St Giles, Edinburgh

Crofter · Post by **Crofter** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 7:09 pm

Hello All,

This will be my first foray out on this forum, hope any transgressions will be forgiven.

On a recent visit to the Nation's capital I attended a service at St Giles on a Sunday night. The service seemed to be more anglican than Presbyterian. The minister was African, from Nigeria I believe, and the congregation of around 20 seemed to make no impression on the vastness of the place.

Can anyone tell me what denomination St Giles is?, They certainly were not Wee Frees. Is it a Cathedral or just a church?

I happened to be sitting by a little stool and could not get the vision of it flying through the air out of my head. I can appreciate the temptation it presented to anyone so inclined.

Outside in the courtyard there was gathered a multitude of over 100 cavorting wildly, waving their arms about like they were possessed. As near to devil worshiping as I would wish to get.

Can anyone explain what all that is about, why there, and why on a Sunday night.

Before the service, which lasted about 20mins, there was a concert of sorts, which lasted an hour and 20mins. This was well attended.

Is John Knox's remains at St Giles? He must be spinning in his grave. Having said that, he trained as a Catholic priest, some of those practices would not be unfamiliar to him

Regards, Crofter.

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 8:54 pm

Hi Crofter

Can anyone tell me what denomination St Giles is?, They certainly were not Wee Frees. Is it a Cathedral or just a church?

St Giles is a Cathedral and it is Presbyterian. See:
http://www.stgilescathedral.org.uk/
As far as I'm aware, it has never been host to a Wee Free service

I believe John Knox is buried near St Giles, in Parliament Square, which used to be the site of the old burial ground of St Giles (now a parking area behind St Giles). I think the site is marked by a stone in the road.

As to the crowd you saw, I have no idea...there was perhaps something else on nearby, or perhaps a street performance of some kind or some student event.

Best wishes
Lesley

Post by **AnneM** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:53 pm

Hi Crofter

The Church of Scotland like most national churches is a broad church. When I first arrived at the church I now attend I thought I'd come to the wrong place and wandered into an Anglican service by mistake. Having been brought up very 'low' I was slightly stunned by candles and what not but am now very comfortable in my 'high' presbyterian kirk.

St Giles is probably just about as 'high' as it gets though St Cuthbert's may pip it at the post or even St Andrew's and St George's.

One of my old chums from university still sings in the choir at St Giles so they have women in the choir, very unAnglican.

I remember seeing John Knox's statue outside St Giles and singing Christmas Carols in Latin to him when I was a student. I don't think he birled too much!!!

All in all it is what unites us all that matters rather than what divides us.

Anne

Rockford · Post by **Rockford** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 6:50 pm

Hi Crofter,

Lesley is absolutely right - John Knox is supposedly buried under what is now a parking space. If memory serves there is a brass plaque inlaid into the cobbles behind the church.

The whirling dervishes you saw outside St Giles might have been connected to one of the many ghost trail tours for tourists that tend to leave from the Mercat Cross, which is just outside St Giles.

http://www.edinburgh-royalmile.com/inte ... cross.html

Best wishes

Brian

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 6:59 pm

Hi Brain

The whirling dervishes you saw outside St Giles might have been connected to one of the many ghost trail tours for tourists that tend to leave from the Mercat Cross, which is just outside St Giles.

Ah, of course.....silly me not to think of that as a possible explanation!!

Many of the tours seem to have a starting (and probablly also a finishing?) point there.

Best wishes
Lesley

Crofter · Post by **Crofter** » Sun Nov 23, 2008 3:45 am

Thanks all for your input, very enlightening.

The websites are very informative LesleyB and Rockford, any more like that on your Files?

A culture shock indeed AnneM. Coming from a place where cockerels are placed under baskets on Saturday night so that their crowing does no disturb the peace of the Sabbeth it was quite an experience.

My partner, who is an Anglican communicant, did take part in the service and partook of the communion. An experience which she found both a pleasure and a humbling one when you consider the history of the place and those of past generations who stood before that table. She has an exceptional singing voice and was on form that night, enough to set even the angels feet a-tapping.

Perhaps John K, being that close by, may be thinking there's hope for us after all.

Thanks again,