The legendary Wayland's Smithy - where Excalibur was forged. Apparently.

The entrance to Wayland's Smithy (Wikimedia Commons)

Next stop - Wayland's Smithy, Oxfordshire

England's Wayland's Smithy is a place of great mythic meaning, a tangible link to times of gods, elves, evil kings, and Arthurian legends. The atmospheric, eerie, early-Neolithic, chambered stone long barrow can be found close to the village of Ashbury in England’s leafy Oxfordshire.

Wayland’s Smithy is approximately 185 feet (56.4 metres) long by 43 feet (13 metres) wide, and was built in two distinct phases – well before the mythic Wayland (much more of whom shortly) apparently resided there. The ruin resonates with three periods of time: pre-recorded history, Anglo-Saxon England, and the Middle Ages.

History of Wayland’s Smithy | English Heritage

A brief history of Wayland's Smithy, a two-phase Neolithic tomb built along the Ridgeway

www.english-heritage.org.uk

The first Wayland’s Smithy was a mortuary structure of stone and wood. A narrow wooden box lay on a pavement of sarsen stone slabs, in which folk were buried. The remains of 14 people – 11 men, two women and a child – were found when it was excavated in 1963. The first burials were probably placed there in 3590–3555 BC, and the last in 3580–3550 BC. Used for no more than 15 years, less than a single generation, or maybe an even shorter period, perhaps just a year, some have speculated.

A second, larger barrow (now known as Wayland’s Smithy II), with a monumental stone facing, was built over the top between about 3460 and 3400 BC, absorbing the older mound altogether. This barrow is thought to have remained in use for burials for less than 100 years. The second Wayland’s Smithy II was a very late construction compared to other long barrows, built in the style of older monuments such as the West Kennet Long Barrow two centuries earlier. Did the builders feel the need to create a sense of history, claiming an ancestral connection to the area?

Legend of ‘the invisible smith’

In the Dark Ages, Wayland’s Smithy (once known as Wayland Smith’s cave), was first mentioned by either name in an early medieval land deed (908AD) from Compton Beauchamp, documented in a charter from King Eadred in 955 AD.

An old tale says if a traveller’s horse lost a shoe on the road, he should bring the horse to the barrow and leave it overnight with a coin. When he returned the next day, the horse would be shod and the money absent. The legend of ‘the invisible smith’ was well-known by the 18th century, and familiar to both Walter Scott (1821’s Kenilworth) and Rudyard Kipling (Puck of Pook's Hill, 1906) both using the legend and place in their novels.

Reviving the tradition, coins have been left at at the site since at least the 1960s, visitors lodging the coins into cracks in the site's stones. Coins assiduously removed by the wardens of the Smithy are donated to local charities. Folklorist Ceri Houlbrook noted on the leaving of coins it,"contributes to the ritual narrative of a site."

However, the association with the mysterious Wayland the Smith is far, far older...

Norse elf, Völundr, a smith of brilliant, supernatural skill

Völundr (Wikimedia Commons)

Weland, as the Anglo-Saxons knew him, was in reality the Norse elf, Völundr, a smith of brilliant, supernatural skill, whose reputation for creating both beautiful weapons and jewellery was known throughout Scandinavia. Greedy King Niduth of Sweden thus desired Völundr as his personal smith, kidnapping and ham-stringing him to prevent escape, forcing the elf into servitude.

Völundr went along with this as a pretence, but then hoodwinked the king’s two young sons into his forge, chopped their little noggins off to make gold goblets from their skulls and glittering jewels from their eyes and gnashers. Akin to Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus and the cooked Gothic brats*, he presented these wonderful gift baubles to the avaricious king, his queen, and their daughter, who were all predictably very happy - the fools.

Although happy to gulp wine from his new goblets, Niduth sent servants out to track down his now-missing lads. Meanwhile, the king’s daughter Princess Beahilda asked crafty Völundr to fix a beautiful-but-too-large ring her loving father had recently gifted her. Recognizing it as the one he had made for his wife the Swan-Princess (presumably slain by Niduth’s minions), Völundr became even more incensed at his cruel treatment by the king.

Wikimedia Commons

Völundr, in his rage, drugged and raped the princess, flying from Niduth’s castle on magic wings, taunting the king that his only male heir now was now growing inside Beahilda’s womb – as indeed it was.

After a long, weary flight, Völundr descended to the Berkshire downs, making an new, enchanted abode inside the ancient tomb. From then onwards, the elven smith made many great things there, such as the sword Excalibur, that his chum Merlin asked him to fashion.

The industrious elf also made Durandal - the indestructible sword of Roland (737-778 AD), legendary paladin of Emperor Charlemagne (748-814 AD). Tradition has it that Roland cut a huge gash in the rocks with one blow, forming Roland's Breach in the Pyrenees. Local folklore also claims Durendal still exists, embedded in a cliff wall in Rocamadour (Lot). But the local tourist office says it is a mere replica. And, in addition, Weyland also created the chain mail shirt worn by the heroic Beowulf.

