Classical Themes within the ‘Wolf Spear Saga’ series
Myths, magic, rituals, quests, places, people and animals; all of these elements are helping to shape the forthcoming tales in my ‘Wolf Spear Saga’ series. Here is the second of FOUR posts.
The Dark Goddess
She is a pre-patriarchal, ancient belief from Neolithic
culture in many countries. Tomb burials, caves and the deep, dark ocean
introduce us to the Dark Goddess. She rules the world’s ocean as well as the
inner tides (our emotions, passions, psychic perceptions and soul
regeneration). The ferryman of souls can deliver us to her in his glass boat,
to the Sacred Isle where we enter the cave and pass through the veil to the
Otherworld - the land of the dead. There is much to explore here in terms of
characters’ responses to water and its powers, but also human emotions and how
these fluctuate in various circumstances.
Grey beach of rocks leading to the sea
Boats
Boats and their contents have more than a passing link to the
land of the dead. As well as ferrying those near death across a sacred lake to
the afterlife, boats can take the form of offerings to the gods and vessels
transporting offerings to the gods - treasure hoards defaced and buried in
thanks for victory. Found most profusely in Denmark (though also in other countries), boats of war and the
weapons of their defeated warriors have for millennia been deposited in lakes
in gratitude of the gods’ protection. As well as afterlife journeys for
characters, this provides us with response to conflict within societies and the
rituals invoked. Boats themselves can have souls and characters, as can weapons
such as valued swords or even amulets of the gods and goddesses of the time.
Many of these themes are integral to my ‘Wolf Spear Saga’ series.
Consider: Hjortspring
and Nydam boats from Denmark – deliberately sunk into lakes, these boats
contain a multitude of offerings from vanquished enemies: swords; axes; spears;
shields; chainmail; knives; horse tack; brooches; tweezers; ear spoons; bones
of horses, lambs, calves and dogs.
Oseberg ship burial
Rainbows
Another way to the afterlife can be via a bridge, often
linked to rainbows, found in Christian, Norse, Greek, Chinese and Australian
aboriginal cultures, among others. Water was a sacred element through which one
could travel to the Otherworld, so to cross it was to, in some respect, cheat
death and almost magical. Tales of dangerous creatures inhabiting the
undersides of bridges come from this concept, such as Norwegian Trolls, river sirens like the 'nix' and Celtic Kelpies in the form of horses or women, who would drag people down to
their deaths. Flag Fen is an excellent example of how bridges over water held
magical properties, where Iron Age people deposited metal, stone, ceramic and food gifts from the causeway.
Bridges can also represent boundaries between earthly realms like county
borders, or unearthly realms, both of which can present characters with
problems depending on the purpose of their journey. I tinker with this theme in
‘Wulfsuna’ and also forthcoming ‘Wolf Spear Sagas’.
Think of:
Bifrost – linking Earth to Asgard;
Sword Bridge – crossed by Lancelot to
rescue Guinevere from the Castle of Death;
Bridge of Heaven;
Greek goddess ‘Iris’, who guarded a
rainbow (from where ‘iridescent’ is derived)
Wooden bridge in dark forest
- What classical themes most interest you?
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