Fiona Tinker's Blog, page 6
June 19, 2015
The Tinkers’ Heart (8)
Wonderful, wonderful news to report! Historic Scotland have reached their decision about the Tinkers’ Heart – and have scheduled it as a monument of National Importance. From Historic Scotland-
The Tinker’s Heart is a site of high cultural significance in three main areas-
1)It gives us a great understanding of the traditions and material heritage of Scottish Travellers.
2)It is a rare example of a permanent physical monument of Scottish Travellers, and
3) it holds a high significance in the consciousness of Gypsy/Travellers and the people of Argyll as a symbol of Scottish Travellers and their heritage.
In light of this, we intend to place Tinker’s Heart on the ‘Schedule’ as a monument of National Importance.
Full letter here: Historic Scotland – The Tinkers’ Heart
The part Scottish Travellers have played in the history of our country is recognised by this decision. There’s a long way to go and a lot of stories to tell. It will be great working with Here We Are to tell our part of the story in the Argyll area – we’re looking forward to it.
But what a start this is!
May 21, 2015
The Tinkers’ Heart (7)
And the story continues!
There’s been an awful lot of work put in since the last time I posted about the Heart. We’ve developed into a committee – Heart of the Travellers (HOTT). Our original intention was to work on presenting a case for scheduling the Heart. We’re now a group with aims that also include telling the story of Scotland’s Travellers and their place in the story of Scotland. HOTT is a registered charity and its aims are outlined in this leaflet: HOTT Leaflet
Gavin McGregor designed the Flag of the Travellers – it has a shepherd’s staff and a jockey (the metal hook that was used to hang a pot or a kettle on over an open fire) and the two symbols are very evocative of the lives of Traveller ancestors. We also have a symbolic shield designed by Gavin and his son, Nathan. The stories within the shield are many and all are important aspects of Traveller history. Jess and Dave Smith continue to answer questions and talk to people as the process of investigating the case for scheduling happens. Jess judged a poetry competition at theHeart last Sunday – the entries about the Heart came from as far away as Canada! We’ve also set up a facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/pages/HOTT/1412748622352160
It has been an interesting, busy few months.
We had a meeting yesterday with Historic Scotland; the landowner, Kate Howe; John MacDonald, the Chair of Cairndow’s local heritage group Here We Are and George Findlater and Alasdair McKenzie, from Historic Scotland. The object of this meeting was to update us all on the scheduling process and to see where we could all agree on a vision for the Heart.
It was a very interesting meeting. The scheduling process is now about to enter a month-long analysis of all the comments from the Petition, the Consultation and other sources, including archive records, so a definite answer on scheduling probably won’t happen until the end of June at least. The second focus of the meeting was to see where and how we could share a vision for the Heart and work with Here We Are to protect and preserve the site. This heritage group have done absolutely fantastic work on the local history of the area and the visitors’ centre is beautifully set out. I don’t see that it would be impossible to include the stories of the Pearl Fishers and the other itinerant peoples who walked the roads of Argyll in this centre. The relationships between the Travellers and the people in the area were good; telling our share of the story can only add to the whole story of the area. At least, that’s what I think.
The discussion wasn’t all plain-sailing. No discussion like this could ever hope to be. But it was much, much, much more positive than negative. We got rid of any negativity in the initial stages and moved the discussion on to how we could work together. It is early days but I found the ideas and the willingness to explore the joint importance of the Heart to both Travellers and the local settled population very encouraging.
I found a moment of great joy in this meeting: Dave Smith, John MacDonald and Gavin McGregor entered that male zone: you know the one – the Shed zone – where they were enthusiastically discussing various ideas for protecting the Heart and making slight, but not obtrusive, changes to the path, gate and fencing. There is just something great about listening to people who know their stuff talking about it so enthusiastically.
So – that’s this update. We need to be patient a little longer whilst Historic Scotland go through the processes that they need to.
Fingers crossed for a positive answer in June!
