modern and stone age montage

From Golgonooza the spiritual Four-fold London eternal, in immense labours & sorrows, ever building, ever falling, thro' Albion's four Forests which overspread all the Earth from London Stone to Blackheath east: to Hounslow west: to Finchley north: to Norwood south. ...

All things begin & end in Albion's ancient Druid rocky shore: ...

—William Blake, Milton.

Explore the motifs

'There is an opportunity to descend into the depths and explore the motifs,' said Quintin.

'We had better explain them first,' said Miranda.

'Well, there is nothing much to explain, really,' replied Quintin. 'Just some mysterious motifs – that is, literary motifs that resonate through the ages, depicted as metro lines that go along tunnels beneath a city. Every metro line represents a separate motif and all the rock strata it encounters will be found to contain this same motif, all along the line.

'Take 'giants' for example: that's the orange line running east to west. This metro line represents the literary presence of giants, and it bores through strata representing medieval romance, medieval Arthurian legend, Irish mythology, Ancient Greek mythology, Norse mythology, Scottish folklore, the poetry of William Blake, and much more. In all of these traditions, giants are encountered. The different metro lines represent different motifs, each taking a separate route through a range of sedimentary rock layers beneath this city, layers that represent different eras, different traditions: such as prehistoric European culture, various mythologies, Icelandic saga, medieval romance, Arthurian legend. Especially Arthurian legend. And they are all seen to be singing from the same songsheet. So the sediments must derive from the same source. QED.'

'Well, we must leave it to the visitor to decide this for themselves,' cautioned Miranda. 'But what shall we call it?'

Weird tales from the Middle Ages: an investigation into medieval romance, Arthurian legend and pre-Christian belief

by Miranda Braithwaite and Quintin Rees-Edwards

'It is basically art,' said Quintin. 'Art and literature. But it convinces me.'

'In the form of a metro system,' said Miranda, 'a system of underground tunnels, very like the one that runs beneath London.'

'Astonishingly similar, actually,' said Quintin. 'The program has done an excellent job. But I ought to explain: not every motif is present in every era, or in every mythology or art form. They all share enough, though, to make it likely, in our view, that they are different expressions of the same fundamental belief. This is the contention. So we wondered what would happen if we made an unconformity across a bedrock of European folklore, prehistoric culture and ancient European religion…

European religion Prehistoric European culture Folklore

…and over this ancient basement surface we overlaid younger sediments deriving from an uplifted mountain range of these same rocks, sediments of Ancient Greek mythology, Ancient Egyptian mythology, Athenian drama and Irish mythology…

…which in turn are overlaid with younger sediments of Welsh mythology and Breton lais…'

'I should point out that Quintin has studied geology,' interrupted Miranda. 'If you are viewing on a laptop, slide the pointer over one of these maps and slide it out again to see the latest sediments pile on top of one another.'

…and then younger sediments still, from sources from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, like Norse mythology, Arthurian legend and medieval romance. And all the Icelandic sagas.

And then on top, like puddles of sediment resting on all that is beneath, the outpouring of English poets like Chaucer, Spenser, Tennyson and Blake. Just to see what they were finding in the traditions they were steeped in, and dredging up in the poetic intuition that Robert Graves liked to speak about.

Boring along the surface of all these sediments, or just beneath the surface, like tunnels in a metro system, are the motifs,' said Miranda.

'Whichever route a tunnel takes, it always finds examples of itself in the strata it passes through, whichever strata it happens to encounter. Take 'Snakes and dragons' as an example. It cuts through Hebrew religion, Ancient Greek mythology, Norse mythology and Icelandic saga, European Bronze Age and Iron Age culture, mediaval romance and Arthurian legend, Breton lais and the poetry of William Blake and Edmund Spenser. Have a look for yourself. When you have viewed the geological map below by mousing over it. click the green button on the right and the metro lines of motifs will appear. The grey one is 'Snakes and dragons'. Click the green button again and mouse over the grey metro line, to view all the strata it passes through. Click on one of the stations to dive deeper into the system.

Eras and literary traditions as rock strata

Move your pointer over this geological map to see the eras and traditions that the strata represent. Click the large green button to reveal a map of the metro lines, to the same scale.

