Right over the town is the ruin of Whitby Abbey, which was sacked by the Danes, and which is the scene of part of "Marmion," where the girl was built up in the wall. It is a most noble ruin, of immense size, and full of beautiful and romantic bits. There is a legend that a white lady is seen in one of the windows.
Dracula - Bram Stoker
As the cloud passed I could see the ruins of the abbey coming into view, and as the edge of a narrow band of light as sharp as a sword-cut moved along, the church and churchyard became gradually visible. Whatever my expectation was, it was not disappointed, for there, on our favourite seat, the silver light of the moon struck a half-reclining figure, snowy white.
Dracula - Bram Stoker
Inspired by a visit to Whitby, I read Bram Stoker's Dracula closely followed by The Lair of the White Worm. It's easy to see how Stoker found inspiration in the crumbling ruins and the old town legends. :-)
6 comments:
I have never actually been inside. That's a treat for another day. I enjoyed the extracts :)
This is a great treat to actually see a place from one of my favorite books. I actually never knew this was a real place.
great pictures, wanna enjoy those scene live, God please give a chance to go there...
Sweet post. I love the images and dig the words. Nice!
Lovely photos!
Just a month or so ago, I read Bram Stoker's Dracula too.
I already had the book at home and was going to read it for a course called 'The English Gothic Novel'. But I couldn't attend the lectures because of the children. (No car, no baby-sitter.) So I decided to read it anyway.
Surprisingly, I found it has many of the devices that are incorporated in later works, especially modern children's literature. Take for example the notion of the mixing of blood between Count Dracula and Mrs. Harker that creates a bond of communication, that is very similar to what happens between Voldemort and Harry Potter. Count Dracula even leaves a scar on Mrs. Harker's forehead that works like Harry Potter's lightning-shaped scar.
Art inspires art! And living in a rich culture, as you folks in Britain do, there is a lot that can inspire when you just start looking around. Thank you for showing the ruins of Whitby Abby with the quotes from Dracula. Very nice post!
(I haven't heard of the 'The Lair of the White Worm', but I'll take a look at it if I can find it at the library.)
Best wishes,
Anna
Whitby Abbey has been on my radar for a while now and I am really keen to visit it! I love the Bram Stoker connection and I love how ruined and beautiful it is. You lovely photos have made me decide one thing though... I think I might prefer to visit in summer! Now that I think about it, these are the first non-overcast and cloudy photos I have seen of Whitby Abbey!
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