INTRODUCTION

This chapter explores a range of artefacts made or used in Norfolk in the early twentieth century to show how official Christianity was infused with a measure of militarism, spanning many aspects of life, before and during the First World War. This was most clearly articulated within the landscape, which became a stage for the officially promoted association between religious art and public patriotism in response to war. Norfolk's history is one marked by pilgrimage, which actively connects open spaces, communities and religious constructions. This chapter asserts that a growing, pro-patriotic militancy changed the dynamic of largely insular and nationalistic public parades, distinguishing them from more inclusive yet international pilgrimage. The chiefly Christian emphasis in the following discussion reflects the national and local dominance of Christian denominations and official attitudes during this era.

The relationship between public aspirations towards civic and religious duty is markedly evident in war memorials. These have appeared in many forms – ranging from public sculptures to altarpieces and stained-glass windows, some purpose-built, some retrospectively dedicated and all communal – and are in both civic and religious spaces. By studying the socio-cultural iconography of these memorials, including representation of the transforming significance of ancient and modern-day martyrs, a stronger understanding can be reached concerning the dialogue between art, wartime patriotism and Christian morality within a specific locale.