Norse mythology Ancient GreekandRoman mythology Irish mythology Medieval romance Arthurian legend Icelandic sagas Breton lais Welsh mythology Folklore Ancient Egyptian mythology Prehistoric European culture European religion Chaucer Chaucer Spenser Blake Blake Tennyson Forgotten or hidden past Geoffrey Chaucer: Man of Law’s tale Homer: The Odyssey Euripides: Iphigenia in Tauris Marie de France: Guigemar Middle English Breton lais: Emaré Euripides: Ion Sir Thomas Malory: Le Morte d'Arthur Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Mediaval Romance: Ipomadon Medieval Romance: Sir Eglamour of Artois A change or exchange of identity The Saga of Arrow-Odd The Knightly Tale of Gologras and Gawain Old French pre-Vulgate Lancelot Sir Thomas Malory: Le Morte d'Arthur Marie de France: Guigemar Homer: The Odyssey Sir Thomas Malory: Le Morte d'Arthur Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Medieval Romance: Ipomadon Euripides: The Suppliants Middle English Breton lais: Emaré Euripides: Helen Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tale from the Wife of Bath Snorri Sturluson: The Prose Edda The Saga of Hervor and King Heidrek the Wise Lakes, seas and boats Homer: The Odyssey Marie de France: Guigemar Medieval Romance: Sir Eglamour of Artois Medieval Romance: Sir Bevis of Hampton Irish mythology: the Voyage of Maeldun Medieval Romance: Sir Bevis of Hampton Marie de France: the story of Lanval Irish mythology: the Children of Lir Irish mythology: the Voyage of Bran Medieval Romance: Guy of Warwick Bronze Age Mediterranean: boat of the dead Anglo-Saxon England: Sutton Hoo Celtic Christianity: the Legend of Saint Brendan Scottish folklore: a water-bull Gottfried von Strassburg | Thomas of Britain: Tristan, Tristran, Tristrem Edmund Spenser: The Faerie Qveene Disguise Norse mythology: The Poetic Edda The Saga of the Volsungs William Blake: The Four Zoas Irish mythology: Manannan Medieval Romance: Guy of Warwick Irish mythology: Midhir and Etain Medieval Arthurian legend: The Fair Unknown Sir Thomas Malory: Le Morte d'Arthur Middle English Breton lais: Sir Orfeo Old French pre-Vulgate Lancelot Chrétien de Troyes: The Knight of the Lion Chrétien de Troyes: The Knight of the Cart Medieval Romance: William and the Werewolf Medieval Romance: Sir Bevis of Hampton Apples and pomegranates Irish mythology: the Tuatha de Danaan Irish mythology: the Land of Youth Greek mythology: the Garden of the Hesperides The Garden of Eden Snorrie Sturluson: the Prose Edda The Isle of Avalon Welsh poetry: Apple Trees Icelandic saga: the Story of the Heath Slayings Birds and animals Ovid: Metamorphoses Ancient Egyptian mythology: The Apis Bull Ancient Greek Mythology: Theseus, Ariadne and the Minotaur Norse mythology: The Poetic Edda Kormak's Saga: Walrus The Saga of the Volsungs Eyrbyggja Saga Euripides: Hecabe Marie de France: Guigemar Aristophanes: The Birds Roman mythology: Ovid's Metamorphoses The Mabinogion: Pwyll Lord of Dyved The Mabinogion: Math Son of Mathonwy Medieval Romance: Octavian Middle English Breton lais: Sir Gowther Irish mythology: the Children of Lir Irish mythology: Midhir and Etain Tales of Fionn mac Cumhaill: Bran and Sceolan The Saga of the Volsungs Uncertainty and confusion over identity Old French pre-Vulgate Lancelot William Blake: The Prophetic works Medieval Romance: Octavian Middle English Breton lais: Emaré Homer: The Odyssey Snorri Sturluson: The Prose Edda Snakes and dragons The Garden of Eden The Saga of Eirek the Traveller Ancient Greek and Roman Mythology: Asclepius | Aesculapius The Saga of the Volsungs Norse mythology: The Poetic Edda Iron Age art and design: snakes and dragons Minoan Crete: Snake Goddesses William Blake: Poetry of Prophesy Sir Thomas Malory: Le Morte