Big Ben to be Silenced – But the Iconic Bell Will Chime Again!

Ancient Origins

Big Ben to be Silenced – But the Iconic Bell Will Chime Again!

 The Victorian-era treasure known as Big Ben will be taking a four-year break from its hourly song starting at noon on Monday August 21. The bells making up the clock at the most photographed building in Britain will be silenced for scheduled conservation work which will include dismantling the mechanisms piece by piece for cleaning and repair.

The official name for the iconic tower is actually currently the Elizabeth Tower (for Queen Elizabeth II); Big Ben is just the largest of the five bells inside it. Nonetheless, the famous site is often referred to as Big Ben. The Great Bell (Big Ben) weighs a massive 13.7 tons and strikes on the hour to the note of E natural. It has been performing this task practically non-stop (apart from some short spells for maintenance) for 157 years.

There is a lot of history that has happened at the historical site over the years. The Palace of Westminster (which houses the Elizabeth Tower and Big Ben), has been a location of royal and governmental power, ambition, intrigue, protest, and terror since about the 11th century.

 Cnut, a Danish king who also ruled England from 1016-1035, may have been the first ruler to build a palace there.

Canute (Cnut) the Great illustrated in an Initial of a medieval manuscript. (Public Domain)

 King Henry III (1207-1272) transformed the palace in the 13th century into a site of grandeur for the government and royalty. According to Living Heritage “From as early as 1259, the state openings of parliamentary occasions were held in the King's private apartment at Westminster, the Painted Chamber.” By 1512 the palace was Parliament’s permanent home.

Parliament and Westminster Bridge. (Graeme Maclean/CC BY 2.0)

In 1605, Westminster was the backdrop for the infamous gunpowder plot - Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the old Houses of Lords and was executed in Old Palace Yard. Most of the medieval palace was eventually destroyed by fire in 1834; only Westminster Hall, the Jewel Tower, the Chapel of St Mary's Undercroft, and the Cloisters and Chapter House of St Stephen's Chapel survived.

‘The Gunpowder Plot Conspirators’, 1605, by unknown artist. (Public Domain)

The first attempts at chiming ‘Big Ben’ resulted in fractures on the bell and some reworking, but the grand bell started keeping time in 1859.

Engraving of the second 'Big Ben', taken from ‘The Illustrated News of the World’ December 4, 1858. (Public Domain)

 It’s not surprising that British newspaper columnist Quentin Letts told CBS News the idea of stopping Big Ben is like stopping London’s heartbeat. “This is the marrow in our bones, this old clock. The thought of it not being there, or one hand flying off, or heaven forbid, the thing going digital, is just too gruesome to consider.”

Letts should rest somewhat easier knowing that traditional methods and materials will be used as much as possible. However, some new amenities such as an elevator, washroom, and a kitchen will be added. A collection of 28 energy efficient LED lightbulbs that can change color will also be added to each clock face so the tower can be tinted for special events. This also means that the clock faces will be temporarily covered during some phases of the works.

Clock face on Elizabeth Tower. (CC BY SA 4.0)

Steve Jaggs, keeper of the Great Clock, said “The tower is not unstable. But unless we do something now it's going to get a lot worse […] We need to do the work pretty soon to keep this for future generations to enjoy.”

Although Big Ben won’t be chiming on the hour, it is still planned to sound on Remembrance Day and on New Year’s Eve. The clock will be powered by an electric motor during the conservation work, so it will continue to run. The BBC reports that BBC Radio 4, which has been broadcasting the chimes live, will be using a recording of the sounds while the bells are silent.

Locals have been asked to come out and mark the event of Big Ben’s final bongs until 2021 at noon on August 21.

 Top Image: The Elizabeth Tower houses Big Ben. Source: Public Domain

 By Alicia McDermott

Archaeologists Discover Remains of Viking Parliament of Medieval Norse King in Scotland

Ancient Origins

A place where Vikings settled disputes, made key political decisions, and decided laws has been unearthed on the Isle of Bute, in Scotland.

The history of the Isle of Bute is connected with the Norse King Ketill Flatnose, whose descendants were the earliest settlers of Iceland. The site which was recently discovered has been identified as the location of a Norse parliament, known as a ''thing''.

'Althing in Session' (19th century) by W. G. Collingwood. (Public Domain)

Although in our times this word is mostly related to unimportant objects, in Viking times this term had a different meaning. According to specialists in old Scandinavian languages, the word ''thing'' came from the old Norse word ''ping'', meaning assembly.
The mound site at Cnoc an Rath has been an interesting archaeological site since the 1950s, but it has never been fully researched. The recent series of excavations was started due to the suggestion that it could have been a farm site dating back to the prehistoric or medieval period.

The Herald reports that archaeologists uncovered samples of a preserved surface during excavations, which was analyzed with the use of radiocarbon dating. The results were clear; the area was an important land for the Vikings during their stay in Scotland.

