FOLKLORIC ~ The Good Shepherds

Photo, The Mirror Newsgroup

Tonight I cannot write of pretty things. It is too cold.

I've lived in London and in remote countryside and loved both ways of life. Cities - endless shops, easy accessibility to all hour food, well lit in the darkest night.  The English countryside is full of green magic, trees, flowers, hedges, gloriously scented and full of wildlife to enchant and educate us. But in winter snow and rain can cut you off from supplies and make roads impossible to navigate. Electricity, water and heating can fail. Those postcard pretty cottages with roses round the door are often freezing in winter as oil runs out, becomes too expensive and the wood pile exhausted. 



a local cottage

Ice hangs upon thatched cottages like the long icy fingers of The Snow Queen.

During hard times it seems trivial to write of luxury which so many do not have time for nor afford.  Beauty cheers us and lifts our spirits, inspiring us to create and share. Constant deprivation wounds us deeply and we withdraw into ourselves, our homes, reaching for the fire.  Gripped in the frosty embrace of a never ending Winter it is hard to summon Hope, but we must.

Winter remains. The usual promise of Spring is with us, woods carpeted in Snow Drops and Daffodil bloom along roadsides. But the sun does not come to melt the snow. Yet Easter is nearly upon us. Whatever your religious beliefs, it is impossible not to feel the sacred in the change of season from Winter to Spring - if only it would come. The stillness upon the land is beautiful - and deadly.

From deeper countryside than where our little cottage nestles came the heartbreaking news stories of sheep frozen under drifts giving birth to lambs. Desperate shepherds are often unable to save them before the freeze takes them where they lay.

The Good Shepherd by Richard Hook

Reporters listen to farmers whisper the realisation that their life as sheep farmers is over, beaten by nature, low prices for their produce and competition in the supermarkets from foreign lamb that can magically be offered cheaper than home grown.  In the future when we drive through English and Irish countryside empty of sheep and sheep dogs will we understand that those inexpensive meals we cooked helped to cause this wasteland?

When we grow up we look back at children's stories and sometimes think them foolish. But who dares laugh now at The Snow Queen who threw Winter over Narnia?

Whether we believe in Christ or not the Shepherd is a folkloric figure. These simple people have something highly mystical about them. Living so close to nature and facing hardships alone.



Illustration by Walter Crane

 It was impossible to watch the news footage of shepherds rescuing what they could of their herds and not shed a tear. Perhaps our tears will melt the snow and bring Spring to resurrect our joy. But for those who have lived through this and lost what they once knew, innocence is gone.

Innocence 1893 by William Adolphe Bouguereau

This Easter is unlike any other which I have ever known. More than ever we require faith, in something, to help us believe that Spring will come. And helping hands and hearts.  If you are in a cold place, help each other to stay warm. Wherever that you are be amongst friends and remember to share whatever each of us have with those who have not. 

Remember our neighbours, family and friends

FOLKLORIC ~ Magic Carpet Ride

painting by Apollinari Mikhailovich Vasnetsov

There are few things in life which we love in our youth and feel the same affection for years later.  When we downsized one of the items we could not quite bear to part with was a collection of what we called our 'magic carpets'.


Source: From Moon to Moon



These vintage carpets (and cushions and hangings)  had been lovingly sourced from charity and antique shops, given to us by family and bought in markets on trips to Iran.

For over a decade we had lived in houses which needed them. They had lain on long wood corridors and been lain upon by a series of cats, some past and some present who had also graced our homes.



Our favourite Bohemian cat

One rug in particular was known to us for even longer, going back some 25 years. It had been a covering in the bed of a giant Hound named Tennyson who had gnawed on it and left little holes in the fine embroidered wool.



All of our cats have dreamed of flying on the Magic Carpets

 

The new cottage was small, humble,  and different. No long corridors, no dark wood polished floors or 300 year old Elm floorboards needing adornment. We considered for sometime over the future of these carpets. Some were passed on.  It was hard to part with them, each held many memories.

