Round the Herne

 My reading of a children's story by Anna Wahlenberg (1910) from the lovely book  "Swedish Folk and Fairy Tales" (with delightful illustrations by the Swedish artist John Bauer). With Yuletide on the horizon, it's well worth tracking down a copy - would make for a lovely gift. Apologies for the unspeakable attempt at an accent for young Peder Lars, but I couldn't resist the lure of hamming it up. I might do some of the other stories at a later date, if I get the time.

 To mark the summer solstice I've finally recorded (thanks to some advice from Gill on how to clean up the cluttered memory on this machine) a Norse story - my version of it, anyway - about the death and funeral of Baldr.

This year's Pageant, celebrating pagan mythology through the performing arts, has had to go virtual due to the wretched pandemic and rules that make public gatherings nigh on impossible. Thankfully we have had willing volunteers offering their skills at storytelling, poetry, and song (namely Carys, Nick Ford, Greg McDowell, and Rob Lummis). The links to the YouTube playlist are below -  Welcome – https://youtu.be/mnNNHR3xLK4 Opening talk on shapeshifting in storytelling - https://youtu.be/sf_tJi3RtBU The Indian Boy, the Witch, and the Wolf (Rob Lummis) – https://youtu.be/HqUVfeJslqo Pagan songs from Carys – https://youtu.be/_IYlzjqaRBo Tide of Words (poems about oceanic myths) - https://youtu.be/Pny4LsEwOW4 Arcadian Werewolf Rap (Nick Ford) – https://youtu.be/71m1-wDg3J0 Shifty Sagas (stories about shapeshifting) - https://youtu.be/0Bl7JzSODi4 Reflections on the Golden Bower (poems by Greg McDowell) – https://youtu.be/VGSCBwcUSQc Farewell - https://youtu.be/I...

Some thoughts on a dripplingly hot day, as I skulk in the shadows, about the nature of narrative and its relationship to polytheist religions as well as to our own lives as individuals. Narratives can be both positive and negative (or a parson's egg of both) and the prime purpose of this podcast is to get my listeners - both of you - to think about the role story plays in your life and the lives of the communities of which you are a member. Touches a little bit on Baudrillard's idea that we are living in a synthetic bubble as a result of the impact of cinema and TV on our expectations of reality. Could go into this more from a pagan point of view (do we expect our religions to be more like the things we see on TV than reality), but an hour of waffle seem sufficient for one day. Also brings in Collette Dowlings now somewhat dated ideas from the Cinderella Complex as an example of the potential negative impact of a widespread story.

This story was not originally set at any specific time of year, but I've put it at midsummer to celebrate the solstice. It is a Scandinavian tale that has a lot of variations, in which the princess Agneta is wooed (or bewitched) by the Merman who is sometimes also referred to as Sjokunungen, the Sea King. He charms her in to the waters where she finds a new life - at least for a while. The ending is somewhat harsh (or is likely to be thought so by any child with a parent so little interested in them) - some interpreters see it as an allegory for a young woman being led astray from her Christian faith before eventually hearing the call and going back to the fold. Others give it a feminist spin of the girl again being seduced, somewhat like Kore or Red Riding Hood, before overcoming the "brain washing" of her abductor and returning to her true life. You may see something entirely different in it. The at work is by John Bauer, a wonderful illustrator of fairy tales. Bot...

That peculiar woman who sits in an office dreaming up National and International days has, apparently, appointed the 21st as the day for enjoying poetry. Below is one of my poems, inspired by the comedic myth of burly Thor and elfin Loki cross-dressing as a blushing bride and lady-in-waiting to attend a giant's wedding and retrieve the stolen Mjolnir. Brain cells permitting later tonight I'll upload a poem from a famous poet or two that I admire, and spread the love. Dragging Thor Out Eight leagues low, --- In lightless hole Was short-shaft’s tool shrouded. Thrymyr foolish, --- Freya fancied, On luckless Loki burden landed. Bitches bound --- Bestow fire’s flash, Deal brokered and broken (Oafs earn no oaths --- Open wounds only). Homeward then, webs to weave! Thor’s fury --- Freya’s thunder Asgard’s rafters rattle. To Horn-blower hie --- Hints dropped, Hiemdallr’s plan histrionics harvested. Falcon feathers fall --- Fabrics festooned ...