*STOP PRESS* DURANDAL STOLEN (04/06/24)

France's own Excalibur-like legendary sword disappears after 1,300 years wedged in a high rock wall

After 1,300 years wedged into a rock wall in a French village in the Pyrenees, the mythical Durandal sword has mysteriously vanished.

www.cbsnews.com

Wikimedia Commons

Wikimedia Commons

Völundr – or Wayland as he became known as to the English (named by the Saxons who settled in the area some four thousand years after Wayland's Smithy was built) - lives there still. And, some say, can be still be heard, busy knocking stuff up at his forge.

But what happened to Princess Beahilda and her child by Völundr?

According to the 13th century Þiðrekssaga, she gave birth to a son called Viðga. Wayland settled a peace agreement with Otvin (supposedly the older son of Niduth, which kind of negates the point of the earlier telling) and he then married Beahhilda/Böðvildr.

Berkshire History: The Legend of Wayland the Smithy (Ashbury), Part 1

www.berkshirehistory.com

The 10th century Anglo-Saxon poem Deor suggests not- such-a-happy ending:

so painful to her heart as her own problem

which she had readily perceived

that she was pregnant; nor could she ever

foresee without fear how things would turn out.

That went by, so can this

In yet another version, their son is the hero Witege, who wielded the sword Mimung, forged by his dad. He is mentioned in the fragmentary Anglo-Saxon poem Waldere, together with the blade:

a better sword

except the one that I have also in

its stone-encrusted scabbard laid aside.

I know that Theodoric thought to Widia's self

to send it and much treasure too,

jewels with the blade, many more besides,

gold-geared; he received reward

when Nithhad's kinsman, Widia, Welund's son,

delivered him from durance;

through press of monsters hastened forth.

Related fare: The Ring of the Nibelungs movie (not available in certain countries)

Radiohead recorded a music video at the Smithy in 1993 for their Pop Is Dead single, although you can’t really make out much, to be frank.

Wayland's Smithy (Wikimedia Commons)

Wayland's Smithy (Wikimedia Commons)

Great White Horse of Uffington awakens every hundred years

In the distance from the Smithy, Uffington Castle looms; when our distant ancestors built the hillfort, the people laid to rest in the barrow had already been dead for two thousand, eight-hundred years.

Some used to say the great White Horse on the hillside at Uffington is the magnificent Grannie, shod by Wayland for Norse hero, Sigurd, now frozen in chalk. That is until every hundred years, when the White Horse awakes, and thunders across the sky to Wayland’s Smithy, where the smith has to shoe the horse once more. This, apparently, last happened in 1920 at a local tavern.

One evening at the White Horse Inn, at Woolstone in the vale below the Uffington, an unknown man in archaic clothes entered and ordered a pint of the local brew. The sound of a hunting horn then resounded loudly; when it was repeated, the mysterious stranger leapt to his feet and limped hurriedly outside.

The White Horse at Woolstone (Wikimedia Commons)

The pub’s customers looked up to the hillside - the White Horse was gone, but the next morning it was back, with hooves that appeared to glisten in the sunlight.

The White Horse, The Manger, Dragon Hill, Uffington Castle (Wikimedia Commons)

Wayland's Smithy masked night-time shindigs

Disturbingly, in recent years, Wayland's Smithy has been used for masked night-time shindigs by the neo-Nazi Woden's Folk, The Telegraph newspaper reporting that swastikas had been carved into trees at the site.

Something of Hitler’s obsession with the occult and Nordic gods?

Modern Pagans, including Druids and Heathens have also frequented Wayland's Smithy for ritual purposes, attempting to communicate with Spirits of the Earth, long-deceased ancestors and the also Earth Goddess (Danu?) there.

Wayland's Smithy 'neo-Nazi ritual' reports spark more patrols

Wayland's Smithy, a Neolithic chambered long barrow, has reportedly been targeted by neo-Nazis.

www.bbc.co.uk

Neo-Nazis at the National Trust: How far-right groups are trying to 'takeback' ancient sites

The National Trust is to step up security after an investigation by the Telegraph has revealed that neo-Nazis are conducting rituals at their historic sites.

www.telegraph.co.uk

Stephen Arnell’s novel THE GREAT ONE is available on Amazon Kindle now:

The Great One : The Secret Memoirs of Pompey the Great eBook : Arnell, Stephen: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

