Julian of Norwich

 

Julian of Norwich (1342-c.1416)

Statue of Julian of Norwich by David Holgate, west front, Norwich Cathedral

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

‘All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.’

I was reminded of these words, revealed to Julian of Norwich, and took some comfort in them. They seem to refer to the transitory nature of troubles and give hope for a better future.

During a serious illness, when she was around thirty years old and thought she was about to die, she received visions of Christ’s Passion. Soon after she recovered, she vowed to become an anchoress and wrote a short version of her experiences. Many years later, she recorded a longer account, subsequently known as the Long Text. Her ‘Revelations of Divine Love,’ are the earliest known works in the English language attributed to a woman.

Julian of Norwich, also referred to as Mother Julian, the Lady Julian, Dame Julian or Juliana of Norwich, lived her entire life in the city of Norwich, which in the 14^th century was an important centre for both commerce and religion. It was second only to London in its importance as an agricultural and trading centre, and was also probably one of the most religious European cities, with its cathedral, friaries, priories, churches and anchorites’ cells.

As an anchorite (or anchoress) Julian of Norwich lived in permanent isolation in a cell attached to St Julian’s Church. The church, one of the oldest in Norwich, was named for St Julian, who lived hundreds of years before the Lady Julian. Attending to her physical needs were servants, among them, Sarah and Alice.

Anchorites removed themselves from secular life to live a profoundly spiritual life of prayer and intercession for others. They voluntarily agreed to live in permanent enclosures, which were often built against church walls. Although some allowed themselves some freedom of movement from cells to church and church grounds, others opted to be walled in. As they undertook the ascetic life, they underwent a consecration similar to a funeral ceremony, after which they were judged to be dead to the world, and took on the form of living saints.

Quatrefoil window, for receiving the Eucharist, and squint to view the high altar in the anchorite cell of St James' Church, Shere, Surrey

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The anchorholds were about twelve to fifteen feet square, with three windows. One window allowed light into the cell, one allowed servants to see to the needs of the occupant, delivering food and water and emptying the chamber pot, for example, and one, called the ‘squint’ or hagioscope, enabled the anchorite to view the church altar, and to receive communion. Anchorites were regarded as respected advisers and were consulted by local congregants for guidance in their spiritual lives.

In ‘Revelations of Divine Life’ Julian wrote, ‘From the time these things were first revealed I had often wanted to know what was our Lord’s meaning . . . Love was His meaning. Who showed it to you? Love. Why did He show it? For love. Hold onto this and you will know and understand love more and more.’

St Julian’s church was destroyed in an air raid in the Second World War, only the original walls remaining. It was rebuilt and a shrine to Julian erected on the original site of her cell. Julian was a common name for girls in the Mediaeval period and was the old form of the modern name, Gillian. 

 

        Anchorite's cell, in St Anne's Church, Lewes Sussex, showing the window onto the chancel

                                                                        Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons