A story of ours which was inspired by the 4,000 year old bronze age rock map found in France. It is believed to be Europe’s oldest found map. It is indeed a ceramic rock map, as rock and ceramic are of the same stuff so its got Mike enjoying making imaginary Pagan “arti”facts, and we decided to jointly write a story around it.
The Legend of Black Rock
The rock map was found by Dr Roger Fingleton in 1822, whilst carrying out the first of many archaeological investigations into the landscape. He assumed that the rock map was made by the Plegg people, an ancient pagan tribe in the country now called Wales, with all its beautiful markings mapping the land of the Plegg people.
But the truth is, it was not completely made by the Plegg people; it was found by Lan Afondyn, a river ferryman, whilst wading across the river at his village Maes-Y-Coed. He found this unusual large, flat stone on the river bed and it had a form that bore an extraordinary resemblance to the hills and river he knew and loved so well. He took this to his dear friend, the quarryman Deek Frolack who also delighted in this gift from the land. Deek was deeply spiritual and had continued in the line of his family to finish the construction of a stone circle, a circle that he and his tribe had so diligently worked on with the help of so many other tribes who had come to connect there with the land and spirits.
The circle stones aligned with sun and moon signalling the seasonal changes of the land. Deek could see how this rock had been given to Lan not just found but a gift of the river placed by the river goddess. She was the maker of the river and legend had it that stones had been carried by spirits from the mountains in the north. He asked if it could be used in their stone circle rituals and if he could use his skill with stones to mark it, showing how the tribe lived on the land. Initially Lan frowned upon this request and was hesitant to give an immediate answer. He said he would have to think about it for a few days. However, Deek was impatient to see how the rock would influence the rituals as soon as he could; a deep compulsion to do so, a strong pull greater than anything he had ever experienced before. Lan however, resisted pleas for such immediacy but conceding by saying he would sleep on the matter and give a decision in the morning.
That night Lan fell into a fitful sleep, as the full moon beamed through his window. He found himself falling into dreams, vivid images coming to him. In the dreams, the Sirhowy river goddess appeared before him as he rowed his ferry over the waters. She rose up from the silvery waters, kissed by the light of the full moon. A feeling of awe and extreme reverence shivered through him and he was transfixed by her presence. She spoke in a voice of pure silken tones:
“The rock map is a gift to the tribe, as thanks for their commitment and respect for all that is natural and spiritual. However, it is not something that can be possessed by any one being. It belongs to everyone and no-one. With right intention it can reveal much magic, joy and peace. Be warned however, it secrets will not be revealed easily; only the power of a true bond will bring forth its immense treasure.”
Lan woke the next morning, somewhat perplexed by the message conveyed by the goddess. One word did resonate with him though – ‘treasure’. He felt a surge in his belly, the thought of untold riches racing through his mind. However, he also sensed an unease about the rock belonging to no one. Maybe only through sharing would such riches be acquired, and therefore it suddenly made sense for Deek to use the rock in his ceremonies. By doing so the rock may reveal the secrets to riches unimaginable.
So upon meeting Deek the next day, he happily passed the stone to his friend and said he could use it as so desired. He did not mention the dream the night before, but would bide his time and wait to see the results. Deek was delighted and gladly accepted. He knew he must use his spiritual magic to reveal the true nature and map of the land. To create magic he needed to raise his vibration and let the intention drop into the ether, like a drop of water into a still pool radiating soft ripples outward.
The first light of dawn of the following day, Deek rose and dressed himself in his druid robes. He emerged from his dwelling carrying the magic staff that he had crafted from a fallen branch of oak that had spoken to him while walking in the woods. He made his way to the centre of the stone circle, carrying the rock and staff, and laid the rock on the altar of the stone circle next to the tribe’s resonance bowl. Deek meditated, then sounded the family resonance bowl and chanted, allowing the vibrations of his sound to resonate round the circle. Then, with deep rhythmic breathing he raised his vibration and asked for the map to be revealed on the stone. As the sun crept over the horizon, he raised his staff to meet it and as the first rays of light hit the crystal on the top of the staff, he felt the energy coursing down through, lighting his third eye. However, no inspiration was forthcoming and no secrets were revealed. For three days he repeated the ritual, but still nothing came.