The Great One : The Secret Memoirs of Pompey the Great eBook : Arnell, Stephen: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

www.amazon.co.uk

*

“The earliest extant record of the Wayland legend is the representation in carved ivory on a casket of Northumbrian workmanship of a date not later than the beginning of the 8th century. The fragments of this casket, known as the Franks casket, came into the possession of a professor at Clermont in Auvergne about the middle of the last century, and was presented to the British Museum by Sir A. W. Franks, who had bought it in Paris for a dealer. One fragment is in Florence. The left-hand compartment of the front of the casket shows Völundr holding with a pair of tongs the skull of one of Níþoþr's children, which he is fashioning into a goblet. The boy's body lies at his feet. Bodvildr and her attendant also appear, and Egill, who in one version made Völundr's wings, is depicted in the act of catching birds.” (Wikimedia Commons)

A Church of Stone and Bone: Unveiling the Secrets of Hythe's Ossuary

Standing sentinel over the Kent town of Hythe, St Leonard's Church is a testament to centuries of faith and history. Its imposing structure, a blend of Norman and Early English styles, hints at a rich past. Yet, within its walls lies a more unexpected story; a silent congregation of bone, housed in the largest and most well-preserved ossuary in Britain. This article delves into the intriguing history of St Leonard's Church. There is a particular focus on the enigmatic crypt and the ongoing quest to understand the lives it holds within its skeletal embrace.

A Church Steeped in History

The origins of St Leonard's Church remain shrouded in some mystery. Historical evidence suggests a Saxon foundation, possibly as early as the 10th century. However, the earliest documented record dates back to 1090. A time when a Norman church dedicated to Saint Leonard, the patron saint of prisoners, stood on the site. The Normans, known for their architectural prowess, likely constructed the core of the present-day church.

Over the centuries, St Leonard's underwent several extensions and modifications. The 13th century saw the addition of the chancel, a key architectural element that would become intricately linked to the church's unusual crypt. Furthermore, this period also coincided with a growing trend of building charnel houses – dedicated spaces to store exhumed bones from overflowing cemeteries.

Unveiling the Crypt: A Repository of the Past

Descending a narrow staircase, visitors to St Leonard's Church encounter a sight both captivating and unsettling: the ossuary. Nevertheless, unlike traditional crypts, this space is not a subterranean chamber but an above-ground room built as part of the 13th-century chancel extensions. Lined with shelves along its four arched bays, the ossuary holds an estimated 2,000 skulls and a staggering 8,000 thigh bones.

The precise reason for creating such a repository is open to debate. One theory suggests it served a practical purpose – as a charnel house, storing exhumed bones from the surrounding churchyard to make space for new burials. Consequently, this practice was quite common in medieval England, though the sheer scale and meticulous arrangement of the Hythe ossuary set it apart.

Another theory proposes a more spiritual significance. During the Middle Ages, memento mori – the contemplation of mortality – was a prevalent theme in religious thought. The ossuary, with its stark display of human remains, could have served as a powerful reminder of death's inevitability and the importance of living a righteous life.

The Whispers of the Skulls: Unveiling Identities

The origins of the individuals represented in the ossuary remain a subject of ongoing research. Radiocarbon dating has confirmed that the bones date primarily to the medieval period, ranging from the 12th to the 15th centuries. This timeframe coincides with a period of significant population growth in Hythe, a bustling port town.

A closer examination of the skulls reveals intriguing details. Several exhibit signs of trepanation, a surgical procedure involving the drilling of a hole in the skull. While the exact reasons for trepanation in these cases remain unclear. It was a practice employed for various ailments, ranging from headaches to epilepsy.

The meticulous arrangement of the bones, with skulls placed on shelves and long bones stacked in the central bay, suggests a degree of respect and order. This careful organization, along with the sheer volume of remains, hints at a systematic collection process over an extended period.

Modern Research and the Untold Stories

In recent years, advancements in archaeological and forensic techniques have opened new avenues for understanding the lives represented in the ossuary. Researchers have begun analyzing the bone structure and chemical composition to glean information about diet, health, and even geographical origins of the individuals.

Isotope analysis, for instance, can reveal dietary patterns based on the presence of specific elements absorbed through food. Such research could shed light on the socioeconomic diversity of the population buried at St Leonard's and whether the ossuary contained remains from across the social spectrum.

DNA analysis, while a complex undertaking on such aged remains, holds the potential to unlock even more profound insights. It could reveal genetic relationships between individuals and potentially provide clues about migration patterns and disease prevalence in medieval Hythe.

Conclusion

The Hythe ossuary serves as a powerful reminder of the impermanence of life and the enduring power of human curiosity. Standing as one of Britain's most well-preserved repositories of the past, it presents a unique opportunity to delve into the lives of a medieval community.

The ongoing research into the origins and identities of the individuals housed within the ossuary promises to unveil a wealth of information. This knowledge has the potential to not only illuminate the specific history of Hythe but also shed light on broader social, dietary, and health practices of medieval England.

References:

Parish of St Leonard, Hythe. "The history of St Leonard's church." The Parish of St Leonard, Hythe, www.slhk.org. Accessed July 9, 2024.

Brown, Peter. Medieval Charnel Houses and Ossuaries in England. Cambridge University Press, 2018.

