2017

SP0343 : The Legend of Eof

taken 7 years ago, near to Evesham, Worcestershire, England

The Legend of Eof
The Legend of Eof
The statue in the Market Place is the work of the renowned sculptor John McKenna. It was unveiled in June 2008. The work is a representation of the legend surrounding the origins of the town. It depicts the swineherd Eof (or Eoves) on his knees covering his face at the apparition of the Virgin Mary, whose face is emerging from the canopy of trees. The river Avon is depicted in the form of ripples of water and fish around the base of the statue.

The following is from an information board provided by The Vale of Evesham Historical Society:
“Legend has it that towards the end of the 7th century, an Anglo-Saxon swineherd named Eof was tending his pigs in the oak forest that then occupied the loop of the River Avon at Evesham. He saw a vision of the Virgin Mary and rushed to tell his story to the Bishop of Worcester. Having heard his tale, Bishop Ecgwin came to Evesham and saw the same vision. Impressed, he decided that the site was blessed and persuaded Ethelred, King of Mercia, to found an Abbey in 701AD, which later became one of the most important monasteries in England.

The name of Evesham derives from Eof’s name and the Anglo-Saxon hamm, which has a local meaning for land in a bend of the river.”

Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright David Dixon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Historic sites and artefacts City, Town centre People, Events Camera: Panasonic DMC-G7 other tags: Statue Evesham Sculpture Eof Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
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SP0343, 696 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
David Dixon   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Tuesday, 20 June, 2017   (more nearby)
Submitted
Saturday, 24 June, 2017
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SP 037 437 [100m precision]
WGS84: 52:5.5466N 1:56.8357W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SP 037 438
View Direction
South-southeast (about 157 degrees)
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Image Type (about): close look 
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