The grass pillow, similarly, has parallels in burial traditions associated with Scandinavian and northern English communities.

The chalk blocks have been interpreted by archaeologists as supports for the body within the coffin, which is a pragmatic rather than symbolic function, though the specific use of chalk may have local or regional significance given that chalk is a geological feature of parts of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.

Taken together, the burial assemblage speaks to a community that in 1079 was navigating the intersection of established Christian burial practice and older, Scandinavian-inflected traditions.

This is not surprising given the history of the region.