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A legislative decree issued during the Synod of Exeter held at the Church of St. Mary Major. Clause XIII (De Cimeteriis) explicitly prohibits secular activities on consecrated ground to prevent “pollution” of holy sites through “dishonest games.” The text provides one of the earliest known ecclesiastical evidence of organised wrestling (“luctamina”) as a popular and disruptive social […]
The earliest visual evidence of wrestling in Devon is roof bosses at Exeter Cathedral, dated to around the 1280s. Roof bosses are carved decorative features placed at the intersections of vaulted ceilings in medieval churches and cathedrals. Beyond their structural role in covering joints, they often depict religious scenes, mythical creatures, or glimpses of everyday […]