Friday 8 January 2010

Red


I overlooked this one from New Year's Day: as the red glow intensified, looking away from the setting sun, it picked out a red ribbon and a single red berry in a thorn tree. Strange.

4 comments:

Bronislaus Janulis / Framewright said...

Yes, but what witch's attire would a red ribbon be?

Bron

Mike C. said...

Hmm, I have my thoughts, but I think that's a question a gentleman must leave unanswered.

It could, of course, be a nascent "clootie tree". I'll keep my eye on it.

Mike

Bronislaus Janulis / Framewright said...

Wouldn't the "Clootie" tree need a sacred well near by?

Bron

Mike C. said...

For a genuine one of any antiquity, yes, probably (I'm no expert on folklore), but there are small encampments of "travellers" around the hill (remnants of the anti-road protestors of the 80s) who probably feel some kind of healing activity is in order to make up for the damage done by the motorway cutting.

Like the practices of contemporary "wiccans", these things usually seem to be an odd mix of folk memory and what can be got out of books, or from people who have read the books.

There does seem to be a gradual reversion to an instinctive native paganism in Britain, however -- for example, the little roadside shrines constructed at the site of road accidents, or people putting things like windchimes and windmills on graves.

I expect a dozen people are working this up into a photo project right now!