Category Archives: Misc

Pagan Beliefs

01 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by in Misc

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

spiritPaganism encompasses a wide range of ritual practices and is best described as a group of religions and spiritual traditions that are based on a reverence for nature. Like Hinduism there is no single founder, scripture or religious philosophy but most pagans believe in the divine character of the natural world, hence Paganism often being described as an “Earth religion”.

In Denny Bradbury’s second novel, “Borvo II”, the healer Borvo often finds his pagan past at odds with the trend of Christianity in the 9th century in the Kingdom of West Sussex but there are many within his village that rely upon certain rituals and beliefs to guide them through the difficult times.

According to the 2011 census almost 57,000 people in England and Wales identify themselves as Pagan which makes Paganism the largest non-mainstream religion and whilst twelve centuries ago the people of Borvo’s village had a general sense of unease and suspicion when it came to welcoming strangers into their village, there was also a belief in certain rituals and spirits that could aid, help, curse or assist in whatever particular problems they were facing at the time.

In Chapter Nine, ‘Seith makes amends’, when Seith queries with his mother why she did not tell him about his father she talks of how she always knew that Seofon would come back one day “..I sought the advice of the wise woman beyond the hill. She cast her runes and told me with great conviction that he would come back and claim you. I believed her….Shame really, she was beaten out of her living and has not been seen since.  They do say she cursed those that hurt her and two of them have had bad luck walk beside them since that very day”…

The turning to other worldly spirits is also in evidence in Chapter Fourteen ‘Gwynne and Liliflead’ when Gwynne, the wife of Cedric the freed slave and companion to Borvo and Seofon during their journey through Wales, gives birth prematurely to a baby girl. The three youngsters, Durwynm Eadmund and Aenis are all deeply affected by the helplessness of Gwynn’e situation and Denny writes of how their mother Sunny “..told them to go out to the orchard, pick blossom from their favourite tree and send a wish to the highest spirit they could name and ask for help.  After this they were to go to the stream and throw the blossom bough into the water.  This she said would help the baby in this life or the next.  Whatever her fate the little baby needed their love to guide her.”  Durwyn is the first to speak when the three children go to the stream and throw their boughs into the water, saying “ To the god of my father and my mother, I ask that Gwynne and the baby are made well.  The blossom on the bough help them live their lives with fruitful labour.”

Borvo himself, whenever needing guidance or inspiration, always looks to his pagan river god of healing, after who he is named and in Chapter Fifteen ‘Borvo finds solace from the past’ when he is seeking the answers as to how best to integrate Mairwen and Yssild into the village community, instead of being visited by his god he is visited by the spirit of his mother who offers to help him by saying he must listen to what his heart tells him.  When Borvo says “I have need of you now, the way is strewn with trouble”, his mother replies “Your heart Borvo, your destiny is in your hands.  Take it and be true to who you are.”

A message – whether it be from spirits past or present; those closest to us in this lifetime or from a mystical god we never see – is one that stands the test of time today.

Village Life….

26 Thursday Nov 2015

Posted by in Misc

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

village“Far, far away is my village!
Where fireflies of my childhood
Still glow in thick folliage
Of Pipal trees…..

…Far, far away is my village!
Where reflections of my first love
Still linger
Where paths are shrouded
In sadness
And loneliness laced with secret longings
Peoples fields, ponds, the school
And trees herded together….” – Naseer Ahmed Nasir

Whereas nowadays the image of an idyllic village life can be easily shattered by the realism of everybody knowing everybody else’s business, there was a time when knowing what each inhabitant was up to and what skills they could bring to a small village was critical to ensuring the village thrived in the way it should rather than falling foul of letting strangers in who could potentially damage a village’s reputation.

In Denny Bradbury’s book “Borvo II”, much emphasis is put on how important the role and responsibility of each villager is to the village as a whole and how the introduction of strangers can bring both unease and excitement, depending on the skills and intentions of the new inhabitants. As Denny writes in Chapter Ten, ‘Eldric is reassured’:

“Borvo would talk with Eldric about the status of the healer and how the village recognised him as such.  These matters were important to keep the balance of community, with the maturing young leaving for the towns every person in the countryside had to be of value and pull their weight.”

With village life shifting and changing as the younger members of the community grow up and search for further adventure or gravitate towards the prospects offered by the towns, there is the constant need to make sure the ongoing roles and responsibilities are filled by those with the appropriate skillset without upsetting the balance of the group as a whole.

Not only is this the case for the roles of the villagers, but any union between individual villagers would become a talking point within the community in terms of whether a particular match would not only benefit the individuals themselves but the entire village.  This is highlighted when Borvo’s sister in law, Hild is considered as a possible wife for Eldric the Elder’s brother, Cenhelm. Borvo says “There is a hint that your brother, who lost his wife last winter would willingly be with her.  If you think it is a good match then I can add my encouragement although she is strong willed and I would not take that from her. She must be free to decide…”  Eldric stopped and turned to his companion, “Yes I would see the union as a good thing for all parties, Hild, Cenhelm and the village.”