Meanwhile we were struggling to decorate a small garden room. 'Garden' seemed to equate to soft romantic colours, as in the shabby chic signature style of Rachel Ashwell. Lots of white, pale pink, blue, lilac and of course green. We tried to get the room together around some Wedgewood majolica leaf plates we have although they were at least two shades darker than pale.



Antique Wedgewood Majolica

 Bar them, pretty though it was, the 'shabby chic' look for us would require all new items. And what were we to do with our old 'dark decor' things that had kept our company through our youth?

And then as so often happens, an old photograph of something we loved from the past inspired us. Rudolf the most perfect of Bohemians with the kelims he loved so much. (More about him and his carpets in a later post).



 Source: House and Garden magazine, 1992, a few months before Nureyev died.
With some of his beloved carpets at his home on Li Galli, off the Amalfi coast. 

 

And once we saw it, we knew. The garden room,  with the tiled floor, studio pottery, oak table, peacock chair and blissful light, was in fact the perfect place for the rest of our old carpets. And, as our conservatory is nothing ancient or grand the carpets would give a much needed 'lived in' air to the modern space.

 

The way in which the Bloomsbury Set layered colours, textiles, paintings, pottery and sculpture has long inspired us. I had been trying to force a pretty ladylike pale and interesting scheme upon our garden room - and it just is not who we are.

Instead - viola! We can have an orange and blue garden room which picks up the colour of these wonderful magic carpets, with the green Wedgewood as accent. This room overlooks a 150 year old red brick bakehouse with terracotta roof tiles and the colours outside complement inside. If summer ever arrives we plan to plant the garden view full of  jewel coloured flowers. 




Tennyson's blanket on the carved oak bench in the conservatory,
with an Edwardian carpet underneath.

Never too many cushions.

Mrs Black loves her old carpets.

Garden rooms do not have to be pastel! Wouldn't this be a wonderful stimulating place ?



Source: www.emel.com

JACK FROST

Icicles on a thatched cottage nearby

As most of England is covered in a hard frost and snow is foretold for this weekend it is not surprising that thoughts have turned to the character Jack Frost, or Father Frost as he is sometimes known.

Father Winter by ~alexson1 on deviantART,

Ivan Bilibin's watercolor illustration, "Father Frost" from Tales of Russian Grandmother,

Jack Frost by Arthur Rackham

Folklore on Jack's character is mingled with that of Father Winter and St Nicholas. The story has some origin in Russia folktales where Father Frost is in fact the same as St Nicholas, known to us as Santa Claus. But this Santa is quite different from the jolly fat man in a red suit who shimmies down our chimneys on Christmas Eve. This one is more of a pagan forest figure.

A Russian illustration of Father Frost, a Pixie rendition by unknown artist
and Jack casting his frosty fingers over all,  by Arthur Rackham.

Jack Frost is also seen as a kind of sprite in a pointy hat who mischieviously paints frost on Autumn leaves thus bringing winter to the land. He's close to being a male version of The Snow Queen, but perhaps not as evil as she is usually portrayed, as in Narnia. Although some versions of him are quite scary and spiky!

Spiky Jack, artist unknown to us. 

There is nothing to do but, stay warm,

Enjoy the art of Jack Frost,

Settle down with a good book,

Girl with a Book. Pietro Antonio Rotari (1707-1762).

And don't forget to feed the birds! 

1929 Louis Icart (French, 1888-1950) ~ Les Frileux (The Chilly Ones)

FOLKLORIC ~ Staddle Stones

Alice and The Caterpillar meet by a mushroom
John Tenniel

Epilogue to Through the Looking Glass

A boat, beneath a sunny sky
Lingering onward dreamily
In an evening of July --

Children three that nestle near,
Eager eye and willing ear
Pleased a simple tale to hear --

Long has paled that sunny sky:
Echoes fade and memories die:
Autumn frosts have slain July.

Still she haunts me, phantomwise
Alice moving under skies
Never seen by waking eyes.

Children yet, the tale to hear,
Eager eye and willing ear,
Lovingly shall nestle near.