Thomas, Anne. Sacred Bones: The Spiritual Significance of Ossuaries. Routledge, 2021.

Flickering Lamps, https://flickeringlamps.com/2015/07/10/the-extraordinary-ossuary-at-st-leonards-church-hythe/

Public Domain Images

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Leonard%27s_Church,_Hythe,_from_the_north_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2196134.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Leonard%27s_Church,_Hythe,_from_the_north_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2196134.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ossuary_in_the_crypt_of_St_Leonard%27s_Church_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1003309.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_crypt,_St._Leonard%27s_church,_Hythe_-_geograph.org.uk_-_5399995.jpg

The Conqueror Worm: Lambton’s Serpentine Monster & Friends

The humungus ‘wyrms’ that once plagued ‘The Old North’

The Lambton Worm (Wikimedia Commons)

And the angels, all pallid and wan,

Uprising, unveiling, affirm

That the play is the tragedy, "Man,"

And its hero the Conqueror Worm.

From "The Conqueror Worm" by Edgar Allan Poe

The Lambton Worm is a legend from County Durham in North-East England in the United Kingdom, formerly part of the ancient kingdom of Northumbria.

The Worm appears

In medieval times (14th century), headstrong young landowner John Lambton skips church one Sunday to go fishing in the River Wear. On his way, he receives warnings from an old fellow (or a witch) that nothing good can come from his missing his hymns.

Lambton fails to catch anything until the church service ends, at which point he nets a tiny eel- or lamprey - with nine holes on each side of its salamander head, no bigger than his thumb. Some say it had legs, others not. The old man (or witch) returns, Lambton claiming he has "catched the devil" and slings it down a nearby well. The old man/witch proceeds to warn about the nature of the creature.

Years later, as penance for his wild-ish young ways, Lambton joins the Crusades - most likely those in either Tunisia or Lithuania. During his absence, the beast grows to a frightening extent and poisons the well. Livestock go missing and the huge, fully-grown worm coils itself seven times round Penshaw Hill (or alternatively Fatfield’s Worm Hill), terrifying the locals.

Photo courtesy of Bing 2010

Worm Hill, Fatfield.

An investigation into the origins of Worm Hill, a sacred mound within a sacred and ritual landscape. Includes "The Legend of the Lambton Worm" DECODED, and the probable site of a previously undiscovered Roman Settlement.

www.washingtonlass.com

The worm makes its way to Lambton Castle, where Lambton’s elderly father, the Lord, pacifies the creature by daily offerings of the milk of nine cows - around twenty gallons. When villagers try to slay the worm they are easily killed. Even when they cut a piece off it, the creature just reattaches it.

Even armoured knights fare no better, and are all butchered.

The Worm defeated?

When John Lambton finally arrived home from the wars, the family estate is virtually destitute, milked dry, as it were. John resolves to end the menace, first consulting a local witch, who explains his sin of skipping church, birthed the worm. A bit drastic, in my opinion. On the hag’s advice, he covers his armour in spearheads and battles the worm in the River Wear, which passes the time wrapped around a great rock. The witch also tells Lambton that if he kills the beast, he must then exterminate the first living thing he espies, or otherwise the Lambtons will suffer a curse for the following nine generations, where none will die a peaceful death.

Lambton follows her instructions, and arranges with his dad that when he kills the worm, he will blow his hunting horn three times. His old man will then release his best hound, who will speed to John, who will then slay it and avoid the curse. Charming.

So, after a tough struggle, John eventually offs the dread worm and sounds the horn. But...

The Lambtons cursed?

John's elderly father is so excited by the death of the terror, he forgets to let the hound out, and instead runs as fast as he can to praise the lad. John can’t kill the old boy, so eventually slays the innocent dog, but too late - nine generations of Lambtons are thereby jinxed. This appears to have been true across at least the three Lambton family heads, adding to the legend.

The Penshaw Monument(Wikimedia Commons)

The Penshaw Monument (officially the Earl of Durham's Monument) is a memorial in the style of the Athenian Greek temple of Hephaestus, constructed on Penshaw Hill, built between 1844 and 1845 to commemorate John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham (1792–1840) and Governor-General of British North America.

The story of the Lambton Worm has proved potent enough to spawn a cottage industry of literature, movies, opera, and song.

Back in 1989, Wicker Man screenwriter Anthony Shaffer wrote the film script, The Loathsome Lambton, a direct sequel to his 1973 picture. The picture was sadly never produced, but a fan-made, fully casted audio drama adaptation of Shaffer's script was released in 2020.

Q The Winged Serpent (1982)

The Lambton Worm (1867) by Clarence M. Leumane

One Sunday morn young Lambton
Went a-fishin’ in the Wear;
An’ catched a fish upon his heuk,
He thowt leuk’t varry queer,

But whatt’n a kind of fish it was
Young Lambton couldn’t tell.
He waddn’t fash to carry it hyem,
So he hoyed it doon a well.

