Upwards at 45 Degrees (or so) ....a seabed in the clouds. Carnedd y Filiast, north-western Glyderau (note the nomenclature... the ‘cairn of the greyhound’, the association more usually applied to cromlechs). I’m happy to admit this sent my mind reeling... and still does.... I have little reason to doubt our naturally clued-up forebears sussed what it represented, too. Perhaps another reason (see also Tryfan and Castell-y-Gwynt) for them to have regarded Y Glyderau as ‘special’?
Image credit: Robert Gladstone
Mental!
As I understand - I could be wrong - Darwin paid a vist to the Glyderau... and saw what the ice had done (quite obviously) before the bible reckoned the earth existed for himself...hence they could be a lot more important to the future of humankind than we may think. I mean, could you honestly stand here and believe all that hysterical Pauline misognmy?
Some of the hillocks around Bride on the isle of man are positively rude in their feminine nature, the name of the place shows how deep rooted she is in our psyche , the weirdo's can deny her but she will always rise. Putting all these photo's on here and seeing your name on most places and then knowing you had 20 years hill walking as well, mixing this with the monuments you have visited made me realise that not many people [if any] understand this country as you do Gladders, Is it time for the Isle of Man yet?
Not sure 'understand' is the right word, Paul... what I'm trying to do is to put as many experiences and resulting emotional states as I can into the 'pot', if you like, so that one day it might - just might - dawn on me what we are all about. That probably sounds incredibly trite to some, but I guess the search for meaning is hardcoded into the human psyche, so that's my excuse. Much better that than to absolve ourselves of any quest at the outset by grabbing the first 'ready made answer' to hand and believe the childish fables of monotheism. Paganism is different, I think, since the various forms seem to me a lot more open to interpretation, a lot more analogous to states of the world. I still don't get the gods, but we humans do like to attribute character traits to the stuff around us to help us relate to it.... and I reckon what with femininity being, to me, so utterly unpredictable at times - albeit gloriously, wonderfully so - maternal landscape associations seem so much more logical, so much more, well.... natural, than paternal ones. That the Earth is unpredictable is highlighted by finding a river/sea bed forming the side of a mountain a couple of thousand feet up(wards)... at 45 degrees!!
I reckon Postman was spot on when he said - can't remember when now - that he wasn't a 'hill walker' but a 'hill experiencer'... or something like that. Ticking off summits or sites means nothing unless you take the time to truly experience them... to form an opinion of what the people who built them wanted them to represent in the landscape.
The IoM's on the list, but probably when the legs have finally had enough of what I'm currently doing. Not enough time to go everywhere. Just hoping us current lot can intriugue enough others yet to come to have a go... to perhaps make a difference.
I love what you say about experiencing places, I spend day's/whole nights at sites and the mystery grows but at the same time you learn a bit more, I love this contradiction, Boscawen - Un - so feminine but with a big penis in the middle, that's what paganism is about to me, a balance in all things, and Gladders when the legs give way i'm sure you'll be a writer because of your lovely way you describe this sacred landscape of ours.
"Hill seeker" it was , I think.
Ha! I've an image of me freaking out hanging onto that centre stone ... it's so blatant - driven in at that angle - that it is beyond wonderful. Such sexuality, such humanity.... such affirmity of life, disregarding the confines of the evil books. Needless to say I measured up, but was found a little wanting. Only a little, mind.
Ha Ha, Such modesty.