u/Julija82

Finally started reading English Medieval Graffiti by Violet Pritchard — a book I’d been meaning to buy and read for quite some time. And imagine, it was written back in 1967.

Already finding it fascinating, even where I don’t entirely agree with some of the conclusions. One thing she mentions is that a lot of the graffiti was likely made by “trained and practiced hands”, possibly the most educated people in a medieval community, such as priests or clerics. I can see the reasoning behind that, especially with more sophisticated carvings or inscriptions, but personally I suspect ordinary people probably left far more marks than we tend to assume.

Another interesting point is how difficult medieval graffiti can be to date because churches were rebuilt, altered, and reused over centuries, meaning carved stones were often moved from their original positions. That definitely makes sense, though I also think stylistic details — clothing, hairstyles, weapons, even the way figures are drawn — can sometimes help narrow down a period.

Has anyone else here read it?

Medieval scratched graffiti inside St Mary and St Peter’s Church.

The triangular symbol in the centre looks most likely to be a mason’s or merchant’s mark rather than decorative graffiti, simple geometric symbols like this are commonly found on medieval church fabric.

That said, viewed from a certain angle it almost resembles a tiny ship or sail motif, which made me pause given how often ships appear in medieval church graffiti across southern England.

It’s surrounded by layers of other scratched marks and symbols, probably added over centuries by different hands.

Interested to hear what others think: definite mason’s mark, accidental ship resemblance, or something else entirely?

Another piece of hidden Venice graffiti I found during my 2024 trip, this one scratched into a column beside one of the palazzi along the canal.

I posted some other Venetian graffiti before, but I keep noticing how the city is quietly covered in these little marks: figures, symbols, names and sketches carved into stone over centuries by people who passed through.

This one almost looks like a hooded silhouette if the light catches it the right way.

Historic scratched glass graffiti at Dorney Court — “Thomas Webb 1706”.

I rarely come across graffiti on glass, which somehow makes it feel much more intimate than carved stone graffiti. Unlike marks cut into church walls, scratched glass survives almost by accident, one broken pane and the history disappears forever.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, people sometimes used diamond rings or metal points to inscribe names into window glass in manor houses, inns, and historic buildings. Seeing a name and a date quietly surviving on a Tudor window for more than 300 years feels oddly personal.

Thomas Webb, 1706, still here.

A deeply carved “Z” on a wooden bench in the Great Hall at Petworth House.
Not the grandest example of historic graffiti, but perhaps that’s what makes it interesting.

A single initial, cut hard enough to survive generations of visitors, servants, guests, guides, and restorations.

This carved figure comes from what appears to be an unpublished photograph/poster shared by a fellow Redditor, showing medieval graffiti that has not been widely studied or published in academic sources. Because of that, interpretation remains open and speculative.

The image shows a crowned figure holding or associated with a bow, an interesting detail, since while archery was central to medieval warfare, kings themselves are more often depicted with swords or ceremonial symbols rather than bows. This combination of royal imagery and martial detail suggests a late medieval English context.

The style of the crown and clothing could point towards a ruler from the late 14th century, which leads some interpretations toward Richard II. During his reign, Richard II became a politically divisive figure, initially a legitimate and even admired king, but later overthrown by powerful nobles, imprisoned, and ultimately dying in captivity.

Because of this dramatic fall, it is possible (though not provable) that later informal carvings or graffiti might reflect how people remembered or reacted to him, whether with sympathy, criticism, or symbolic storytelling rather than strict portraiture.

However, medieval graffiti is rarely definitive. The figure could also represent a generic king, a knightly archetype, or even a symbolic depiction of authority rather than a specific monarch.

So the interpretation remains open.

What do you think this figure represents — and why might someone have chosen to carve or record a crowned figure like this in that space?

About a month ago, a Reddit user sent me an unpublished poster of medieval graffiti, something passed on to him decades ago. I’ve taken it as a personal challenge to analyse, interpret, and (hopefully one day) trace some of these carvings back to their original locations.

This one is labelled Faversham—likely from All Saints Church or another historic church in the area.

At first glance, it looks like two profile faces. But the contrast is striking:

one is smooth, calm, almost idealised… the other exaggerated, with a heavier nose and a more expressive, possibly older face.

I can’t help wondering if this could be a generational caricature—a younger person sketching an older woman. Maybe a mother or grandmother figure.

If that’s the case… what were they arguing about?

Chores? Marriage? Behaviour in church?

Or is this reading way too modern—and it’s something else entirely?

Curious to hear your interpretations 👀

Found this writing on the walls inside the prison cells of the Doge’s Palace. It looks like part of a Latin phrase (something like “olim et tangere”) with a name underneath.

Prisoners held here, both in the damp cells below and under the lead roof—used to leave behind writings, drawings, and names to pass time and basically prove they were there. Not all were typical criminals either; some were political prisoners or accused of heresy. Even people like Giacomo Casanova were locked up here at one point.

I found this scratched into a bridge in Venice a couple of years ago. Across Italy, including Venice it’s actually quite common to find informal game boards carved into stone. These were often made by ordinary people (guards, workers, sailors, even prisoners) and played with simple tokens like pebbles.

They weren’t decorative, carving graffiti into stone took real time and effort, so it usually had a clear purpose. Venetian bridges and public spaces doubled as social hubs where people gathered, waited, or passed time, which likely explains why these boards appear in places like this.

Similar boards appear across the UK too, especially the well-known Nine Men’s Morris, which was often scratched into church stone or benches and used in much the same way.

Came across this tiny scratched signature, “JG 1834” on an effigy inside Hereford Cathedral (you might need to zoom in to spot it). It’s not medieval, but still nearly 200 years old, which made me wonder: why were people in the 19th century still leaving marks like this in religious spaces?

By that point, cathedrals weren’t really pilgrimage hubs in the same way as the Middle Ages, and literacy was becoming more common, so this feels less like anonymous symbolism and more like a personal “I was here.”

Was this boredom, quiet rebellion, early tourism… or just a human habit that never really changed? Curious if anyone knows more about this kind of later-period graffiti.

Valley of Fire petroglyphs, Nevada, not medieval graffiti, but something far older. Carved over 4,000 years ago by Native peoples, these figures show animals (likely deer or bighorn sheep) and spirals often linked to the sun, cycles, or journeys. Their exact meaning is lost, but they were likely stories, beliefs, or markers left for others passing through.

Found this carved into a stone column at Canons Ashby, right by the garden entrance.

At first glance it looks like some kind of medieval inscription, but the layout and lettering actually suggest it’s much later — probably 18th or even early 19th century. Most likely just someone carving their name and maybe a date.

Still, the placement is interesting. Right at the entrance, where everyone would pass, almost like an early version of signing a guestbook… just with a lot more commitment.

Can’t fully make out the name though.

Any guesses what it says?