After the three days, Deek realised that the rock would not reveal anything to him in his current state of mind. Without knowing it, he had created an expectation of it, some kind of need to fulfil his own spiritual destiny. Maybe the rock was not what he needed, but the answers to his questions lay elsewhere. With this in mind, he called upon Lan to thank him and to return the rock.
Lan was surprised to see his friend back so soon, and even more so to hear that the rock had not revealed any of its mystery. But he was glad that Deek had returned as he had missed him during the three days and was warmed to see his friend again. Then, as Deek passed the rock back to Lan, an energy passed through them, a connection through their hands as they touched the rough surface, vibrating through their bodies. Their eyes connected and a sudden understanding passed between them. Each realised that they had misunderstood the purpose of the stone; it was neither for personal spiritual enlightenment nor for material gain. Its purpose was deeper, a conduit for connecting all things, human and nature, land and water, earth and heaven. Without any words being uttered, they understood what needed to be done. Lan then knew that he had to trust his friend and told him about his dream of the Sirhowy River Goddess.
They arranged for Lan to come up and stay with Deek at the spiritual settlement by the circle so that they could this time use the vibrational magic of the moon. The moon energy Deek knew was deeply intuitive and that Lan’s dream was a spiritual sign. He could see that not only did he and Lan need to let go of fear and barriers between them, and to truly love as all people can, and that they needed to bring the community into this. He had devised and discussed with his fellows in the spiritual settlement who came from all of the families of the Plegg, the proposed ritual and explained to Lan to see if he was in agreement, which he was. That evening the full moon emerged on the clearest of nights and the Plegg folk, wrapped in warm clothing, gathered inside the stone circle. The spiritual seekers carrying their staffs, wands or resonance bowls ready to raise the vibration. Deek in his Druid robes led Lan to the altar where he lay the rock map. After quiet meditation, followed by music and dancing, the assembled people chanted together in free flow and rang the bowls. A harmonious resonance grew as the gathering made beautiful resonant sound.
The moonlight was strong and lit the circle without the need for torchlight. Deek took his crystal inlaid oak staff and he could feel energy begin to channel through it. He stood behind Lan and wrapped his arms around him and they faced both the altar with the rock on it and the moon above. They both then held the staff and focussed on the top crystal as the moonlight twinkled through it. Lan gasped as he felt the ecstasy and joy arise sensing the moonlight flow through him. Deek could feel the energy flow through his friend. Deek found his third eye opening with an inner vision of a map of the Plegg landscape, the river, the valley, the hills, and he could see the landmarks of the tribe as coloured markings on it. He now knew how the rock was to be marked for the tribe. Lan found that that an image of black, shiny and crystalline rock had come to him. There was a smell, unmistakable, sort of resinous, almost sulphurous, oily and almost like wood burning or wood ash. Deek at the same time saw a cave on the cliff by the river, it wasn’t a natural cave but one dug by people. Lan turned to Deek and they could see that they needed to share what they knew.
They all processed back to the village and gathered informally round the fire. Deek and Lan shared their experience of the evening and sparking from each others recounting, saw that the shared treasure to be had was this black mineral to be found by digging into the cliff by the river at the point Deek had envisioned. The spiritual villagers all agreed on a plan to dig for this treasure for the benefit of all and see what it would bring.
Sometime later, after the finding and mining of the black mineral, it was discovered that it was indeed treasure. It proved to be a fuel capable of producing enormous heat and could be traded by the Plegg community far and wide. Deek had worked with Lan to engrave the stone rock, teaching him his stone working skills, to produce the Plegg people’s map. Deek had also envisioned that fateful moonlit night another new place a very spiritual place on the river, which had only previously been reached by boat. New paths were made by the spiritual settlement to get there so that visitors to the stone circle could be taken to that place to heal and cleansed themselves spiritually. It became a place where people could worship the Sirhowy River Goddess. Both of them suddenly hit upon the idea of having a celebration at this very special place in the river of thanksgiving.