(Chorus)
Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs,
Aa’ll tell ye aall an aaful story,
Whisht! lads, haad yor gobs,
An aa’ll tell ye aboot the worm.

Noo Lambton felt inclined to gan
An’ fight in foreign wars.
He joined a troop o’ Knights
That cared for neither wounds nor scars,

An’ off he went to Palestine
Where queer things him befel,
An’ varry seun forgot aboot
The queer worm in the well.

(Chorus)

But the worm got fat an’ growed an’ growed,
An’ growed an aaful size;
With greet big teeth, and greet big gob,
An’ greet big goggley eyes.

An’ when at neets he craaled aboot
To pick up bits o’ news,
If he felt dry upon the road,
He milked a dozen coos.

(Chorus)

This feorful worm wad often feed
On calves an’ lambs an’ sheep
An’ swally little bairns alive
When they laid doon to sleep.

An’ when he’d eaten aall he cud
An’ he had had his fill,
He craaled away an’ lapped his tail
Seven times roond Penshaw Hill.

(Chorus)

The news of this most aaful worm
An’ his queer gannins on,
Seun crossed the seas, gat to the ears
Of brave an’ bowld Sir John.

So hyem he cam an’ catched the beast
An’ cut ‘im in three halves,
An’ that seun stopped him eatin’ bairns
An’ sheep an’ lambs and calves.

(Chorus)

So noo ye knaa hoo aall the folks
On byeth sides of the Wear
Lost lots o’ sheep an’ lots o’ sleep
An’ lived in mortal feor.

So let’s hev one to brave Sir John
That kept the bairns frae harm,
Saved coos an’ calves by myekin’ halves
O’ the famis Lambton Worm.

(Chorus)

Noo lads, Aa’ll haad me gob,
That’s aall Aa knaa aboot the story
Of Sir John’s clivvor job
Wi’ the aaful Lambton Worm.

But what was the origin of the legend?

Some posit that Dark Age Viking raiders in the area with their ‘fire wyrms’ were the basis for the story, although difficult to match with the much later setting of the tale. The Worms (Ormr) dragon bows of Viking longships add some additional evidence to the theory.

Wikimedia Commons

Others believe that some kind of beast actually existed in the area, as other examples were scattered throughout the Olde Northumbria. Perhaps an alligator/crocodile had been gifted by the Byzantines to the Kings of Northumbria’s personal menagerie, and had escaped, and then bred in the deep local rivers?

As Vikings and post-Norman Conquest Anglo-Saxons served as Varangian Guards to the Emperor of Byzantium, could there be some kind of connection there; the raiders keeping some exotic beast as a totem, who may have escaped?

Others still are convinced that the Great Worm is merely a salutary fictional lesson from the Christian hierarchy of the time to enforce church attendance.

Royal Menageries: How an Elephant Wound Up in Charlemagne’s Court

From ancient Rome to Charlemagne’s court to the Tower of London and beyond, roaring lions and trumpeting elephants have been traveling across Europe for thousands of years.

www.thecollector.com

Did You Know the British Royals Once Had a Personal Zoo in the Tower of London?

According to Historic Royal Places, the Tower of London was home to a collection of exotic wild animals, including lions and polar bears gifted to the royals, from the 13th century until 1835

people.com

Other worms/wyrms?

As said, The Lambton Worm is not the only such beast in what was once called The Old North -check out:

The Worm of Linton

Wikimedia Commons

The Linton Worm – Mysterious Britain & Ireland

www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk

The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh

Wikimedia Commons

Bamburgh

www.englandinparticular.info

The Sockburn Worm - the inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky?

The Jabberwocky (Wikimedia Commons)

History of Croft, Sockburn and Sadberge

History of places near Darlington. Sadberge and its wapentake, Sockburn and its worm legend. Croft: Lewis Carroll’s boyhood home.

englandsnortheast.co.uk

The Conyers Falchion

www.foxtail.nu

Stephen Arnell’s novel THE GREAT ONE is available now on Amazon Kindle:

The Great One : The Secret Memoirs of Pompey the Great eBook : Arnell, Stephen: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

The Great One : The Secret Memoirs of Pompey the Great eBook : Arnell, Stephen: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store

www.amazon.co.uk

I Walk in Two Worlds

“I was suddenly transported to a historical biblical scene that took place 3,480 years ago and consciously found myself in a tent in a hot, arid desert...”

The laws of psychic science have never changed

Mediums are the communication link between the physical and spirit worlds and are said to ‘walk in two worlds’, which is an accurate metaphor. I attended a demonstration of trance mediumship with Robin Hodson, who entered into a deep trance state, allowing his Spirit guide, Jacob, to speak through him.