In a Wonderland they lie,
Dreaming as the days go by,
Dreaming as the summers die:

Ever drifting down the stream --
Lingering in the golden gleam --
Life what is it but a dream?

Lewis Carroll

All of my life I have been mesmerised by Lewis Carroll. His photographs and his writing epitomised the idea of England which first captured my heart and made me want to live here. I love his poems which I find quite poignant, and of course Alice. I have collected illustrations and items which remind me of his books and am always thrilled to find anything which touches an 'Alice' chord within me. Our cottage is full of Mad Tea Party and Cheshire Cat vignettes. I always loved that a lot of what he wrote has double meaning and although it resonates heavily with children you can read and re-read and find deeper meaning. It took me sometime to understand - and then thanks to Grace Slick and The Jefferson Airplane with 'White Rabbit'  and a wander through the psychelic streets of Haight Ashbury to realise that the naughty caterpillar (and Alice) were under the enfluence of magic mushrooms and other rather special substances. Mushrooms are forever associated with magic and Fairies and most children delight in finding them in any form.

A set of 6 fabulous stone mushrooms for sale
from the Salisbury Salvo website

There are a lot of things in England which do seem to be Alice like. There are of course those magnifient West Country teas, or tea at The Ritz, how civilised! When I first moved here I was enthralled by giant stone mushrooms I came across in gardens, especially in villages and on farms. I wanted one, or two! They were fairy like and instantly Alice like, but I could not imagine that the generally stoic English public would be so sentimental about fairies or Alice to have strewn these items across their little enchanted isle.  I was living in London in those days and there was no internet (imagine!?) so it took me awhile to work out just what they really were.

When I finally did I was even more excited! I should have just asked a countryman, but instead it dawned on me one fine day when I came across a really magical little building in the wonderful Wiltshire landscape!

Little building from Sheldon Manor, near Chippenham, Wiltshire
From here:

Once upon a time these uncommon looking things were quite common and they had a very important use. They are known as 'Staddle Stones' a kind of magical name just in itself.  From the Wikipedia page: "In Middle English staddle or stadle is stathel, from Old English stathol, a foundation, support or trunk of a tree. The tops of the staddles were usually circular and this made it almost impossible for a rodent to climb up and into the hay or grain stored above. The air could freely circulate beneath the stored crops and this helped to keep it dry. Bee hives were often set on top of staddle stones to keep out predators and provide dry and airy conditions."

An old barn supported on several Staddle Stones at Boscombe, Wiltshire
Photo by Mike Searle, from here:

Staddle Stones of old were made of sandstone, red sandstone or granite, according to whatever materials were available locally. Today some garden centres sell reproductions made of cement but they are not anywhere near as magical and it takes  along time for them to achieve the any kind of patina or growth of the wonderful lichen that adds to the ancient look and charm of the old ones.

You often see old cattle troughs and sinks being placed upon Staddle Stones, still with their mushroom tops, or otherwise and this makes a lovely planter. I came across this pretty one in Ramsbury.



Conical shaped Staddle Stones in Ramsbury, Wiltshire

Mushroom Staddle Stones for sale at Below Stairs, Hungerford



Recently when I posted a fine set of these magical mushrooms for sale at a favourite shop, Below Stairs in Hungerford, ( their website:)   Nella from the lovely Acorn Country Living here:  asked if they had a special name. This reminded me once again of how much these stones meant to me and what a part they had played in my life in England. Since living here I have found out that they were also used in America, but most of them were made of timber there and have not survived.

I always look for them on our travels and they never cease to delight. Once they were quite common, less so today, but to me they will always be magical and Alice like.

And finally, here is the one in our garden which covers the old well that was once used by our village before it was connected to mains water in 1936.  Today the cats often sit upon it watching the birds in the trees.  As soon as we viewed our tiny Arts and Crafts cottage we fell in love with it and when I saw this mushroom in the back garden I knew we had to live here. Our very own little bit of 'Alice'.