Historic Scotland – TheTinkers’ Heart http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/index/news/indepth/tinkers-heart-consultation.htm
Here We Are http://www.hereweare-uk.com
April 25, 2015
Beltane Bits and Bobs
Beltane is nearly here and it’s definitely time to come out of hibernation in the frozen north. Summer has had a practice run too,flexing its muscles just to make sure they still worked and the like. In other words, we’ve had ten days or so of very warm weather and it’s been fabulous.
Back to rain and cold today though.
Never mind, summer will remember how to do its job soon enough. There is the amazing Beltane Fire Festival to look forward to in Edinburgh on Thursday 30th April:�� https://beltanefiresociety.wordpress.com/about/about-beltane/
and the new edition of Pooka Pages Magazine for Pagan Kids is available to download free too! http://www.pookapages.com/
Beltane Blessings.
February 2, 2015
Tinkers’ Heart (6)
Just realised it’s been quite a while since I posted here, let alone posted about the Heart, so a quick update for those who are interested in this story.
Jess Smith continues her work with the committee and the various parties invloved have been answering questions about various things since she gave evidence in Parliament. It might seem as if things are slow, but�� it is all going on in the background. Jess will be attending an additional meeting in the middle of February – hopefully there will be more to report after this.
In the meantime, why not have a look at the Tinkers’ Heart�� by flying over the site? This wonderful clip was filmed by Jonny Burke:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he8sGPX6TRU
October 9, 2014
The Tinkers’ Heart (5)
Things are looking up! The Parliamentary Committee meeting originally intended to hear evidence about why The Tinkers’ Heart should be scheduled as a monument on August 5th. Jess Smith was invited to present evidence, with A.N. Other, should she wish.
Mike Russell MSP wanted to be there as he is very supportive and interested in Jess’ petition and the history of the Heart. This was also the day that the SQA exam results were released in Scotland and Mike Russell MSP is the Minister for Education. Not a good day to meet, Mr Russell would obviously be needed elsewhere, so it was rescheduled.
Rescheduled it was and a small group of us accompanied the author and storyteller, Jess Smith, to the Parliamentary Committee hearing on 30th September. We’d all worked hard on this petition and it was rather exciting to be invited to give evidence. Initially, Jess had asked if I would also present evidence with her. I’d agreed (although the thought had me shaking in my shoes.) Luckily, I was spared the ordeal as Mike Russell asked if he could do so. Not a problem! I can do the moral support thing, no worries!
The meeting went very well indeed. It was obvious that those MSPs who made up the committee had read their briefings and really were taking an interest in what Jess Smith and Mike Russell had to say about the site and why is should be listed. They asked very perceptive questions: two MSPs in particular, John Wilson and Angus MacDonald, showed a very keen interest and knowledge about the background to the Petition. Mike Russell spoke eloquently and he did a much better job than I would ever have managed.
The end result is that the committee will write to Historic Scotland and other parties, and then forward those replies to Jess for comment. This will take another 8 weeks or so, but we left the committee room feeling very hopeful indeed that this little part of Argyll will always hold the memories of the Ancestors, of the Tinkers who married, baptised their babies and mourned their dead at that spot.
If you’d like to read more / watch Jess’ presentation, this link will take you to a page where you can read the transcript of the meeting and see the video of the proceedings:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01523
And this is the video from the Scottish Parliament’s Website:
Jess Smith presenting evidence to the Parliamentary Committee
June 12, 2014
In Respectful Memoriam to an Ancestor
72 years ago today a young soldier, aged 28, died in battle at Tobruk, Libya.
He was one of many who gave their lives during WW2 on the battlefields of North Africa. The hot landscape he found himself in was a long way away from the East End of Glasgow and I often wonder what he and his compatriots thought of the scorching sun and heat of that country. This young soldier, dead 19 years before I was born, left behind a very young wife, a small son and an even smaller daughter.
Theirs was not an unfamiliar situation. Many young mothers were left to grieve their husbands and bring up a young family as best they could. His death was a personal tragedy for those who knew and loved him, for those he left behind. His death set in motion a chain of events full of love, twists, turns and happenings that would not be believable in a novel. It is a sad truth that the death of soldiers is the price paid in wars and as such, is merely one more story amid a sea of similar tales.
