Sacred locations

My late husband had a great love of history and archaeology, which he passed to me. Don't get me wrong, as an avid map reader I'd always had an interest in not only geography but also the associated  history of places. So it was that he'd ask me to find places that we might visit together and so we discovered henges, stone circles, caves,  forts, old castles and old monasteries etc. Now the significance of   'sacred' places was particularly interesting. I'm not talking just of Christian places here, but of places that would have been regarded as important to early man.

A holiday to Orkney was duly planned, and I made up a good itinerary of places off the beaten track as well as some more 'touristy' areas. It's reckoned that on Orkney there is a site of historical or archaeological importance every mile and a half. So lots to see and do. We took boots, hard hats and torches on top of the general requirements for a campervan holiday. Well, unfortunately early May was not the best month to travel and we experienced all four seasons in the days we were there. Nevertheless we did see some amazing places.

I particularly recall visiting the Ring of Brodgar, and spending a few hours exploring (my husband went fishing after his viewing), I must say that I speculated on the significance of the circle in conjunction with its surroundings. Early man must have regarded the area with some reverence and awe, making into a 'sacred' site. Somehow I felt drawn to remain for some time just musing ....it was very thought provoking.

We might just consider sacred places to be part of our religion...or indeed the religion of others...and they are to those involved. I'm often moved by the vastness and creativity of churches and cathedrals. Not because I regard myself as a religious person , but that I admire the strength of belief shown by the planners, builders , architects and all folk involved in the building...it's totally admirable. Furthermore it doesn't have to involve a vast building, nor indeed a building at all. Just outside Buckie, where I used to live, persecuted Roman Catholics met in a sheepfold adjoining a cottar's dwelling, during the reformation. Returning to Orkney there's the Italian Chapel built by prisoners of war from a couple of Nissen huts ...if you've never been then do 'google' for information as it's absolutely beautiful and is still maintained as a sacred site to this day.

I only have a poem about Durham Cathedral written a few years ago after I visited and climbed up to the rooftop. I have a feeling I might have included this piece in an earlier blog...never mind it's worth repeating (I reckon).

Durham Cathedral. 9th August 2014

Heavenward reaching columns 

Searching for an unseen God.

Built on a foundation of faith 

By men with ardent beliefs.

Into perpetuity this edifice reaches,

With arches that seem to support

Heaven itself !

These faithful tradesmen in stone

Would never know the impact 

Of their labours.

Other meeker structures may tumble in time

But this glory in stone will withstand

Time itself !

Living on, seeking a higher being,

A further meaning to its longevity and strength.

Admired, awed - by men of all creeds and beliefs.

For there is no one religion in this building,

But an admiration by mankind

Of the labour, the skill and the artistry

Of men long departed.

Thanks for reading, Kath

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History

As a schoolchild I was not at all interested in history as I found it altogether boring. It seemed that I was expected to just remember a list of dates, and who was the Scottish King at any given time!

As for prehistoric man- well he was dismissed as being unintelligent and just grunted! Of course I know the latter to be entirely untrue as many television programmes show us.....if only history had been so vividly brought to life for us all those years ago.

Nowadays I avidly watch any ' history' programmes and really enjoy them. This enjoyment and interest is mostly due to my late husband who was very interested in the subject. He filled my bookcases with " Egyptology", history of the "Bible Lands ", English history......then laterally Scottish history. Days, weekends and holidays were spent exploring archaeological sites, castles, vitrified forts...to name a few.

A holiday on Orkney delighted him. Beforehand we read books, collected leaflets, organised our trips and gathered together the necessary equipment to explore less popular attractions.....like torches, hard hats and boots! On Orkney there is a site of either historical or archaeological interest every mile and a half! You can imagine his excitement! Unfortunately the weather was not kind and we put up with frost, sleet, rain and gale force winds for a week ( we'd planned two ) and we were driven away as we were in an unheated VW camper.

Of course I've always appreciated the link between history and geography (the subject that I took to Higher level), and when explaining map reading to beginners I point out historical references, place names, battle fields, ancient roads etc, showing that the two are related to each other in many ways.

I've looked through my poetry archives this morning and come up with this one, intending to show that " history repeats itself ". I probably wrote this about 1967 ? I think it's still relevant .....
   
Powerseeker

Did you see the dove fly out from the smouldering rubble?
Did you hear a child laugh in the empty streets?
Did you listen to the music of the birds in the ruins of silence?..
Then you are dreaming , my friend.

I did not see the dove fly out from the smouldering rubble,
I listened and heard no laughter in the streets
and no birds sweet music made.....
Yes, you were dreaming my friend.

For man's cruelty to his kind is his downfall,
and nothing survives.
The impulsive lust of the powerseeker
pushes him on to greater triumphs!
And his reward?
Smouldering ruins of an empty,silent world.

Kath Curtiss

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