* 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
Category: Ancient Sacred Sites
‘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
Author’s NoteAuthor’s Note
On a rather bleak day, when I was feeling low for some unspecified reason, the first complete chapter of Dark Sage landed in my inbox and had me laughing out
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 Book of Assassinations’‘The Book of Assassinations’
We were determined not to get wet, so we went to Chesterfield, on the general principle that there would be both indoor parking and a cathedral big enough to keep
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
El Drac? …El Drac? …
* Geography! Never our strongest suit. There are some places though, where we seem to already know the lay-out. Edinburgh for one, and Durham. Tavistock proved to be another of
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
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
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
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
Portraits…Portraits…
* Photographing stones… * * Is not like photographing people. * * Stones do not, normally, insist upon presenting their best side. * * Or veto the unhappy results. *
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
A Harmony of Eight…A Harmony of Eight…
* The point sits at the centre of the square, where its two diagonals intersect. * * From the same intersection, another square can be drawn at right angles to
The City and the Stars (4) – The Ring of BrodgarThe City and the Stars (4) – The Ring of Brodgar
You turn to take in the landscape… This magnificent place, where the natural features are as spectacular as the Neolithic discoveries, lies between two lochs surrounded by a natural amphitheatre.
The City and the Stars (3) – The City on the NessThe City and the Stars (3) – The City on the Ness
A ten-minute journey from Stromness, on Orkney, lies an ‘isthmus’ which recent excavations have shown to contain one of the richest archeological concentrations in the world… It is nothing less
The City and the Stars (2) – Skara Brae’s Ancient HousesThe City and the Stars (2) – Skara Brae’s Ancient Houses
Skara Brae’s modern story began in 1850 when a violent sea-storm tore off the layers of grass, sand and soil that had covered what appeared to be two ancient and
The City and the Stars (1) – Skara BraeThe City and the Stars (1) – Skara Brae
With the Pictish Trail weekend a long car journey and a boat ride behind us, we had awakened in Stromness to the early morning of an overcast Orkney day –
Two journeys, one destination (9) – Dunrobin CastleTwo journeys, one destination (9) – Dunrobin Castle
The beautiful vision of the ‘fairytale’ Dunrobin Castle, seen here from across the bay during our visit to Portmahomack, had tantalised us with the reported splendour of its architecture and