Gosforth Cross in V&A
The original Gosforth Cross can be found in the St. Mary’s churchyard in Cumbria, England, and is intricately carved on all four sides. The identity of its sculptor is unknown, but the sculptors are known as the Gosforth Masters. The Cross has been degraded and eroded over time by the elements, but thankfully Sergeant Bullen made a plaster cast of the Cross in 1882, which is on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Thanks to his interest in the Cross, we are still able to see the details of this fascinating stone cross, full of Christian and Norse motifs.
Object views
Stories
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When Jesus Met Odin
story by Juliane Aleida Rahel Witte.Is it a tree? Is it a lamppost? No, it is an immense cross, towering high over all the gravestones around it. But then… is that a monster attacking a man? And who is hanging there? And how could this cross possibly tell us something about J.R.R. Tolkien? Welcome to the mystery that is the Gosforth Cross, let’s go have a closer look!