and died and unmarried, in the parish. The deceased must also have had an unblemished reputation. Such a crown is made of hazel wood and decorated with paper rosettes with five-finger paper gloves or gauntlets attached to it. They represent the challenge thrown down to anyone to asperse the character of the deceased.

During the funeral, the crown is suspended from a small white wand and carried by two girls aged between 12 and 16 who are dressed in white with folded handkerchiefs on their heads.

They walk at the head of the funeral procession and once in church, the crown is laid on the coffin until the body is committed to the earth. The crown is then removed and hung in the church gallery so all entering the following Sunday may pass beneath it. If the presence of the crown remains unchallenged for three weeks, it is hung from the ceiling of the church with a record of the date and the name of the deceased. One such crown records the death of Florence Jane Wisewell, aged 72, who died in 1953.

I am sure that maidens’ garlands were used in parts of the North-East other than Beverley, but the churches involved seem to be keeping their secrets.

Flaming June June is generally regarded as a sunny and dry month, the time for haysel or hay-making, but also a time of happiness and joy. Its Anglo-Saxon name was Seremonath, which indicated a lack of rain, and another name was Lida Serra. It is thought the latter name may date to Roman times and to the consulate of Junius Brutus. One theory is that Junius indicated youthfulness or alternatively, it might indicate the goddess Juno who was honoured in pagan times as the Queen of Heaven.

In modern times we refer to this month as Flaming June due to the sun’s heat, but a long period of dry warmth does not please our farmers, gardeners and landowners. They prefer a mixture of heat and rain which is reflected in the old saying “A dripping June puts all in tune”.