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SCRATCHED INTO THE timber floorboards of 9/9A Aungier Street is a superstitious marking that looks like an upside W.
Sunni Goodson, architectural conservation specialist, says this was put there by builders in the 17th Century. It stands for virgo virginum and was a practice that people believed warded off evil spirits.
Leaving children’s shoes under floorboards was also practiced by tenants for the same reason – a phenomenon known as ‘found shoes.’
These are just some aspects of the Dublin building’s 350-year-old history – from its first construction in 1664 as a medieval settlement outside the city wall – to its later use as a tenement.
If you’ve ever wanted to see what a house like this looks like, it is available for showing today.
The building is part of Open House Dublin, the architectural festival that will see buildings around the city open up to members of the public over the weekend.
“From an architectural perspective,” Sunni says, “this building is truly, literally and figuratively on the cusp between medieval and modern Dublin.”
An upside down W. So an M.
@Earl of Daventry: yeah exactly what I thought !
@Earl of Daventry: haha. They so need proof readers
“conversation specialist” ?? I think we need to talk about this.
@RJ.Fallon: Or listen I found this article interesting
@RJ.Fallon: conservation
@Sinéad: It has been corrected.
Have to go back to the shop with my bag of sweets. Thought I bought M & Ms but when I opened the bag it was full of Ws. Seriously though, great article. Always interesting to read about beliefs at the time. Historian told me there are remains of latrines to be seen on Dublin streets. He area around Fishamble Street is fascinating.
@Earl of Daventry: I think it’s because an M has straight sides but the mark doesn’t.
@Ronan Kealy: True. Might be a slightly too refined point for some but dead on.
MMMMMMMMMM WWWWWWWWWW
spot the difference
1664 Medieval?
“In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages (or Medieval period) lasted from the 5th to the 15th century.”
Medieval is not just anything that’s a bit old…
@ウィリアム はげ: The building techniques came from the medieval period and continued to be used up to the seventeenth century and beyond. Hope that makes it more understandable for you.
She didn’t leave school after her junior cert that’s for sure.
When’s it been knocked down for a new Krispy Kreme?
If those walls could talk
They say the mark is on the floorboards, and stands for virgo virginum. Presumably it represents two capital Vs, close together.
(Perhaps the mark is near a wall. When viewed from the centre of the room it would look like an upside down W, or an M.)
have your say