On November 7th, 10am to 5pm at Oddfellows Hall, I will be coordinating our annual performing arts gathering - Pooka's Pageant. As in previous years there will be a full programme of speakers, performers and workshops to entertain people with (all for a mere £4, with any profits being split between animal charities). We will be opening at... 10am - a talk on Narrative Psychology and its applications within paganism 11.15 - choose between Songs of the Sea with Terry Smith, or Welsh Mythology with Beverley Price We break for lunch at 12.15 and a chance to share some poetry. 1.15 - Japanese mythology in Lady of the Mirror with Marion Leeper, or alternately a workshop for aspiring storytellers 2.15 - Joshua Harris will be telling myths of the Norse Gods, or if you prefer listen to some pagan themed poetry for disturbed and disturbing children with Robin Herne (i.e. me) 3.15 - Carys Deverell will be regaling us with pagan songs and music 4.15 - Emmalena Louise Ellis will be t...

My publisher has put out another anthology, for which I have written a chapter. It is a collection of pagan poetry by six authors: myself, Beverley Price, Tiffany Chaney, Lorna Smithers, Romany Rivers, and Martin Pallot. It's available through any good bookshop at £4.99 and has something for almost everyone's tastes. It's always a pleasure to receive the advance copies and see ones work on the page. My selection includes poems inspired by the mythology of Greece, the Northern climes, China, Egypt and the Celts. I will record one for the YouTube channel and upload it in a couple of days. Beverley (who lives near me) and I will be holding a book launch after the midwinter madness is out of the way. Watch this space for more details.

Still riding on a wave of joyful memories from Eastern Angles 'Ragnarok' play, I decided to record a Norse myth. This one is the tale of Frey and his wooing of the giantess Gerd. It's unusually romantic for me, so I might have to record something else suitably bloodthirsty or sinister.

Tonight I joined some friends for a trip out to the Hush House (once used for testing aircraft engines) on the old RAF Bentwaters base, where the Eastern Angles theatre company staged another of their amazingly inventive productions. This time it was ' Ragnarok ', which incorporated quite a number of the Norse myths that lead up to the war to end all wars, including the building of the walls of Asgard by the entertainingly lustful Mason, Loki telling the saga of Thor's crossdressing wedding, the gory loss of Odin's eye, and snippets of several others. If you get the chance to go and see this, I urge you to do so. The staging is extremely resourceful and imaginative (a trademark of this theatre company), with wooden structures that wheel about and slot together to create a variety of features which the cast clambered about and used in all manner of entertaining ways. The lightning and music are evocative and brilliantly judged. The scenes in which Odin consults the se...

A short poem (featured in Bard Song) dedicated to the goddess Nehalennia, guardian and anima of the North Sea and those who travel on it. Historically, She was worshipped by the early Germanic and Celtic tribes, and later the Romans as well. These days all sorts of nationalities give honour to Her. The poem blends elements of several mythical traditions, reflecting this multicultural aspect of the goddess. She used to be reverenced annually by modern pagans in Suffolk, but that rather fell by the wayside a few years back when people's lives became too hectic. Maybe one day it will be revived.

I have been asked to contribute a set of eleven poems to a forthcoming Moon Books anthology of poetry, so I have been beavering away (hence the lack of musings and meanderings here). A few more left to write, but here's a first draft of a poem about that ginger enigma Loki, written in fornyrthislag metre. Sigyn’s Burden Bound in chains,                     Wolf-child and I Deep in Darkness,                   Silently dreaming. The Aesir sigh,                        They sing of peace Yet the Grey Clan waits,        Grim, unquelled. Poison torments,                     Time d...

Today's educational event went pretty well, with glorious weather and a steady footfall of people coming along to say hello and make contact ~ some new pagans, some just curious. We also had our first negative snit (not bad for all the years we've been running) with some old trout with disastrous dental work wanting to know why we had a banner outside bearing the logo 'Ipswich Pagan Council'... erm, because this is a meeting of the Ipswich Pagan Council I tentatively responded (whilst wondering what other possible reason she thought we might have such a banner up for). To which she said, "So you're not Christian then?" This astounding insight confirmed, she said, "well you wont get to Heaven then", and spun on her heel and left... presumably with an air of smug satisfaction at her own dazzling riposte. That mini blip aside, everyone else was thoroughly nice and we had some good stories (the Greek tale of Priapos, and the Heathen story of the Gif...

One of the first books I contributed towards (in this case a poem) was Galina Krasskova's 'Full Fathom Five' which was a collection of poetry and stunning photography - worth buying just to look at the pictures really - created in honour of the Norse deities of the sea. My addition to the collection was a poem about Njord. If anyone wants to track down a copy (there are some excellent poems in it) then it was published by Asphodel Press, 2007, ISBN - 978-0615190754.