Jacob’s ‘lecture’ provided profound insights into the process of death and he also invited questions from the audience, stipulating that they must be philosophical and relate to all people. Anyone who had a question was asked to come to the front of the room and sit next to the entranced medium so the questioner ‘would be in his energy’. I was awed that every answer Jacob gave was profoundly personal, addressing specific details of each person’s life and providing each questioner with counsel, support and even healing.

As I witnessed the deeply engaging questioning process, I was suddenly transported to a historical biblical scene that took place 3,480 years ago and consciously found myself in a tent in a hot, arid desert. Two people sat at the front of the tent and a third person joined them and asked a question. It dawned on me that I was observing what transpired in Moses’ meeting tent, an event documented in the Bible in Exodus chapter 33, and that I was standing in two different time periods, one in 2018 and the other in 1462 B.C. [1]

This unique experience did not surprise me, because I learned early in my education of mediumship in the Bible: “The laws of psychic science have never changed. What happened in Biblical times can still happen today, under suitable conditions.”[2] A sudden burst of emotion brought my focus back from the Biblical scene to the hotel meeting room and I immediately knew that I had just experienced a holy communion with a highly evolved Spirit. Then I heard a voice in my head reciting a Bible verse: “And Moses took the Tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the Congregation.”

The realization that I had walked in two time periods caused deep emotion and resonance with the intensity of the divine energy that Jacob transmitted in the room. But at the same time, this unique experience did not surprise me because I learned early in my education of mediumship that: The laws of psychic science have never changed. What happened in Biblical times can still happen today, under suitable conditions.

252 Translations of the Old Testament

I recognized the first half of the 7th verse in chapter 33 of the book of Exodus as it is written in the King James Bible [KJV]. The name of the Tabernacle, מוֹעֵד אֹהֶל/'ohel mow`ed, varies in the 252 translations of the Old Testament I studied. Bible translators created 48 different variations to translate the Hebrew phrase. I will discuss only 2 of them in this article.

While KJV used the phrase Tabernacle of the congregation, THB used the phrase Tent of Appointed Meeting;[3] which is a direct literal translation of the Hebrew words. THB is also psychically correct because it is essential for a medium who wants to work with Spirit on a regular basis, to fix an appointment with Spirit.

The other psychically accurate translation which described what I was witnessing in that hotel meeting room with Jacob was ETHJ’s phrase: Tabernacle of the House of Instruction.[4] Listening to Jacob speak was identical to attending a college professor’s lecture. Jacob’s subject was death, and he instructed us not only about the process but what one experiences during and after the transition from the physical world into the Spirit World. It was indeed highly instructive with unique information not found in any book.

I heard then the voice recite the second half of verse 7 of chapter 33 in the book of Exodus: “And it came to pass, that every one which sought the Lord went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.”[KJV]. During my study of the second half of verse 7, I discovered the Hebrew verb בָּקַשׁ/baqash that KJV translated as sought, was translated 30 different ways in the 252 translations of the Old Testament. Many of these variations described a person asking a question.

Here are just three that would fall into that category. NIrV used the phrase to ask a question.[5] ARATO used the phrase seeking instruction.[6] CEB used the phrase wanted advice.[7] These three translations accurately described what I witnessed in the hotel meeting room that day, which is the modern version of the Biblical מוֹעֵד אֹהֶל/'ohel mow`ed.

Gifts of the Spirit

Imagr: Falco, Pixabay

Both Biblical and modern-day people asked Spirit a question and received a personalized answer; an answer specifically tailored to that person’s experiences and needs.

Most Bible translators are uneducated in the Gifts of the Spirit. They ignored Saint Paul’s directive to understand psychic science.[8] It is this lack of understanding that caused errors in translation to appear in Bibles.

For example, the Hebrew verb בָּקַשׁ/baqash is translated as disputes to settle in KNOX,[9] as pray in GRT,[10] and repented in ARATJ.[11] There is a significant difference between asking God a question, repenting and praying to Him. So, why would Bible translators choose the words pray and repented rather than question? Are these Bible translators trying to disguise the fact that one could ask a question and receive an answer from Spirit? Would people start to question: why the ancient Hebrews could have a two-way conversation with God, and 21st-century people are told they cannot?

In Biblical times, people who wanted guidance from Spirit – or as the Bible says to consult[12] or inquire of God,[13] – went to the Meeting Tent. Orthodox religions denied humanity the possibility of divine guidance, after they placed the psychically ungifted priest as the intermediary between God and the people instead of the genuine medium or prophet, as God had intended.[14]

Now we come to the intriguing subject. Who heard the people’s questions and answered them in Moses’ Meeting Tent? 252 translations of the Old Testament provides us with 17 different answers!

Nine Different Names For God

In the Hebrew Torah, God’s name is unpronounceable because it is written using four consonants יהוה and no vowels. Perhaps this was intentional, so no one could invoke God’s name to perform “self-focused deeds.” Therefore, in the Jewish tradition יהוה is pronounced Adonai, but there is no association between the sound of Adonai and the written letters יהוה.

