Metafiction, Myth and Language: A World in Words (and Pictures)

 Last night, I spent a few hours considering and writing up textual wall displays for the 'museum' exhibition, covering a healing charm and a bardic elegy which both feature in the poetic text, including some 'scholarship' regarding the text itself, and its 'translation' and interpretation. I'll continue work on these and get them printed up, along with colour matt prints of the 'land art' images. Today, taking advantage of the prevailing good weather, I got on with finishing off the four stone pieces which I've been working on this month so far. I added runic names to the 'lunar stone' (not very clear in the below image) and scrubbed and washed them all down, getting rid of the lingering dust which covers not only the stone surface but also clogs up the lines. The stone is so soft that even the toothbrush marks have begun to show up so I had to change to a small paintbrush to clean out the engraved lines. This leaves one stone left, the

 This afternoon brought part 2 of the Mægtha/Hretha stone to completion - thickening the outline on Mægtha's sickle and carving Hretha in their entirety, with a bit more improvisation in the spiral design work, creating a bit more symmetry and balance within Hretha's body to mirror Mægtha's: Hretha still has something of a bovine look to their head, which I kind of like, as it suggests a particular breed of goat which is unknown in our world - hinting again at the idea of species extinction and 'lost times' and 'lost worlds' (rather than just slightly wonky art drawn without reference). Tomorrow I'll likely be busy with other things all day and I need a break from physical work anyway. That will give me time to reflect on this and figure out if there is any need for further design elements, or if it should just be left as is? The slab will sit outside to let the elements get rid of the dust and the freshly-engraved look for the next few weeks. It would b

  The Ylfu – the ‘elves’ of my world – whilst ensconced in their mighty subterranean barrow beneath their ancient city Dofran (the OE name for Dover, complete with ‘steadfast white sea-walls’), are more precisely informed by Welsh culture, especially the bardic tradition, which underlines the poetry recited in the court of Yldfreah (the name which our narrator gives to the Ylf-lord – his name literally ‘Old lord’, which is more of a title really – cf. the Old Norse fertility god, Freyr, and probably one given to him by the narrator as a reference to his own linguistic culture). Hence the very Welsh-derived lament which the Ylfish bard Meloth sings in honour of the leader of Gifli’s expedition: 'The Song of Haeleth of the Dawn’s-Light' ‘Seven we were, and seven we fell, seven in strength, by honour bound now none but names, now none remain, to light the lands of multitudes. For while we stood, we held our ground and seven by seven foes in rage could not bear battle at our shield