14th September 2021… * ‘On such a day as this two fools who laughed at death embarked upon the adventure of a lifetime…’ * …Today, the adventure is all but
Category: ancestors
Wayland: The White Horse…Wayland: The White Horse…
* But according to some, Wayland has far more onerous responsibilities than shoeing the horses of passing way farers… * A group of local lads were enjoying a drink one
Wayland: The Blessed Isles…Wayland: The Blessed Isles…
* The tone of the tale once Britain is reached, becomes very different… * Alighting on Berkshire’s High Downs, Wayland came upon an ancient chambered tomb, and made it his
Wayland: Silver-Smith of Souls…Wayland: Silver-Smith of Souls…
* There are a number of intriguing aspects to the legend of Wayland Smithy… The earliest written sources appear late and are decidedly piecemeal. * Wayland is the son of
‘Claims to ancient reach’?…‘Claims to ancient reach’?…
Throughout the books written with Stuart France there are visions; moments of a past long fled that ‘Wen’ still sees written in the ancient stone of the landscape and within
The Star of St George…The Star of St George…
* The red cross on the white shield of St. George is made up of red scales like the scales of the red dragon that wakes at the foot of
St Just…St Just…
* Not only did our last hotel fail to provide any windows, to speak of, in our room, it also failed to provide us with a breakfast… * Which
The Great Mystery…The Great Mystery…
* Approach to the mystery is silent, solitary and free from all self-seeking. * It is silent because in comparison with the mystery all speech is feeble and imperfect. *
Dans Maen…Dans Maen…
Cornwall Recce, 2018… * This kind of weather adds to the atmosphere of these places, and makes the sun big… * The Merry Maidens stone circle is another of those
Citadel of the Sun…Citadel of the Sun…
Cornwall Recce 2018… * ‘There is a certain atmosphere about the place, an echo of a life that is hidden deep in the recesses of the mind.’ * If our
The Mysterious Road to Tain (4 – End) : a simple manThe Mysterious Road to Tain (4 – End) : a simple man
The young missionary – a peregrini, meaning one on a life-pilgrimage – wore two crosses; but not around his neck nor on his simple, woven robe. The Celtic designs were
Circles of Heaven: Animal…Circles of Heaven: Animal…
* In the Great Circle of Time Progress halfway around And the new becomes the old Upon a higher arc… *
The Mysterious Road to Tain (3) : the protectorsThe Mysterious Road to Tain (3) : the protectors
“Saints don’t just disappear!” Bernie was getting a little exasperated with my poor attempt at stringing together a viable theory to account for the cultural disappearance of St Duthac. “There’s
Circles of Heaven: Plant…Circles of Heaven: Plant…
* What we now call ‘gods’ or ‘goddesses’, the ‘ancients’ saw as spirits. How does one learn to safely cook a poisonous plant? By many deaths? Or, by contacting the
The Mysterious Road to Tain (2) : the Demi-god of RossThe Mysterious Road to Tain (2) : the Demi-god of Ross
“You’d have thought they would have looked after it, better!’ Bernie can be highly critical on these occasions. Mind you, we had trudged all the way around the small town
Circles of Heaven: Mineral…Circles of Heaven: Mineral…
* There is an inevitable circularity to many of our arguments. For the logician, circularity is a death knell. Logic proceeds in steps along a perceived line, from a perceived
The Mysterious Road to Tain (1)The Mysterious Road to Tain (1)
“There’s a little known saint with some strange royal connections…” mused Bernie, my wife. “He has a pilgrimage centre near where we’re going today.” she said. “Want to see it?”
The Shifting Stones of StonehengeThe Shifting Stones of Stonehenge
Not to be outdone by the recent discoveries on Orkney, Stonehenge – one of the world’s most famous stone circles – has thrown up a whole new story about its
The City and the Stars – revisited – Britain’s oldest stone circle…The City and the Stars – revisited – Britain’s oldest stone circle…
New evidence from the past two years’ work on Orkney has revealed breathtaking perspectives on the nature and importance of the finds at the Ness of Brodgar… (1000 words, a
Wish you were here…Wish you were here…
* In Olden Times, Holidays were originally just that… Holy Days. The whole community would lay aside their workday duties and together engage in deeply or intrinsically symbolic activities that
The City and the Stars (9 – End) : The most peaceful place in the worldThe City and the Stars (9 – End) : The most peaceful place in the world
The conclusion of the Silent Eye’s extended workshop to Orkney. A visit to the neighbouring island of Rousay. A sad disappointment and a wonderful surprise. (1300 words, a twelve-minute read)
The City and the Stars (8) : LongshipsThe City and the Stars (8) : Longships
The traditional picture of the Vikings – looting, marauding, raping invaders – may not be entirely true of their time on Orkney, though they did rule this gentle archipelago with
The City and the Stars (7) : The Standing Stones of StennessThe City and the Stars (7) : The Standing Stones of Stenness
The Standing Stones of Stenness are reduced in importance compared with their former status. But 5,000 years ago, they were the stone circle for the Ness of Brodgar spiritual city.
The City and the Stars (6) : the twice-chosenThe City and the Stars (6) : the twice-chosen
To build something so sophisticated, so designed, as the Maeshowe Chambered ‘tomb’, would have required enormous dedication from the people of Orkney. Seen alongside the emerging splendour of the Ness
The City and the Stars (5) – Structure 10: pyramidThe City and the Stars (5) – Structure 10: pyramid
The more the Orkney archeologists uncover, the more it is certain that the settlement on the Ness of Brodgar was the hub of a dynamically influential and spiritual society, 5000