TWO altitudinous ears face forwards. Then, they swivel sideways to better absorb the melodious rendering of The First Noel by 200 voices. Eyes the colour of coffee observe the scene: the wool-wrapped congregation, exhaled-breath clouds that linger on the cold December air, the coal-black backdrop, the flickering star-like tealights and the straw on the stone floor.
Biblical scenes such as this one play out throughout the Christian world in the weeks before Christmas. Although St Matthew and St Luke didn’t mention the sheep, the ox and the ass in their Gospels on the birth of Jesus Christ, history-filled in the animal gap. Now, a small number of Britain’s 30,000 donkeys (some 20,000 of which are in private hands, with the rest in sanctuaries) assist in recreating the Christmas story in barns, churches, and cathedrals during Advent.
Equally, the presence of the allegedly intractable, curious, characterful and cuddly creatures—master mimickers with ponylike bodies, cow-like tails, stand-up, zebra-like manes and some of the biggest ears, relatively speaking, in the animal kingdom (developed for cooling the body in the desert) —enhances many a Palm Sunday procession and pet service, as well as lending a traditional feel to glitz-and-glamour public displays, such as London’s New Year’s Day Parade.
Petal, the donkey with the swiveling ears —akin to errant wings, according to G. K. Chesterton in his poem The Donkey—is taking part in a Biblical tableau in a stable in Rudgeway, Gloucestershire, one of 14 sell-out services organized by kindly and welcoming Jean Fooks, a former primary-school teacher and clergyman’s wife.
Denne historien er fra December 11-18, 2019-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra December 11-18, 2019-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
