Canterbury Cathedral

It's hard to quantify exactly what I felt when I stepped into Canterbury Cathedral. Looking down the nave, I was overcome with awe and a flood of emotions that I didn't at all expect. I actually got a bit teary, if you want to know the truth, and the experience stuck with me to the extent that I can recall it so vividly as I type this. The cathedral holds so many dichotomies, both physically and historically; parts are bright and holy, and others dark and shadowy, which I suppose makes sense for a building as old as this one.

One of the more notable tragedies was the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket, which took place in the cathedral during the reign of Henry II. Formerly close friends, Henry had appointed Becket to the position under the assumption that he would essentially do whatever Henry asked; however, Becket took up his new position in earnest and soon found himself clashing with the king over matters of power between Church and monarchy.  After one particularly frustrating quarrel, the King is said to have exclaimed, "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?!" Some of his knights took his outburst literally, stormed into the Cathedral, and murdered Becket in the transept near the lady chapel.  This scandalized the country and resulted in Becket being regarded as a martyr (complete with the erection of a shrine in his honor), and the cathedral becoming a place of pilgrimage. In fact, it is to this location that the pilgrims in Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales are journeying. 

Yet despite this cloud, there is beauty in every corner of the building. Gothic arches soar overhead, and multi-colored light streams in from stained glass windows. Gilded accents and stone tombs--including those of Edward the Black Prince, King Henry IV, and Queen Joan of Navarre--line the Trinity Chapel.  The oldest Christian murals in the country cover the walls of the crypt.  There is detailed stone work covering nearly every surface. Even strolling the stone walkways of the cloisters feels other-worldly; how can something in the center of a city feel so peaceful and removed? 

Canterbury as a whole was one of my favorite stops on our trip, but the cathedral is really the jewel in the city's crown. It was truly one of the most moving and awe-inspiring places I've ever been.