A
wedding in Melrose Abbey is an awe-inspiring event and we will simply
let the pictures and a brief history of the Abbey speak for itself....
The
foundation of Melrose Abbey in 1136 was part of Kind David's major reorganisation
of the Scottish Church and benefited from his encouragement to others
to
become benefactors of the Cistercian Monks who were invited to build
in Melrose.
Such
was the popularity of Melrose that it soon became one of Scotland's
wealthiest medieval monasteries.
The
Monks arriving from Rievaulx began the building of their new abbey in
strict accordance with the Rule of the order, constructing temporary
accommodation first before embarking on the east end of the abbey church.
The work must have been sufficiently advanced by 1146 to enable the
dedication service to take place. But it should be remembered that the
work of erecting the monastery could take 50 years or more, particularly
as the domestic buildings had to be progressed along with it.
Little
of this first church is now visible, but excavations have identified
the main elements of the plan.
Prayer was obviously central to the lives of the monks and the church
provided the focus for their work and the architecture was adapted to
reflect processional needs of the community.
The
presbytery at the east end housed the high altar, while lesser altars
in the transept chapels permitted the ordained monks to say private
masses, partly for the souls of those who had patronized the abbey with
endowments.
The first 200 years passed peacefully, but the tranquil Melrose was
suddenly disrupted in 1296 with Edward I of England's invasion, and
Melrose, at the heart of the Border country, was to suffer repeated
devastation at the hands of the 'auld enemy' for the next 250 years.
In
1322 Edward II's army sacked Melrose and King Robert the Bruce helped
the monks to rebuild the abbey. This devotion to the Cistercians at
Melrose finally received recognition when a month before he died, Bruce
instructed that his heart be buried within the abbey.
Other
versions of history tell us how on his death bed he made his close friend,
Sir James of Douglas, swear to carry his heart against the enemies of
Christ, how Sir James fell fighting against the Moors in Spain and how,
finally, the heart was brought back to Scotland by Sir William Keith
and interred within the abbey.
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"...What
was most impressive to us was the high level of quality and professionalism
of all of those who were part of our day. This was a "high class"
operation."
Pam,
Troy, USA
|
[text and some pictures
courtesy and copyright of Historic Scotland]
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