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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:
RaisingChaotic · 19/07/2013 09:31

I hadn't heard of them either. I did history as a GCSE but from the Industrial Revolution onwards.

Having googled I haven't been to any of those places either.

Loa · 19/07/2013 09:33

Interesting - I was told by god knows who that the Banbury cross was one of these - I remember the story of the king being heart broken - according to wikipedia it's not.

Well that's something new

filee777 · 19/07/2013 09:33

Spinning it around I feel a bit sorry for this guy.

I love telling stories and both opening people's eyes to cool and interesting stuff and having my eyes opened by stuff they know.

That he is missing that fantastic and basic part of human interaction in his quest to make our he is amazing or put people down or whatever his vibe is, is truly sad for him.

SixPackWellies · 19/07/2013 09:34

No, I did not know, and my first degree was in History.

[In another country though].

There will be thousands of things that you know that you think everyone knows and he does not. People who put you down for something like that only reveal their true selves.

ubik · 19/07/2013 09:35

I had no idea! And grew up London. I'm really thick though.

Moln · 19/07/2013 09:35

No never heard of them, there's lots of different crosses so even if I had been to one of the locations which (apparently amazingly enough) I haven't, I doubt I'd suddenly gain the knowledge that it was in particularly Eleanor Cross, unless I had a travel guide or someone with me who knew.

Saying people should know about them because "there ard so many" and because of the word Cross in Charing Cross is totally off the mark. Cross can refer to many a thing geographically or physically in the area, and twelve is certainly not a great number.

He was smug OP, if someone doesn't know about something you know, you tell them and then they do know. Being demeaning about their lack of knowledge is smug, there's no need to be 'shocked' especially about such a bit of knowledge/trivia as this.

pigglepaggle · 19/07/2013 09:37

Love medieval history so of course I know about them.

The crosses aren't a well known story so if you're not into history and don't live down south (I'm north west) you'll prob won't of heard of them.

He was being a smug git.

LadyClariceCannockMonty · 19/07/2013 09:37

I didn't know until now and I'm quite well informed and well read and enjoy history well historical fiction anyway

He was an arse. Putting people down is rude. He could have just asked if you wanted to hear the story and told you and you'd both have gone away happy.

Bathsheba · 19/07/2013 09:39

Sorry, I'm Scottish and had never heard of the, I've now read the wikipedia article and now know of them.

I'd definitely never have wondered where the "cross" came from in Charing - there are many many places with "cross" in their name which does not refer to the cross erected to a funeral procession route...!! heck most of the places that have Eleanor Crosses don't have cross in their name...

We all have things that we know about that we assume because we are interested in them and/or have experience of them that everyone will. I studies Religious Studies at Uni so I know the books of the bible and the 4 noble truths of Buddhism (for example). It may have been simply that he was a medieval history buff but lacks the sense to realise that not everyone has the same interests as him

bonkersLFDT20 · 19/07/2013 09:40

I have never heard of them (just looked them up so have learnt something today) and live in East Anglia so very near where they are.

He was being a total arse for publicly shaming you. My FIL does that sort of thing. So patronising.

badguider · 19/07/2013 09:42

No, and of the 12 places they are London is the only one I've ever visited.
That's not my part of the UK and I'm not ashamed of not knowing. I can tell you plenty about the Roman forts along hadrian's wall or about the viking invasion of lindisfarne...?

Ridersofthestorm · 19/07/2013 09:43

Yep, heard of them but not until very recently, I didn't have a clue either.

There are two Queen Eleanor crosses in Northamptonshire, one is in Geddington and the other on London road in Northampton. They are very beautiful and in surprisingly good nick.

I don't know where the others are, but it's a lovely story about how King Edward mourned the loss of his wife. He literally had the crosses erected at each place her body rested as she processed through the country.

AnneTwacky · 19/07/2013 09:44

Have to admit, I've never heard of them before.

TunipTheVegedude · 19/07/2013 09:44

Surprisingly good nick or restored by the Victorians? It's the sort of romantic story they would have loved.

Latara · 19/07/2013 09:44

No, didn't know but I do now from this thread.

It's amazing that there are still monuments in the UK that are so many centuries old!

Ridersofthestorm · 19/07/2013 09:46

Where her body rested after she had died that is, not while she was still alive.

pardonmytits · 19/07/2013 09:47

Yes, I do. But, like others, am a massive history nerd. A nice bit of trivia to know perhaps, but I wouldn't expect non-history fans to know. I'm with Eyesunderarock. He is a smuggington for embarrassing you.

LRDYaDumayuIThink · 19/07/2013 09:48

If you like that, latera, look at this:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruthwell_Cross

I like it. Smile

Ridersofthestorm · 19/07/2013 09:51

Maybe not good nick haha but well preserved but I am not sure if the Victorians did try and restore them? The cross on London Road has the top spire missing, so I assume that it's had no restoration/conservation since I've seen pictures from the Victorian period were the spire is missing then. The cross in Geddington is still fully in tact.

JADS · 19/07/2013 09:53

I have heard of them, knew they were mediaval, but guessed the wrong Eleanor!

The guy is a dick, yanbu

To the person that used th Pointless example, love it! I would have put it at that level. Pointless is my son's fave program.

SirChenjin · 19/07/2013 09:56

Nope, had no idea until this thread and googled it.

He really tried to use your not knowing as a way to put you down? How petty. If you'd said you'd never heard of gravity or dinosaurs perhaps he might have had a point, but he sounds quite pathetic.

SirChenjin · 19/07/2013 09:57

I'm in Scotland btw, so not something that features on my radar up here

PedantMarina · 19/07/2013 10:03

Badguider, I'm guessing:

It was the summer of 793
When we sailed across the Great North Sea
Comets cross the skies that night
They must've known something wasn't right...

comedycentral · 19/07/2013 10:04

Ahh how romantic

baskingseals · 19/07/2013 10:04

I thought it was a type of pram. A variation of a silver cross perhaps.