Here are 9 of the Bible translators’ names for God: Adonai,[15] Ever-Living,[16] God,[17] Hashem (literal translation is the name),[18] Jehovah,[19] the Eternal,[20] the Lord,[21] Yahweh,[22] YHVH.[23]

Many people believe the Bible is the direct word of God, a book without error or contradiction, and has remained unaltered through the centuries. We have seen the error of this statement, with the extensive assortment of variations in the English translation of Hebrew words, even including the name of God.

Readers of this article may begin to question why I interchange the words God and Spirit. In my 43 years of experience with mediumship, I accepted long ago that when the Bible used the phrase “the Lord,” it did not refer to “the Almighty God, the creator of the universe.” It referred to a Spirit person.

In Biblical times, when Prophets or Mediums addressed the invisible entity who spoke to them, they used the phrase “the Lord” as a sign of respect. It is similar to when a common person in England addressed an aristocrat using the term your Lordship, 200 years ago. The Bible proves the validity of this concept. Jesus taught: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. [KJV].”[24]

What Did Jesus Really Say?

However, the KJV (King James Version) is NOT a precise translation of what Jesus said. According to the Greek New Testament circa 90–110A. D.,[25] Jesus said, “πνεῦμα ὁ θεός/Spirit is God.”[26] In the Gospel of John in the Latin (Vulgate) translated by St. Jerome and published in 384 A. D.[27] Jesus said, "Spiritus est Deus/Spirit is God."[28] In both Bibles, the word Spirit comes before God.

However, only 4 of the 406 English versions of the New Testament, I have studied, accurately translate precisely what Jesus said. HEIN states A spirit the God is.[29] HORNS states A spirit is God.[30] DIAG states A spirit the God.[31] And PSR states For breath (rúwach) [the Hebrew word for Spirit] is of ’Elohíym [the Hebrew word for God].[32]

We believe that God is omniscient, meaning all knowing, and has a total understanding because He can perceive all things. I witnessed the Spirit Jacob being omniscient, knowing all the personal details of the questioner’s life, who sat in the chair next to him. Remember, Jacob wanted to sit in the questioner’s energy. This energetic contact allowed Jacob access to the memories recorded in the questioner’s soul and thereby enabled Jacob to give highly personal answers.

Jesus The Medium?

Spirit’s knowledge of the intimate details of a person’s life is also found in the Bible. In the Gospel of John chapter 4, as Jesus spoke with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, he asked her for a drink of water. The woman gave Jesus her filled water-pot. After he drank from it, and still holding the water-pot, he began to use the Gift of Psychometry. The Spirit working with him, began to tell Jesus specific details about the woman’s life. Jesus then told the woman she had five husbands and was now living with a man she had not married.[33] “The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.” [34]

The woman called Jesus a prophet. She unknowingly acknowledged his mediumistic abilities, which allowed him to give personal details about her life.

In July 2000, I spent two days at Harvard’s School of Theology Library, researching 19th century New Testaments. At one point, I decided to take a break and went to the library’s reference section to investigate the etymology of a Hebrew word. After I completed my research for the day, I returned to my hotel room. That evening, a thought entered my mind: “You should have looked up the word you absolutely need to know— קֹדֶשׁ/qodesh (the Hebrew word for holy).”

The next day, I returned to the library and used the same trilingual dictionary, which translated the Hebrew words into German and English. (Hebrew words have a three-consonant root and are in word families.) I was shocked when I read its entry for the Hebrew word קֹדֶשׁ/qodesh /holy whose root קדש/qds.“קדש/qds comes from Ugaritic and has the meaning Heiligtum[35] [German] sanctuary [English], Akkadian qadasu meaning glänzen[36] [German] shine [English].”[37]

Vital Information Missing From Bibles

From this trilingual dictionary, I discovered if something is holy it shines! When a medium such as Robin Hodson goes into a trance state, his energy blends with the Spirit’s energy. Therefore, the medium’s aura or light field that emanates from his soul expands from its usual 18 inches (45.75 cm) from the body to 40 inches (101.6 cm) when the medium is entranced. A clairvoyant will see aura’s light as bright as “being outside on a sunny day.”[38]

This is one of many examples, where the original Hebrew word contains strong psychic meaning. However, Bible translators who lack knowledge of psychic science, or the Gifts of the Spirit, leaves this psychic information behind in the original Hebrew, and never put this psychic information into the text of English language Bibles!

The Biblical and linguistic evidence I have gleaned over the years, are now proved irrefutable: the laws of mediumship are immutable. Not only is Spirit communication possible today, as in Biblical times, but remains a powerful, profound and holy experience.