But each soldier has a personal story and that personal story echoes down the generations. For this young soldier, a cobbler and a blacksmith by trade, life stopped at 28. Yet 72 years later, his absence is still felt. There is an incomplete section in the weave of the ancestral tapestry of our lives. He would not have lived to be 100, no man from his background and time would be likely to reach that age. Yet the role he should have played in a family history as father, grandfather, great-grandfather and great- great-grandfather is a blank canvas. He had so little time with his son and daughter. Would he have been delighted with his subsequent seven grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren? He generated quite a tribe – what would he have thought of us all?
Who he was, what he would have become, what he may have thought – all was lost on June 12th, 1942.
In respectful memoriam to an ancestor:
Gunner Joseph Clark Smith (1914 – 1942)
11 (Honourable Artillery Coy.) Regt. Royal Horse Artillery.
June 6, 2014
May 19, 2014
Whose England is it?
Photo courtesy of Arthur Uther Pendragon.
Sometimes you see a photograph that makes you stop and think. This picture of King Arthur Pendragon in the mist at Stonehenge is one of those.
King Arthur Pendragon? Surely I am in the wrong century?
No, I’m in the here and now.
For those who don’t know the 21st C Arthur, The Pendragon believes he is the reincarnation of the 5th C King, returned to save his land – England – from destruction. Over the years, he and his Loyal Arthurian Warband have challenged environmental damage through the courts or by direct action; not always with the support of the wider public but certainly with a passionate belief in what he and his band are doing. Predictably, it has made him many friends – and many enemies. The point of this blog entry isn’t to examine Arthur’s claims but to discuss this beautiful photograph. However, if you are interested in learning about the man, there is a link to his autobiography and his Druid order at the end of this post.
I first met Arthur at the end of the 1990s in Yorkshire. He was good company and didn’t mind sharing his beer. Or his ideas. He was fascinating to listen to as he told us about his plans to protect his land and bring back some of the ancient respects between humans and their land. Yes, some called him a dreamer (amongst other things) but his passionate belief in what he was doing also showed him as a man of vision, even if that vision was not one shared widely in England. But – listening to him – no-one could doubt in the least that he understood the ancient contract between man and the land.
The years passed and Arthur was active in many campaigns, He was a frequent visitor to the courts, either as a litigant or as a defendant. He saw the inside of prison a fair few times. It didn’t deter him. He lived his vision. The Pendragon was – and remains – an able orator and defender of his dream. Those of us who had the unmitigated pleasure of seeing him debate head to head with Professor Ron Hutton in Croydon about whether Arthur Pendragon was real or not have a memory to cherish. It was a stunning debate from both men.
In short, Arthur got on with it.
And so did England. It became a land ruled by a minority whose economic interests were as far removed from the ancient contract as it could be. A land whose wildlife is under threat in the interests of Mammon. A land where the sick and seriously ill have been subjected to harassments ending in deaths. A land where – quite literally – big companies intend to cut away beneath the ground underfoot.
This is not Arthur’s England. This is not the England of the many friends I have in that country. It begs the question:
Whose England is it?
So, fast forward to this photograph. What do I see?
I see a man photographed unawares. I see a troubled King deep in contemplation, as if the weight of his world was becoming an unbearable burden. And regardless of whether you buy into Arthur Pendragon reincarnated or not, I see a symbol of much that is decent about England troubled by the direction his country is taking.
Links:
Biography of Arthur Pendragon: http://tinyurl.com/mdt9ypv
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arthur.rex.984?fref=ts
Loyal Arthurian Warband: http://www.warband.org.uk/about-arthur.html
April 18, 2014
The Tinkers’ Heart (3)
Source of photo unknown. No infringement of copyright intended and I will remove / acknowledge if the owner gets in contact.