There is also the introduction of strangers to the village that can provoke an unsettled response if the strangers’ roles, responsibilities and relationships aren’t as clear cut as others would like. Alric, the friend and spiritual ward of Borvo, when referring to Borvo’s wards, Mairwen and Yssild, who by Chapter Thirteen ‘Redwald the smith’ were not fully accepted by the rest of the village talks of how he “welcomed them with an open heart and mind.  He too had been a stranger brought to this place by Borvo and he understood what they were going through.  He knew that at their best the villagers were good people but they were also human with all the insecurities attending that state.”

Redwald’s arrival to the village – another stranger in the villagers’ midst – is greeted with less animosity due to his skillset; being a smith it is a role the village needed filling.

Denny Bradbury writes “ “He (Redwald) would have to persuade the elders that he was willing and ready to settle and that his presence would enhance not detract from the dwindling community….For someone with such skills as Redwald it was as much his choice as that of the villagers, they needed him almost as well as he needed them….Their (the villagers) reaction to the tall muscular man was quite different from that with which they had greeted Mairwen and Yssild,  Here was someone who could give them something they lacked…. If he was too good to be true then no-one that night considered it a possibility.  Necessity makes men blind to many things.”

As is still the case in many villages and communities today, the aim behind any village committee is something Eldric the Elder knew was imperative: keeping the balance of his village. As Borvo says in Chapter Fifteen ii “This is a good village but they are scared of the war, the fevers, lack of young men and sometimes just the unsettling feeling of not being in control of anything”.

A sentiment that, in many ways, is still in evidence in some villages throughout the world today.

 

 

The Importance of Reputation

18 Wednesday Nov 2015

Posted by in Misc

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

socratesWith reputation being the opinion that people in general have about someone or something, or how much respect or admiration someone or something receives based on past behaviour or character, it is fitting to see that a number of the characters in Denny Bradbury’s novel “Borvo II” place high stakes on the importance of reputation, whether it be that of their own or of the village community as a whole.

The classical Greek philosopher, Socrates, was known to have said “The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavour to be what you desire to appear” whilst Martin Luther King spoke about how “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Character and reputation being closely linked – Abraham Lincoln said that “character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing” – Borvo and his family and friends demonstrate how important it is they as individuals appear to each other and the wider community as men and women to be trusted and respected and for this reason certain events of past and present are examined and evaluated to provide a better outcome that does not tarnish one’s own – or the group as a whole’s – reputation.

In Chapter Nine, ‘Seofon makes amends’ , we revisit the past when Seofon met his son for the first time since he was a babe in arms and how he did not own up to being his father. Seofon talks of how Borvo had not been happy with Seofon’s treatment of his son, with Borvo spending many nights challenging his to own up to his parental role.  Denny writes “ …The more he thought the more he wanted to make reparations to his son, Seith, and to prove to his good friend Borvo that he was a worthy man.” As Seith says when he meets him “Was I such a disappointment? Was I not worthy to be called your son?…I no longer know who I am”. Although as much a legend as the stories he told, Seofon had risked such an infamous reputation by turning his back on his own flesh and blood and leaving him with a void, a lack of sense of belonging. He then proceeds to make amends for this when he meets with the Queen and in the evening when the gathered crowd are ready to hear one of his stories he begins by saying “ Welcome, Seith.  He is my son.  I publicly say, here is my son.  In my past I have done wrong but now I make amends”.

Reputation can also be seen to play a part in the following chapter, Chapter Ten, ‘Eldric is reassured’, when Alric, Borvo’s friend and spiritual ward, tells Borvo how he is in love with Godgyfu, Borvo’s niece, but fears she is looking to be matched with Wystan, Eldric the village elder’s son:
“He turned to Borvo as he had to see his initial reaction.  On this did his whole future hang.  If Borvo disapproved then he would never entertain his suit to be acceptable to the family…..She has been looking to Wystan.  They are such friends.  The families seem to wish it”. The discussion of whether a union is thought to be appropriate is also raised regarding Borvo’s sister in law, Hild, being a match for Eldric’s brother, Cenhelm.  As Eldric says to Borvo “ Yes I would see the union as a good thing for all parties, Hild, Cenhelm and the village.”

Throughout Borvo II we as readers can see how important it is to all within the community that the right thing is done by the individuals and the community themselves. This is demonstrated when Borvo looks to discuss certain matters with Eldric the elder. Denny writes “ Borvo would talk with Eldric about the status of the healer and how the village recognised him as such.  These matters were important to keep the balance of the community, with the maturing young leaving for the towns every person in the countryside had to be of value and pull their weight.”