---

References
[1] Reese, Edward. The Reese Chronological Bible. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1977. p. 169.
[2] Rev. Carl R. Hewitt, Founder and Pastor of Gifts of the Spirit Church often made this statement from his pulpit.
[3]Turner, Gwin. The Heritage Bible: Containing The Old And New Covenants: A Totally New, Literal, and Absolutely Precise Translation Out of the Original Tongues. Los Angeles, CA: The Cathedral University, Publisher, 2003. p. 156.
[4] Etheridge, John Wesley. The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan Ben Uzziël on the Pentateuch. Genesis and Exodus. Vol. 1. London Longman, Green & Roberts, 1862. p. 422.
[5] New International Reader’s Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996. p. 119.
[6] Grossfeld, Bernard. The Aramaic Bible: Targum Onqelos to Exodus. Vol. 7. Wilmington, DE: Michael Glazier, 1988. p. 92.
[7] Aaron, Charles. Common English Bible. Nashville, TN: Common English Bible, 2011. p. 50.
[8] 1 Corinthians 12:1.
[9] Knox, Ronald. The Holy Bible. New York: Sheed & Ward, Inc., 1944. p. 80.
[10] [The Great Bible] Whitchurch, Edward & Grafton, Richard. The Bible. 1540. Exodus 33:7. Unpaged.
[11] McNamara, Martin. The Aramaic Bible: Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Exodus. Vol. 2. Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press, 1994. p. 256.
[12] Bishops’ Committee of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. New American Bible. Washington, D. C.: The Catholic Press, Publishers, 1970. p. 65.
[13] Fenton, Ferrar. The Holy Bible in Modern English. NY: Oxford University Press (American Branch), 1922. p. 86.
[14] Jeremiah 7:25-26.
[15] Stern, David H. Complete Jewish Bible. Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. 1998. p. 98.
[16] Fenton, Ferrar. The Holy Bible in Modern English. NY: Oxford University Press (American Branch), 1922. p. 86.
[17] Hirsch, Samson Raphael. The Pentateuch: Translated and Explained by Samson Raphael Hirsch; Rendered into English by Isaac Levy. Vol. 2 Exodus. 2nd ed. Gateshead: Judaica Press, Ltd., 1989. p. 634.
[18] Scherman, Nosson. Tanach: The Torah/Prophets/Writings, Stone Edition Tanach. Brooklyn, NY: Mesorah Publications, 1996. p. 221.
[19] Bate, Julius, Rev. A New and Literal Translation from the Original Hebrew of the Pentateuch of Moses. London: W. Faden ; B. Law ; E. and C. Dilly ; and Mess. Faden and Jefferys, 1773. p. 130.
[20] Ray, John Mead. A Revised Translation and Interpretation of the Sacred Scriptures. London: G. Robinson and Co., 1799. Exodus 33:7. Unpaged.
[21] Tyndale, William. Tyndale’s Old Testament: Being the Pentateuch of 1530. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1992. p. 134.
[22] Rotherham, Joseph Bryant. The Emphasized Bible: A New Translation. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1967. p. 117.
[23] Hurt, John. Sacred Name King James Bible, 2001. http://www.sacrednamebible.com/
[24] John 4:24 [KJV].
[25] "Gospel of John." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Aug. 2018. Web. 02 Sept. 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_John.
[26] Marshall, Alfred. The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament: The Nestle Greek Text with a Literal English Translation. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1978. p. 371.
[27] "Vulgate." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Aug. 2018. Web. 02 Sept. 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulgate#Translation.
[28] Hollybushe, Johan. The New Testament Both in Latin and English. Southwarke: James Nicolson, 1538. John 4:24. Unpaged.
[29] Herman Heinfetter. A Literal Translation of the New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 6th ed. London: Evan Evans, 1863. p. 151.
[30] Horner. Coptic Version of the New Testament: in the Southern Dialect. Vol. 3 Gospel of S. John. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1911. p. 53.
[31] Wilson, Benjamin. Dr. The Emphatic Diaglott. Brooklyn, NY: The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1942. p. 310.
[32] Pure Scriptures for the Remnant. 2010. [http://www.yahuwshua.org/en/mainpage.htm].
[33] John 4: 16-18.
[34] John 4:16-19 [KJV].
[35] Heiligtum means sanctuary, church or shrine according to: Jones, Trevor, Ed. The Oxford-Harrap Standard German-English Dictionary. Vol 2 F-K. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 1977. p. H-33.
[36] Glänzen means to shine (of hair, fabric, leather, metal, etc.), to be shiny, glossy, glow according to: Jones, Trevor, Ed. The Oxford-Harrap Standard German-English Dictionary. Vol 2 F-K. Oxford, England: Clarendon Press, 1977. p. G-99.
[37] Köhler, Ludwig. A Dictionary of the Hebrew Old Testament in English and German. A Dictionary of the Aramaic Parts of the Old Testament in English and German. Leiden, Holland: Brill, 1953. p. 825.
[38] See: Schwartz, Sidney & Rev. Carl R. Hewitt. Crossovers: The Origin of Homosexuality Revealed. North Charleston, SC: Createspace, 2014. p. 287-290.