The Bawming of Appleton Thorn

There is an event in Cheshire England where people adorn a hawthorn tree with ribbons. This decorating is called "bawming". "Bawming the Thorn" occurs on the Saturday nearest to Midsummer’s Day. It seems almost certainly to have originated from pagan fertility rituals. Yet according to legend, the hawthorn at Appleton Thorn grew from a cutting of the Holy Thorn at Glastonbury which was itself said to have sprung from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea, the man who arranged for Jesus's burial after the Crucifixion. He is also supposed to have brought two cruets to Britain, one filled with Christ's blood and one with his sweat.

This original painted illustration combines many of those ideas. Two girls are decking the tree with a ribbon, an echo of the winding in linen of the body of Christ that was done by Joseph of Arimathea. In the dark heart of the tree float the two cruets symbolizing the blood and sweat of Christ. Here is the finished piece.

8" x 10" acrylic on acid-free paper. Your painting will not contain the "My Good Babushka" security mark. You can find purchasing information Here at My Good Babushka.