Our much loved Staddle Stone over our old well

 

 

Further reading: The Wiki page for Staddle Stones

FOLKLORIC ~ Gypsy Caravan the unexpected but welcome visitors

Agatha Christie was certainly right - you never know what will happen in an English village.

Still, it's not every day that a gypsy caravan and horse stop in front of your cottage for lunch.

 He was a very handsome, well mannered boy and they were out for the day rambling round the countryside in their caravan. Had to give him an apple of course!

And then they were off towards Berkshire, continuing their adventures.

MARKET DAY

The antique dealer who sells at the market had a great stand on Wednesday!

Markets are just one of the many folkloric aspects which I love about Europe. When I was growing up in California 'super' markets were the norm, it was very rare to find an old fashioned market. After moving to England I was fascinated by the history of the market and set about visiting as many as I could.  Of course markets were the places to buy items of food and household goods long before shops opened. There is something magical about market day, especially in the countryside where the old towns were given charters by the kings to hold a market.

Wednesdays are market days in Hungerford. I like being there on those days even though parking can be tricky! Parking further away means more exercise and gazing at the pretty houses and gardens along the way into town.

The sun was shining so I took advantage of it to deliver items to our unit 'Mrs Black's' in The Emporium in the High Street. I put some pieces of vintage china, books and this round crocheted tablecloth in.  I love this tablecloth and it is a craft which I have not mastered myself so I really appreciate the talent and hours which have gone into this piece. I hope it goes to a good home where it can be shown off.



large circular crochet tablecoth £30.00



close up of the delicate crochet flowers

 

These are a few of the items that caught my eye today which other dealers at The Emporium have for sale.  Our little unit is upstairs and it is nearly impossible to pass through the shop without wanting something! 



Some very pretty chintz jugs,
and a pair of darling dog bookends




I love this doorstop - very unusual!



So feminine - a pale and interesting dressing table

Some more of what we have for sale at the moment.

An art student's copy of Constable's 'Cottage in a Cornfield'

Meakin sunflower coffee set

  

Audobon Canada Goose plate

 

Driving home the sky was a dreamy dark blue and the rape seed fields bright yellow, rich with that Heavenly scent. Swallows and Kites circled and chirped and shrieked overhead. And then it rained!

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON

Shhhh - gather round and listen carefully This is the tale of a magical bookshop, Barter Books,  and how what they discovered which had lain forgotten for many years became known the world over. And has now taken on folkloric status beyond what anyone could ever have imagined.

There is deep magic in words and design. Sometimes words are so powerful that they transcend time and cultures and touch those who do not even really understand their meaning or how they came to be created. The power of the poster 'Keep Calm and Carry On' is astounding.

Especially for something which had lain quietly for many years before being discovered in a dusty box in an old bookshop in what had once been a railway station.

In 1939 Europe was on the brink of war with Germany. Still devastated by the Great War,  England’s heart was understandably not in another war. The Temporary Ministry of Information (the department responsible for publicity and propaganda during the Second World War), commissioned three poster designs meant to be distributed in public places to strengthen morale in the event of a war being declared.  In September they issued two posters, 'Freedom Is In Peril. Defend It With All Your Might' (400,000 printed) and 'Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory' (800,000 printed. The first two designs were posted on public transport, in shop windows, upon notice boards and hoardings across Britian.

The 'Keep Calm and Carry On' posters were stored in case of an enemy attack on Great Britain. Although a few of the posters did make it onto walls, most were never issued and were destroyed at the end of the war in 1945, or lost in time, with the exception of a few that were found in 2009 that are in storage at the Imperial War Museum, 1 that resides in a British book shop and recently a woman brought about 30 to the Antiques Road Show.

The designer of this iconic poster remains unknown.

Almost 60 years later, in 2000, Stuart Manley, owner of the secondhand Barter Books in Alnwick found the poster folded at the bottom of a box of old books they purchased at an auction. When they framed it and displayed it in their shop the customers always commented on it. This inspired them to print and offer copies for sale in the shop. Stuart's wife Mary says that by March 2009, they had sold over 40,000 copies.