d'Arthur Medieval Arthurian legend: The Fair Unknown Medieval Romance: Sir Bevis of Hampton Medieval Romance: Sir Eglamour of Artois Goddesses Ovid: Metamorphoses The Eleusinian Mysteries: Demeter and her daughter Percephone Homer: The Odyssey Norse mythology: The Tale of Hogni and Hedinn Minoan Crete: Goddesses Medieval Arthurian legend: The Fair Unknown The Mabinogion: Math Son of Mathonwy The Mabinogion: Pwyll Lord of Dyved Marie de France: Guigemar Geoffrey Chaucer: An ABC and the Parliament of Fowls Homer: The Odyssey Giants The Saga of Arrow-Odd Homer: The Odyssey Ancient Greek mythology: Hesiod's Theogony Eyrbyggja Saga Medieval Romance: Sir Bevis of Hampton Irish mythology: The Tuatha de Danaan The Saga of Grettir the Strong Medieval Romance: Octavian Medieval Arthurian legend: The Fair Unknown William Blake: Poetry of Prophesy Geoffrey of Monmouth: Merlin and Stonehenge The Cerne Abbas giant in Dorset and the Long Man of Wilmington in East Sussex The Alliterative Morte Arthure Chrétien de Troyes: The Knight of the Lion Medieval Arthurian Legend: The Carle of Carlisle The dead are not yet dead Edmund Spenser: The Faerie Qveene Edmund Spenser: The Faerie Qveene British Iron Age: Cart Burials Edmund Spenser: The Faerie Qveene Stonehenge, Wiltshire, England Old French pre-Vulgate Lancelot Neolithic Long Barrows and Passage Graves Sir Thomas Malory: Le Morte d'Arthur Celtic Christianity: The Vision of Tundale The Eleusinian Mysteries: Demeter and her daughter Percephone Ancient Athens: the Dionysian Mysteries Julius Ceasar and the Druids Iron Age Britain: Votive Offerings in the River Thames Tales of Fionn mac Cumhaill: the Tuatha de Danaan Eyrbyggja Saga The Saga of Grettir the Strong The Saga of Hromund Gripsson Irish mythology: the Tuatha de Danaan Medieval Icelandic Sagas: Thorstein Mansion-Might Geoffrey Chaucer: Canterbury Tale from the Wife of Bath Geoffrey Chaucer: The House of Fame Snorri Sturluson: The Prose Edda The Saga of Arrow-Odd The Saga of Hervor and King Heidrek the Wise Rings and circles, over and over Eyrbyggja Saga Geoffrey Chaucer: Canterbury Tale from the Man of Law Geoffrey Chaucer: The House of Fame Homer: The Odyssey Euripides: Heracles Marie de France: Guigemar Middle English Breton lais: Emaré Sophocles and Euripides: Philoctetes and the Children of Heracles Medieval Romance: Ipomadon Sir Thomas Malory: Le Morte d'Arthur Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Old French pre-Vulgate Lancelot Sir Thomas Malory: Le Morte d'Arthur Avebury in Wiltshire Stone Circles in Cornwall The Poetic Edda and Ynglinga Saga Edmund Spenser: The Faerie Qveene Celtic Christianity: The Vision of Tundale The Eleusinian Mysteries: Demeter and her daughter Percephone Ancient Athens: Plato Artistic Styles: Iron Age Britain, Scandinavia, Mycenaean Greece and Minoan Crete Hoards: The Snettisham Treasure Tales of Fionn mac Cumhaill: The Hunt of Slieve Cuilinn The Saga of Grettir the Strong Medieval Icelandic Sagas: Thorstein Mansion-Might The Saga of Hromund Gripsson Irish mythology: the Tuatha de Danaan

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'Take Bond Street station, for example,' said Miranda. 'It is situated where the orange line, the grey line and the turquoise line all cut across one another, and it lies on very young sediments, the works of the English poet and artist William Blake. The orange line represents giants, the grey line 'snakes and dragons' and the turquoise line represents the concealment of identity. All three of these literary motifs are found in the works of William Blake.

'Curiously, Bond Street lies close to South Molton Street, where Blake lived for many years.'

artistic water surface

large round barrow on the Mendips

Stone circle at Avebury