As Pliny the Elder, the Roman author, natural philosopher and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire says “It is generally much more shameful to lose a good reputation than never to have acquired it.”

The Art of Story-Telling.

08 Sunday Nov 2015

Posted by in Misc

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

storyStorytelling is described as a unique human skill that is shared between people and is one of civilisation’s oldest art forms. It is an art form that brings words and the world to life, stimulates the imagination and builds a sense of community between tellers and listeners.  Stories have been shared in every culture and have been used as entertainment, education, imparting morals and preserving a particular culture.

With oral storytelling being one of the most ancient art forms and with the school of storytelling describing a storyteller as being not just a teller of tales but also an entertainer, a teacher and a healer with a long spiritual tradition, it’s no surprise that these are the characteristics of two of the main characters in Denny Bradbury’s book “Borvo II” – Borvo himself, the spiritual healer, and Seofon, Borvo’s good friend and a travelling storyteller by profession.

When Borvo tells his story of how Mairwen and Yssild came to be his travelling companions, he “would not be rushed and (he) would tell the story in his own time”. His sister Sunny finds his storytelling too long though and grows impatient with his method, declaring “Come brother, your story lacks the telling.  Seofon would have us in the palm of his hand by now.” As Denny Bradbury says in Chapter Nine ‘Seofon makes amends’: “ Seofon was an old man…He moved sometimes like a shadow where no one could see and when he considered that he was among friends he blew in like a tornado of colour and music and song.  His stories were legends as was he himself.”

Stories are a means of bringing people together – nowadays one of the first things people do with babies when trying to get them into a bedtime routine is to read them a bedtime story; for children starting school for the first time, the one thing teachers’ place emphasis on is parents taking the time to read to children at night. Stories can be as creative or as imaginative as you would like them to be – a good book can be the anecdote to a bad day; a story you are told when you are a child can be something you remember for the rest of your life. Stories can be magical, informative, factual, and timeless, feeding one’s imagination and growing one’s vocabulary. As Denny Bradbury writes about the Welsh people Seofon encountered on his travels “He loved their stories and their songs; their culture was meat and drink to him.”

The art of storytelling – centuries old and as strong as ever.

Pagan Influences.

31 Saturday Oct 2015

Posted by in Misc

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

With Borvo’s family being outsiders with the gift of healing, his Gramma and his mother Elvina were firmly rooted in their pagan past and although Borvo is taken up by the Christian King in “Borvo” and sent to be a monk to try to rid him of his pagan past, there are still certain customs that are in evidence in England today that have come from pagan festivals which Borvo himself would have been party to.

Pagans worshipped many different gods, with each pagan god controlling a particular part of everyday life, be it the family, love, healing, wisdom, war, the growing of crops, the weather or the changing from day to night.

Woden was known as the Chief God, yet there were many other such as Eostre, Frigg and Hel the Goddesses of Birth, Love and Death respectively; Thunor and Tiw, the Gods of Thunder and War; Balder the God of Immortality; Loki the God of Cunning; Wade the God of the Sea and Saxnot, God of the Family – something that remains very dear to Borvo’s heart throughout his travels and is almost like the compass that keeps bringing him home to help his nearest and dearest.

Pagans often used religion as a means of ensuring success in material things such as praying to a particular goddess or god for a successful harvest, the health of your family, or the winning of a battle.

The names of our months and days of the week also have their roots in paganism: Sunday, being the first day, was named after the Sun God; Monday named after the Moon Goddess; Tuesday named after the God Tyr, the Norse God of War; Wednesday named after the God Odin or Woden; Thursday named after the God Thor, the God of Thunder; Friday after the Goddess of Love, Frigga, wife of Odin and Saturday after the God Saturn

For our months, January was named for the Roman Janus, a man with a face either side of his head; February derived from Februa, a Roman festival of purification; March, named for Mars, the Roman God of War; April from the Latin Aprilis, indicating a time of fertility; May for Maia, the Roman female deity of growth; June, named for June the wife of Jupiter in Roman mythology; July for the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar; August for the Roman Emperor Octavius Augustus Caesar; September derived from the Latin “septum” meaning seven; October from the Latin root octo, meaning eight; November from the Latin novem meaning eight and December from the Latin decem meaning ten.

With Borvo II following the life of a healer who finds his pagan past at odds with the Christian trend of the 9th century in the Kingdom of the West Saxons, it is his family that is both his destination and his difficulty; his survival and his struggle.

As Borvo himself comments in Chapter Fifteen – ‘Borvo finds solace from the past’ – “ Lately he had been lost because he was trying to please everyone, now he knew he had to be true to his chosen path and if he managed to please his family and friends and benefactors at the same time then all was to the good.  Borvo was back on track, the healer, the man from two worlds, the son and grandson who had found his gifts and used them for others.”