This is Scotland’s most important church. It’s ornate spire – the Scottish crown steeple from 1495 – is a proud part of Edinburgh’s skyline.
The fascinating interior contains nearly 200 memorials honoring distinguished Scots through the ages.
Today’s facade is 19th-century Neo-Gothic, but most of what we see inside is from the 14th and 15th centuries.
Just inside the entrance, one can turn around and see the modern stained-glass Robert Burns window, which celebrates Scotland’s favorite poet. It was made in 1985 by the Icelandic artist Leifur Breidfjord. The green of the lower level symbolizes the natural world – God’s creation. The middle zone with the circle shows the brotherhood of man – Burns was a great internationalist. The top is a rosy red sunburst of creativity, reminding Scots of Burns’ famous line, “My love is like a red, red rose” – part of a song near and dear to every Scottish heart.
The memorials come in all shapes and sizes. There are stained glass windows that act as memorials to an important patron (like John Marshall). Down the outside walls stretch a great swath of war memorials.
One of the memorials that caught my attention was for the author Robert Louis Stephenson, the author of such classics as Treasury Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In the original plaque he is smoking a cigarette and reading the newspaper, but it was thought pen and paper were more appropriate for St. Giles. 🙂
As is our custom in every house of worship we enter, we leave an offering and light candles if possible to remember those from both of our families that have traveled on before us. Two candles… one for each side. Extra candles if we are remembering a loved one who recently passed, or if happens to be the anniversary of the passing. For us, it sets our presence to be as receptive to the years (in this case centuries) of thoughtful prayers that have emitted from the building.
Moving along, a six-foot tall statue of John Knox looks out sternly over the congregation. Think of the Reformation struggles this man had in the 16th century. Knox, the great religious reformer and founder of the austere Scottish Presbyterianism movement, first preached here in 1559. His insistence that every person should be able to personally read the word of God – notice that he’s pointing to a book – gave Scotland an educational system 300 years ahead of the rest of Europe. Thanks partly to Knox, it was Scottish minds that led the way in math, science, medicine, and engineering. Voltaire called Scotland “the intellectual capital of Europe.”
Knox preached Calvinism. Consider that the Dutch and the Scots both embraced this creed of hard work, frugality, and strict ethics. This helps explain why the Scots are so different from the English (and why the Dutch and the Scots – both famous for their thriftiness and industriousness – are so much alike.
The oldest parts of the cathedral, the four massive central pillars – are Norman and date from the 12th century. They supported a mostly wooden superstructure that was lost when an invading English force burned it in 1385. The Scots rebuilt it bigger and better than ever, and in 1495 its famous crown spire was completed.
During the Reformation – when Knox preached here (1559-1572) – the place was simplified and white-washed. Before this, when the emphasis was on holy services provided by priests, there were lots of little niches. With the new focus on sermons rather then rituals , the grand pulpit took center stage.
Knox preached against anything that separated you from God, including stained glass (considered the poor man’s Bible, as illiterate Christians could learn from its pictures). Knox had the church’s fancy medieval glass windows replaced with clear glass, but 19th-century Victorians took them out and installed the brilliantly colored ones you see today.
Looking at the picture above, you can see the Austrian-built organ. It is considered one of Europe’s finest. It was built in 1992, and is massive.
Immediately to the right of the organ is a tiny chapel for silence and prayer. The dramatic stained glass window above shows the commotion that surrounded Knox when he preached.
The bearded, fiery-eyed Knox had a huge impact on this community. Notice how there were no pews back then. The church was so packed, people even looked through clear windows from across the street. With his hand on the holy book, Knox seems to conduct divine electricity to the Scottish faithful.
Our final stop inside is the Neo-Gothic Thistle Chapel. The interior is filled with intricate wood carving. Built in two years (1910-1911), entirely with Scottish materials and labor, it is the private chapel of the Order of the Thistle, the only Scottish chivalric order. It’s used several times of the year for the knights to gather (and, if one dies, to inaugurate a new member). Scotland recognizes its leading citizens by bestowing a membership upon them.
The Queen presides over the ritual from her fancy stall, marked by her Scottish coat of arms – a heraldic zoo of symbolism. Are there bagpipes in heaven? Find the tooting stone angel at the top of the window to the left of the altar, and the wooden one to the right of the doorway as you enter.
I’ll wrap up our visit to St. Giles by taking you back outside. Behind St. Giles’ (from the Royal Mile) is the Scottish Supreme Court. In the parking lot… look for spot #23. This is where the great man we met inside – John Knox – final resting place is. How appropriate for a man who lived so simply that his grave site is now under a parking spot.