There is something about this poster which resonates with so many people. It is simple, and humble, yet strong and defiant. The little crown of King George VI at the top is it's only adornment. It is a symbol of the United Kingdom, but somehow it seems to signify a higher Kingdom too. They say being copied is the sincerest form of flattery, and this design has been re-created thousands of times with different wording and colours. Nothing comes close to the original.

Perhaps it's secret lies in the dark times in which it was created, often from darkness a light shines. It has grace. It is a small prayer, from the heart, like a candle to those whose lives were shattered by a terrible war.

It has a magical story, it's unknown designer, not being issued, how it never touched any of the lives so much in need of it. And yet what it says is actually how the people reacted to the time of darkness, and even,  how the war was won. It somehow managed to heed it's own slogan and refused to be forgotten. It surfaced in exactly the right time, when it was once again needed, and it reached our hearts immediately.

We live with war, some of us much closer to it than others, but it is always there in our world. These times we live in are harder than we have encountered for many years. Not as hard as during the war years and not as hard as for other nations. But still, hard enough to need some encouragement to carry on and not complain.

Like many war veterans my Father never talked about the battlefields. Only once did he tell me that his best friend in the conflict died in his arms, killed by an explosion which sent sharpel through his young body and blinded my Father in one eye. I know that those who died and those who served in the war would be pleased to know that this poster, created to boost the spirits of those in those dark times now hangs on thousands of walls throughout Britain and the United States - and further afield.

I hope that this story, of the real poster not the thousands of slogan copies, continues to be remembered and told. Please pass this tale on and remember the true meaning.

The simple things in life are often the most profound. I think this is one of them.

Some of the copies which seem to keep the spirit of the original.

I want to leave the last words here to Mary Manley, co-owner of Barter Books whose husband Stuart brought the poster back to life and into our homes and our hearts.

If you are going to buy a copy please do it from BARTER BOOKS rather than one of the large commercial companies whose greed seems to tarnish the original simple concept. 

"What I love, right along with everyone else, is how that poster, itself, would be, against all odds, a survivor of the war. How that little crown represents, still, a dignity that we seem to have lost, have we? How its message – so simple, so clean, so without spin – has turned out to have meaning not just for a single people in time of trouble but for all of us wherever we live, whatever our troubles".

Mary Manley


http://www.barterbooks.co.uk/

Review of the  Barter Books shop

This is a great review of Barter Books by a book lover who visited. I've never been there, but it is definitely on the list!

http://formblog.posterous.com/?tag=marymanley


The youtube video

A short film that tells the story behind the 'Keep Calm and Carry On' poster. Its origins at the beginning of WWII and its rediscovery in a bookshop in England in 2000, becoming one of the iconic images of the 21st century. Film, music, script and narration by Temujin Doran.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrHkKXFRbCI


General Footnote from :       Part of a series on Propaganda Parodies.

Updated 2 months ago by Cyber6x.
Added about a year ago by Walter K..

In 1997, Dr. Rebecca Lewis published the first part of her research on WWII posters, including this series. Both of her undergraduate dissertation from 1997 and her Ph.D. thesis from 2004 are available on World War II Posters website. Dr. Lewis has been also keeping track of “Keep Calm and Carry On” mentions on her blog since April 2009.

The website KeepCalmAndCarryOn.com was registered in February 2007, which sells a variety of related merchandises featuring the slogan from T-shirts and bags to deck chairs and chocolate bars.

In early 2009, the poster saw its biggest resurgence following the spread of a global economic crisis; The Guardian and The Independent both published articles about the popularity of the poster.

In July 2009, New York Times Magazine published an article on the commodity factor of the poster, focusing on the popularity of derivatives of the original slogan as well.

In November 2008, T-shirt company Threadless published a spoof design with an upside-down crown and the slogan “Now Panic and Freak Out.” In April 2009, the Keep Calm-o-matic  image generator was created, allowing users to make their own posters as well as hosting a gallery of images made with the site.