Twelfth

Eleanor Cross at Hardingstone, Northampton

Recently I’ve been repeatedly saying and writing the word ‘twelfth,’ as ‘The Twelfth Cross’ is the title of my novel, coming out on July 6th. It’s an unusual word – 4 consonants in a row, which occurs rarely in English. That got me wondering about the root. Research revealed that Old English ‘twelf’ from Proto-Germanic ‘twa-lif,’ meaning 2 left over (from 10). A satisfyingly numerical root, that evokes the roman numeral XII. It’s thought to derive from Proto Indo-European (PIE*), as similar words for twelve are found in Old Saxon, Old Norse, Old Friesian, Middle Dutch and more.

‘The Twelfth Cross’ in my novel refers to the last of the Eleanor Crosses. These were erected by Edward I after the death of his great love, Eleanor of Castile, in 1290, after a long, faithful and passionate marriage. The monuments mark the towns where her body rested overnight on her final journey from Lincoln to Westminster for her state funeral. Together they are Britain’s Taj Mahal. Sadly only 3 original crosses remain – at Geddington (Northants), Northampton and Waltham Cross. Charing Cross is a fine replica. The Twelfth Cross was at Charing, a settlement between the city of London and the ‘Isle of Thorney,’ home to the Palace and Monastery of Westminster. To find out what happened at ‘The Twelfth Cross,’ you’ll have to read the book!

Map of Queen Eleanor’s cortege 4 route from Black Friars to Westminster, via Charing, location of the twelfth Eleanor cross.

*PIE - Since the 17th century, linguists have surmised a common ancestor, called Proto Indo-European, of Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, Gothic, Celtic languages and Old Persian. No hard evidence survives for this language, possibly spoken from 4500 – 2500BC on the East European Steppes. But it’s a good explanation for the linguistic connections of many European and Asian languages. This interconnectedness is a reminder to celebrate both realities - one human race and many distinct and fascinating cultures.