There is some really good news to report about Jess Smith’s campaign to have the Tinkers’ Heart listed as a monument. Jess has been successful in the first stage towards getting this matter debated in the Scottish Parliament by creating an online petition on the Government’s website: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01523?UserAdvice=true
Please consider signing and sharing this!
Jess will be on Oban FM radio on Sunday at 10.15am, talking to Breege Smyth about her petition. You can listen live on line: http://www.obanfm.com/home/4574192192
February 25, 2014
Dionysos: Exciter to Frenzy, Vikki Bramshaw
(Avalonian Books, 2013.)
Dionysos is a God that most people generally have heard of and his name has survived through millennia; even if the specifics of his cult are not common knowledge. If pushed, people may be able to say something about his role as a God of the Vine. However, those who work with and worship Dionysos know his many faces and the depth of his concerns, which are much greater than the generalised understanding held by those who do not.
Bramshaw’s erudite and informative book comes from the latter perspective. It explores Dionysos in his many guises and how he is presented through history and myth. For those who have little knowledge of Dionysos – and even for those who know this God – her book is a goldmine of information. It is a complex, in-depth book and a joy to read.
The Cult of Dionysos is an ancient mystery religion and the cycles of birth, death and rebirth are explored through the myths of Dionysos the thrice-born. The concepts of sacrifice, dismemberment and rejuvenation are part of his Mysteries and Bramshaw explores the meanings of these rites and their links to other mythos. For his adherents, Dionysos is a God who walks all the realms. He is God born of a human mother and an immortal father. The cyclic nature of the pattern of his worship is followed through a three- year cycle with each year being allocated to an aspect of the God: absence, presence and unity. Each year has its own observations and obligations, which are explored thoroughly; and the aspects accompanying each incarnation are placed in the context of the weather patterns of the countries surrounding the Aegean Sea and the year of his trieteric cycle of worship. The nature of the God is explained through each phase, with the duality of present / absent being central to understanding his interactions with his worshippers and cycle of the year.
One of the general misconceptions that may exist about Dionysos is that drunken orgies are part of his rites. Bramshaw deftly quashes this and explores the part that alcohol actually does play in his rites, some of which is very surprising and thought-provoking. In addition to wine, Dionysian worship also involved mead and a drink made from milk and honey, called melikratos. The time of fermentation is part of the acknowledgement of his mysteries and links back to the duality of this God: absence and presence. This facet of his worship is extremely interesting and certainly clears any misunderstandings about Dionysos as only a God of out-of-control drunkenness.
The role of the Maenads, the female devotees who are portrayed as wild women during their rites, is explored and explained. Again, the truth of their role is surprising and much deeper than the general reader may have initially understood. These women, who included matrons as well as maidens, communed with Dionysos by altering their consciousness with ecstatic rites – one aspect of the frenzy of worship. The purposes and the methods are beautifully described. However, Dionysos is a God of duality and the Maenads have their counterpart role: the Thyiads. This role seems to belong in the ‘absent’ – the quiet time, a time of personal sacrifice, awakening, renewal and nurturing. One can only speculate that the Thyiad is less well-known because it is not associated with actions that would raise either an eyebrow or a frisson of Victorian disapproval.
Bramshaw’s book is extensive and her sources reach back to writers such as Nonnus, Homer, Ovid and Euripides. This volume comprehensively documents Dionysos, his myths and symbolism through these early writings. The animals and vegetation sacred to him each have their story to tell and their symbolism to explain and explore. As with the parts of the book highlighted here, these sections too are thorough and thoughtful. The bull, goat, snake and big cats all have significant roles and meanings for adherents of Dionysos. The book concludes with tables giving a calendar of correspondences of Athenian months and the rites and rituals associated with Dionysos. All of it adds complexity and layers of meaning to a God who is much more than a mere ancient God of the Vine.
Although it may not necessarily be an easy read for those who have scant knowledge of Dionysos, this book is highly recommended. It is well-written, well-sourced and well-referenced. Bramshaw’s style gently leads her readers through a maze of complex relationships, interpretations and understandings of ancient practices and texts through the prism of one who honours Dionysos in the present day.
