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moss M
moss Jun 14, 2012 07:49:22
Replying to Howburn Digger

Howburn Digger wrote:
We dont even call things like that a "hill" in Scotland but that's probably what was behind the bump's construction in the first place. Some kinda ancient landscape of Scotland jealousy thing which happened down South. You kinda get that vibe and this fillum really brings it out bigstyle.
I think a few star wipes would have eased the clumsy transitions between the shots and more zooming in and out would have greatly improved the feel of the whole "video". The keechy, new-age, warbly mince music could be replaced by something a bit more groovy like say a top Gary Glitter track or even some Italian House from say 1990.
As Hugh MacDiarmid once wrote
"It's queer the thochts a kittled cull can lowse, Nor Splairgin Glit annul..."
Musing on the above this morning, I remembered when years ago being able to go up Silbury without having the guilt button thrown at you. and then all of the people that have been up over the past centuries. This 'sacred' veil has been thrown over the mound without any regard for history, and I'm not sure why we are not allowed, except of course the numbers that would trek to the top because (and this is my theory) the highlighting of the 'sacred' nature of Avebury by TMA, and of course archaeologists. My other half (LS) said 'Namby-pamby, nature loving, mother goddess' worshippers, and yes if you aspire to such heights making a film about Silbury you should try and make a decent video....


ps if anyone attacks LS for his words they have me to contend with ;)

S Sanctuary
Sanctuary Jun 14, 2012 08:39:40
Replying to moss

moss wrote:
Howburn Digger wrote:
We dont even call things like that a "hill" in Scotland but that's probably what was behind the bump's construction in the first place. Some kinda ancient landscape of Scotland jealousy thing which happened down South. You kinda get that vibe and this fillum really brings it out bigstyle.
I think a few star wipes would have eased the clumsy transitions between the shots and more zooming in and out would have greatly improved the feel of the whole "video". The keechy, new-age, warbly mince music could be replaced by something a bit more groovy like say a top Gary Glitter track or even some Italian House from say 1990.
As Hugh MacDiarmid once wrote
"It's queer the thochts a kittled cull can lowse, Nor Splairgin Glit annul..."
Musing on the above this morning, I remembered when years ago being able to go up Silbury without having the guilt button thrown at you. and then all of the people that have been up over the past centuries. This 'sacred' veil has been thrown over the mound without any regard for history, and I'm not sure why we are not allowed, except of course the numbers that would trek to the top because (and this is my theory) the highlighting of the 'sacred' nature of Avebury by TMA, and of course archaeologists. My other half (LS) said 'Namby-pamby, nature loving, mother goddess' worshippers, and yes if you aspire to such heights making a film about Silbury you should try and make a decent video....


ps if anyone attacks LS for his words they have me to contend with ;)

I suppose the 'sacredness' comes or goes depending on how one interprets the hill. For me it IS sacred and not just a load of chalk/earth/sarcen boulders/turf tossed up in a heap to give them something to do. It didn't get there by accident, doesn't 'seem' to have a purpose as a stand-alone object so therefore must be part of a larger plan/construct in the landscape, which, in the main, people are not seeing.
As for climbing it, well we've been here before a few times haven't we. My view is that if people felt it was sacred they wouldn't climb it under any circumstances if the sacredness was still 'in-use' unless it was to carry out that use, but I guess for the majority it is just a mound asking to be climbed like any other hill. If it means absolutely nothing to them then they'll climb it to their heaerts content, whereas these days if I wished to climb it for research reasons I would seek permission (which I have but never got replies to). If everyone is treated like that then I can see why peple don't give a stuff.
Interestingly, in the days of Prof Atkinson (when we used to go up by the hundreds) he stated on television during his dig that the hill stood as stable now as it did when first built and showed no signs of distress whatsoever. It's only since all the excavating has taken place since that it has gone into decline it seems as time finally caught up with his dig and the previous ones. It is the archaeos in the main that have been responsible for its major troubles not Joe Public IMO.

S Sanctuary
Sanctuary Jun 14, 2012 08:46:16
Replying to moss

moss wrote:
ps if anyone attacks LS for his words they have me to contend with ;)
After what he said about the consequences of him nicking your pint of beer Moss none of us are going to argue with you don't worry!! :-)

L Littlestone
Littlestone Jun 14, 2012 09:06:49
Replying to moss

...'Namby-pamby, nature loving, mother goddess' worshippers...
You forgot t-light and incense burning, tat-tying, drum-banging, chanting and crystal-burying ;-)

We ran a similar thread here a few years ago – think at that time we went over to the ‘offender’s’ website and left a few courteous and informative comments there :-) The outcome was quite a positive one (for us) if I remember correctly.

T tjj
tjj Jun 14, 2012 18:12:41
Replying to moss

moss wrote:
Musing on the above this morning, I remembered when years ago being able to go up Silbury without having the guilt button thrown at you. and then all of the people that have been up over the past centuries. This 'sacred' veil has been thrown over the mound without any regard for history, and I'm not sure why we are not allowed, except of course the numbers that would trek to the top because (and this is my theory) the highlighting of the 'sacred' nature of Avebury by TMA, and of course archaeologists. My other half (LS) said 'Namby-pamby, nature loving, mother goddess' worshippers, and yes if you aspire to such heights making a film about Silbury you should try and make a decent video....
I don't really know why I'm bothering to comment but since 'your other half' started the topic, and since its something I feel strongly about I don't see why not. I may have misunderstood your post "I'm not sure why we are not allowed" - this puzzled me. I know a few people who do climb Silbury in the spirit of anarchy and not being dictated to by English Heritage and, although I like a quiet life, I always disagree with them. The way I see it is that Silbury is a unique and 'mystical' (to me) ancient monument without which the Avebury landscape would seem empty and bereft. We all know (and some have suffered for it) that due to the irresponsible excavations of the past it started to collapse in on itself. In 2007 careful though sometimes contentious work was done to stabilize the mound and if for no other reason that is a good enough one to ask individuals not to climb it.