Monday, 9 December 2024

'tales of the black mountain' (kilvert returns to clyro)

good morning! good morning!

on this day in 1870 kilvert returns to clyro.  

he interviews archenfield (a 77 year old shoemaker) whose forefathers had lived on the northern side of the black mountains for 300 years... 

'he told me of the three chieftains' graves near twyn y beddau between ashford and achalofty, the sole remaining monuments of the great battle fought on the mountain in the reign of edward III. near the same place stood the church of st. cellon built by cellon, son of caractacus and brother of ifon. st. paul converted caractacus and cellon at rome. cellon returned to britain and built this christian church and when st. paul visited britain he crossed the black mountain and preached in this church...'  

in this he repeats the theory found in st. paul in britain; or, the origin of british as opposed to papal christianity (written by richard williams morgan of the ancient british church and published in 1861). the book and others by morgan had an influencing effect on the development of neo-celtic christianity, suggesting the early entry of christianity into britain by the apostle paul, simon zelotes and joseph of aramathea.

morgan's lifetime saw both the heyday and the demise of the story in wales, which began earlier than  morgan with works written by bishop thomas burgess. 

we will hear no more from kilvert until the 17th. no kafka until the 25th. thoreau  we will hear from on december 12th and 13th 1851.

following on from kilvert's purchase of faust at worcester's foregate street railway station we find arthur machen also purchasing books at railway stations. 

'he bought de quincey's confessions of an english opium-eater at pontypool road railway station, the arabian nights at hereford railway station, and borrowed don quixote from mrs. gwyn, of llanfrechfa rectory....' - hando, f.j., (1944) the pleasant land of gwent – chapter nine.

when horsemouth types this it is sunday afternoon. it has gone dark out there already as we move towards the winter solstice (saturday 21st december sunrise 08:18 sunset16:03). (ok horsemouth is just off to lock up the chickens).  earlier a walk on the common.

this evening wolf hall. 

for the tree that has sheared in half in the bottom field horsemouth worries that further strong winds will snap the remainder of it. horsemouth will now think about clearing enough space in the woodshed for the logs from it eventually. 

his real worry is a big silver birch growing on the banking uphill from the house - now if that were to fall on any part of the roof that would be real trouble. 

horsemouth's monday he expects to be take up with a journey to the forge (and back again). thursday evening bell-ringing (and probably the pub after). saturday afternoon zoom beers with howard (probably) after another journey to the forge. 

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