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Julian Cope presents Head Heritage

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"The Secret Lore of London"
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tjj
tjj
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Edited Mar 30, 2016, 09:58
Re: "The Secret Lore of London"
Mar 30, 2016, 09:54
I spent over two decades living in North London and have to say when I left missed it terribly - not the hussle and bustle, certainly not the Underground but London's green spaces, some of which retained a sense of timelessness. One of my favourite places to walk was Hampstead Heath. Which, to quote the from the book:
"In the Middle Ages was still part of the great forest of Middlesex, inhabited by red deer, wild boar and even wild cattle. Now only the small Kenwood and Queen's Wood, Highgate survive.
In this great forest our ancestors lived a nomadic life, moving from one campsite to another as they hunted and gathered plants for food. there was a Mesolithic camp-site near Leg-Of-Mutton Pond where hundreds of flint implements were found, together with an axe and the post holes of primitive shelters from 8,000-6,000BC. There was also a Neolithic settlement for thousands of years on the west heath from 4000-2000BC. The sandy soil proved ideal for both crops and for grazing cattle. It is certain that the presence of a settlement would have meant there were sacred sites close at hand."(end quote:The Secret Lore Of London)

I put the last sentence of this passage in italics because one of the lessons I've learnt by reading the contributions to this forum from people such as Tiompan, is that we shouldn't assume that evidence of settlements is the same as 'sacred' or 'ritual' landscapes. Observance of the yearly cycle may have taken place for purely practical reasons. But then we come back to the definition of 'sacred' - if it means that which sustains life e.g. spring, fresh water etc., then sacred sites probably are where people have settled and lived.

That's my mental meanderings for the day, must get on ....
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