On the night of the celebration, the Plegg people gathered from the four corners of the land, the gentle snowflakes falling upon their warm clothing. They reached the place in the river, now called the Pagan Pool, walking in silence, young and old, to join the gathering, bringing the family resonance bowls, and celebratory food and drink for the festival. Deek and the other three druids, priest and priestesses, met on the bank of the slowly meandering river, wide at this point below the falls. The river was dark, the trees in their bare winter dormancy. The wind had dropped and they could hear the gentle sound of snowflakes coming to rest on their robes. Everything was still.
Each druid spoke giving thanks to the Sirhowy River Goddess and together they each directed their staffs to the land. Each family brought their resonance bowl forward and water was poured into each one from the river, and the resonant sounds rose into the river valley in celebration. A gentle chant grew, a harmonious sound, and each druid felt the familiar energy course through them. Each druid, with love, directed the energy to the land and the water and the sky, bringing healing and gratitude for all they were given; the food, the water, their clothes, their dwellings and the very air they breathed, and for their fellow people and new wealth.
Lan, in his boat, peered round the turn of the river and entered the wide pool, propelling the boat with his paddle. The boat was full of the black, rich mineral they had found. He moved the boat with his helpers, the coal was unloaded and a large fire made on the shallow sloping stony bank. An iron cauldron was placed on the stones above the coals, cider was poured in and precious spices added with honey and allowed to brew. The ceremonial wassail cups were brought out and hot spiced cider ladled into them, and passed amongst the tribe. Honeyed wheat cakes were warmed and bellies filled. Soon the songs of old were being sung and all were merry.
Then slowly as the twilight came and darkness descended, the moon emerged, the river twinkling with its light and the glowing coals and torches. At first only one or two people started to notice a beautiful lady, ethereal, floating, appearing to walk upon the water. It was the lady from Lan’s vision, the Sirhowy River Goddess. Silence fell on the crowd as they admired her beauty and grace. She radiated a joy and happiness that was infectious, and then slowly vanished.
With hugging and happy babble, the tribe took the paths to their settlements. Lan gave Deek a huge hug and a kiss. They said nothing, but gave just lingering, knowing smiles. Rekindled in a new level of friendship, brothers indeed.
Deek went on to the spiritual settlement and Lan to the riverside farming community downstream in his boat. Before Lan was out of sight, Deek looked back and shouted “I’ll be down to see you in three days! Make sure the wassail is warming and the salted pork is cooking on the coal fire!”
Art partners note. Mike had been fascinated by the prehistoric bronze age rock map discovered in France. It came at the same time as he had made the first Sirhowy River tiles from contour maps, which were the same, that is 3D maps made from the minerals of the Earth. So he decided to create an imaginary rock map for the pagan times in this Sirhowy landscape. There is evidence of significant pagan druid activity in this part of the Sirhowy valley in bygone days and it had only recently been news that Stonehenge one of many stone circles actually came from Wales where it was first built in the Preseli Hills. There is a stone circle both on the map and referenced in the myth. We also made the legend about finding coal in the area. There are actually two large modern disused mines in the area covered by the map which are now reclaimed with shops and school using the land. You can hardly imagine there were coal mines there now and that this is the heart of the industrial coal mining valleys and that extensive industry and its pollution were there only 30 years ago or so. And the valleys are a remarkable landscape, a lot of normal suburban community and shops along with deep wooded peaceful rivers and high country hills with fantastic views. But there will be deep, and in places cavernous, underground excavations through all this. Locally some are big enough to take some significant sized locomotives. One of the disused mines drains into the Sirhowy river just where the “pagan pool” is located. But the prehistoric mine on the map is actually what we believe to be the location of a much older disused mine in St David’s wood by the river. So with all this in mined the map was made and fired. The map gave us a perfect opportunity to also progress another element of our landscape investigation and mapping, that of creating stories about the land, as we imagined it. And a myth seemed perfect. So we co-authored this piece. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it. The rock map along with other imagined artifacts is also part of The Museum of Pagan “Arti”facts project which is in the creative pipeline. The myth refers to all of the “arti”facts that are either already made or are being refined and will emerge over the life of the project.