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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you know what an Eleanor Cross is?

308 replies

HotelTangoFoxtrotUniform · 19/07/2013 08:11

Without resorting to google?

I was made to feel a bit of an arse for not knowing what it was last night and wanted to know if my education had been lacking of if the guy was being a smug git. And yes, I know the guy was being a smug git for pointing out publicly that I didn't know, but I want to know if its something I should have paid more attention to at school be aware of.

AIBU to ask you if you've heard of it before? And have you?

OP posts:
LadyMilfordHaven · 20/07/2013 07:37

No idea.

Justforlaughs · 20/07/2013 08:42

I had absolutely NO idea what an Eleanor Cross was, until clicking on this thread and I am a massive history geek who doesn't live in the South east or anywhere near any of them. I have no idea why anyone would assume that anyone else would know what they were and I have to confess that I only clicked on this thread in the assumption/ hope that it was going to be rude Blush

KateCroydon · 20/07/2013 08:48

I've just asked an actual historian (modern not medieval admittedly). Never heard of them.

yetanotherstatistic · 20/07/2013 09:30

Yanbu but yes I do know what they are and always look at the one at Charing Cross if I go past. We learned about them in school but that's so long ago that she hadn't been dead that long Grin

northernlurker · 20/07/2013 09:33

I asked dh, feeling sure he wouldn't know, and I could once again condescend to be hugely smug. Dh is Scottish after all, with a Biology degree. The bugger knew!
Apparently he learnt it from the This Sceptred Isle programme on Radio 4 - which you can get on CDs. I was hoist by my own petard - I bought the CD for him. Anyway for anyone wanting to learn more history there's a suggestion for you Smile

ConcreteElephant · 20/07/2013 10:27

I do know what one is but I'm not sure if that's only because our city used to have one...shame there's no replica at least as it's a pretty historic place and there's still a space where it used to be - would be a nice attraction.

I'm from the south west originally and although I realise it's not a small part of history, it's possibly just not something schools in my region focussed on as much as more local history?

As for the very rude chap mocking your knowledge - yes, he's a smug git and you're far from being an arse.

I sometimes feel like a numpty for my lack of knowledge of British history but I'm a dab hand at Russian/Soviet history so hey ho.

We all have our specialist areas, as evidenced by DH and I alternating our shouting at the TV when Uni Challenge is on. I take arts, he takes science and maths... It's only easy when you know the answer...

UniqueAndAmazing · 20/07/2013 12:42

how come no one laughed at my first comment about Eleanor Cross?

I'll have to repeat it...
:(

"Is it what happened today when I refused to give DD the 3rd banana of the day?
that refusal certainly made Eleanor cross."

burberryqueen · 20/07/2013 12:44

there was silent eye rolling and groaning and stuff.....
perhaps a bit inaudible...

UniqueAndAmazing · 20/07/2013 12:52

i said "laughed" not moaned!

meanie

burberryqueen · 20/07/2013 12:54

Grin - reminded me of that joke ,Q. 'how do you make a Maltese Cross with just one match?
A. Light it and stick it up his jumper!

edam · 20/07/2013 13:02

Grin unique

I knew what an Eleanor cross was - no idea where I learned it but I've always been interested in history. Such a sweet story. And it's quite satisfying knowing why Charing Cross is called that.

MrsGSR · 20/07/2013 14:43

I had never heard of them, and I'm doing a history degree! I come from the South West and we didn't study them at school, they didn't come up in my history GCSE, A level or degree (which might be a sad reflection on the history syllabus schools use).

They sound very interesting though, I may have to do some research (and then force DH to visit one with me! )

Alisvolatpropiis · 20/07/2013 14:44

I do, but only because I was reading about Charing Cross

BMW6 · 20/07/2013 14:52

I knew, but don't know how......

Backpaw · 20/07/2013 18:35

Not knowing what they are isn't exactly like not knowing who the PM was during WW2 or when the battle of hastings took place.

Agnesmum · 20/07/2013 20:15

Never heard of it .

edam · 20/07/2013 20:19

Well quite, it's an abstruse bit of knowledge that many people have not acquired. Quite pleasing when you do know but there's no reason why people should, unless they happen to come across it.

Shame that so few survive.

Backpaw · 20/07/2013 20:21

I've lived near one and my sister was near one too. Plus it's a period of history that I've read a lot about. I don't think I heard about it in school.

I hate smugger-buggers!

LondonMan · 21/07/2013 13:01

Never heard of it. Now that I've googled it, is is a very unimportant piece of information that no-one needs to know. I speak as someone who would like history to be a compulsory subject from primary school through to A-level.

edam · 21/07/2013 13:10

That's a sweeping and bizarre statement Londonman - if you are so inclined, you can dismiss a lot of knowledge, especially history, as 'something no-one needs to know' if you aren't personally interested in it. But it's a daft thing to say.

Are you possibly disgruntled because you didn't know it, and resent other people knowing something you didn't?

LifeHuh · 21/07/2013 13:17

The world is full of unimportant bits of information that no-one needs to know - that doesn't mean they aren't interesting.Or are you just saying that OP shouldn't have been made to feel bad for not knowing,in which case I completely agree?

Boomba · 21/07/2013 13:24

I agree with Londonman

I've already forgotten what the Eleanor Crosses are, it was that interesting Grin

jamdonut · 21/07/2013 13:29

I knew something in the back of my head about them that I read somewhere,or saw on t.v. (dunno which) a while back. I don't think its the sort of thing that everyone would automatically know about.

It is the sort of thing I would look up on Google if I didn't know, though.

PenelopeLane · 22/07/2013 10:11

Not sure what Londonman's reasons were for saying noone needs to know, but having studied history to postgrad level and done a lot of historical-related work, I do wonder sometimes if history can be divided into two: the things that are very important as they help you understand the world today or the like, and the nice stories?

For example, knowing about the Treaty of Versailles and WWI helps you understand the origins of WWII, and WWII helps you understand politics today, decolonisation, the Cold War etc. Although having said that I like the Eleanor Cross-like stories as they help bring the other stuff to life not that I'd heard of the crosses before reading this thread though

freddiefrog · 22/07/2013 11:00

No I hadn't heard of them either.

I do now I've Googled them and it's a lovely story, but I've never lived anywhere near one so I've not come across it before and I was never taught about them at school either.

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