Cnoc an Rath on the Isle of Bute, Scotland. (Discover Bute, Youtube Screenshot)

The discovery was presented at the beginning of May at the Scottish Place-Name Society Conference, held in Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. According to the researchers, the discovered site contains important evidence of human activity and a possible location for the headquarters of the Gall-Gaidheil, meaning ''Foreign Gaels''.

• Archaeologists Discover 1,000-year-old Viking 'Parliament' in Scotland
• The Ancient Parliamentary Plains of Iceland
• The Sagas of the Icelanders shed light on Golden Age

As archaeologist Paul Duffy, who runs Brandanii Archaeology and Heritage Consultancy, said:

“The first date from the site is between the mid-7th Century and the mid-9th century. That is the end of Dalriada and the time when the Vikings arrive at the end of the 8th Century - so it puts it firmly in the time we were looking at, although maybe a little bit early to be a 'thing' site. The second date we got back - was late 7th Century to late 9th century – which puts it quite firmly in the period when we are fairly sure Vikings are active round about the Argyll coast and Bute.''

The Norse-Gael society dominated the region of the Irish Sea for a part of the medieval times. They supported the Kings of Ireland with military forces.
The main evidence which links Bute with old Viking traditions is the Irish religious manuscript Martyrology of Tallaght, which dates to around 900 AD. It refers to the bishop, St. Blane of Kingarth on Bute, who stayed in the territory of the Gall-Gaidheil. The researchers believe that the leader of the Gall-Gaidheil, Ketill Flatnose, was also connected with this place. Apart from this, medieval farms dated back to the 14th century have also been identified at the location.

The path at Cnoc an Rath on the Isle of Bute, Scotland. (Alan Reid/CC BY SA 2.0)

It is not the first discovery like this in Scotland. On October 27, 2013, Ancient Origins informed that archaeologists discovered an 11th century Viking parliament underneath a parking lot in the town of Dingwall. It was considered as a rare finding because most Viking assemblies took place in open-air fields - so it is quite unusual to find a more permanent building that was used.
An important parliament site was also discovered in Iceland, at Þingvellir (the ‘assembly fields’ or ‘Parliament Plains’), which is in the southwestern part of the island. Founded in 930 AD, the Althingi was initially used for the general assembly of the Icelandic Commonwealth. The gatherings typically lasted for two weeks in June, which was a period of uninterrupted daylight, and had the mildest weather.
During these meetings, the country’s most powerful leaders would decide on legislation and dispense justice. At the center of the assembly was the Lögberg, or Law Rock. This was a rocky outcrop which the Lawspeaker, the presiding official of the assembly, took his seat. Today, Þingvellir is an Icelandic national park, as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Lögberg, or Law Rock, at Þingvellir National Park, Iceland. (My Iceland)

The domination of the Vikings on the seas and oceans was visible for a few centuries in the Middle Ages. The Norse people left Scandinavia, traveled to Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, and finally landed in North America, where they created the first settlements in Canada.
The heritage of the people from some of the coldest parts of Europe is related not only with war but also building boats and the colonization of new lands. The Vikings had a well-organized society, which respected law and had a form of structure - which nowadays we often call a parliament.

Þorgnýr the Lawspeaker showing the power of his office to the King of Sweden at Gamla Uppsala, 1018. (Public Domain)

Featured Image: The site of Cnoc an Rath on the Isle of Bute, Scotland. (Paul Duffy) Germanic thing, drawn after the depiction in a relief of the Column of Marcus Aurelius (AD 193) (Public Domain)
By Natalia Klimczak

History Trivia - Charles II proclaimed King of England

May 8

1660 Parliament proclaimed Charles II king of England, restoring the monarchy after more than a decade.

History Trivia - Simon de Montfort holds first English Parliament

January 20

1265 The first English parliament was held by Simon de Montfort in the Palace of Westminster (Houses of Parliament)and was attended by elected Burgesses and knights. 

History Trivia - Bernard of Clairvaux urges the necessity of a Second Crusade.

March 31

 307 after divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine married Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor Maximian, but murdered  her in 326. 

1146 Bernard of Clairvaux preached his famous sermon in a field at Vézelay, urging the necessity of a Second Crusade.

1657 Parliament offered Oliver Cromwell the title of king in the Humble Petition and Advice, but he rejected the title.

 

 

 

 

 

History Trivia - First English Parliament formally convenes

January 23

 27 BC, Augustus Caesar (Octavian) founded the Roman Empire that would last until A.D. 476.  Octavian was granted the title 'Augustus', meaning lofty or serene, by the Roman senate.

1265 First English Parliament formally convened.

1510 18 year old Henry VIII of England appeared incognito in the lists at Richmond, and was applauded for his jousting before he revealed his identity.

1533 Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII of England, discovered she was pregnant.