tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post2191303864066126850..comments2024-03-27T06:42:26.250-07:00Comments on Seven Miles of Steel Thistles: The White Horse of UffingtonKatherine Langrishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12529700103932422873noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-79872768483080838552020-01-14T12:46:11.291-08:002020-01-14T12:46:11.291-08:00Lovely poem - thankyou! Would be a good one to sin...Lovely poem - thankyou! Would be a good one to sing, I think.Katherine Langrishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12529700103932422873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-22035328392261205052020-01-11T04:38:13.778-08:002020-01-11T04:38:13.778-08:00Magical and evocative place that has a sense of an...Magical and evocative place that has a sense of ancient power and mystery about it about it<br /><br /><br />Too Good to Burn.<br /><br />Below the moon at Uffington<br />between the folds of chalkhill gown,<br />we sit beneath the White Horse stars,<br />see flames and sing this song.<br /><br />O’ Stars and embers dance your crown<br />as woodsmoke turns the hour’s dust,<br />and as we do these things we must,<br />this night it shall be ours<br /><br />Above, see nervous lanterns rise<br />like strange birds from another time,<br />we wait below this all tonight,<br />and contemplate the flow.<br /><br />Stars and embers dance your crown<br />as woodsmoke turns the hour’s dust,<br />and as we do these things we must,<br />we know, this night is ours.<br /><br />Below the moon at Uffington<br />we sing beneath your ancient night<br />we contemplate the eventide<br />and tell of White Horse downs.<br /><br />So stars and embers raise your crown,<br />as woodsmoke turns, the hours must -<br />we hold one simple truth to trust,<br />this night is ours to own.<br /><br />Now sit, and sing with us.<br /><br /><br />(From: http://stonepoem.com/archives/too-good-to-burn-v2/nature/)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02153082048725518925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-56472171044879480972015-07-22T10:26:15.627-07:002015-07-22T10:26:15.627-07:00Thankyou Gordon! That's lovely.Thankyou Gordon! That's lovely.Katherine Langrishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12529700103932422873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-44834564751117043322015-07-13T14:28:51.422-07:002015-07-13T14:28:51.422-07:00I have only just found this page - and like others...I have only just found this page - and like others, I am surprised that there are so few poems to be found that have been inspired by this remarkable place. <br /><br />I place my effort here, not because I think it a good poem (I don't write poetry under normal circumstances) - but I was moved to write these words when I visited the site with a friend in 2012. It was a beautiful evening and there was a skylark overhead as we walked around the old fort overlooking the White Horse<br /><br /><br />Drinking in the sweet song of the Skylark<br />I hear voices of the past <br />A chorus in the wind <br />I am not alone<br /><br />The white horse gallops across the green earth<br />His never ending journey a confusion<br />a message of hope <br />and a reminder of our mortality<br /><br />Countless others have filled this space<br />but only one has shared this moment <br />This place, this time, this feeling combined <br />Forged, a shared memory<br /><br />We walk across the ancient walls<br />Our memories map the journey, a confusion<br />of hope and uncertainty<br />Another reminder of our mortality<br /><br />The birdsong fades, becomes memory<br />Joining the voices of the past<br />A chorus in the wind<br />I am not alone<br /><br />GC June 2012Gordon Cooneynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-50186355301474097422012-04-20T08:30:48.964-07:002012-04-20T08:30:48.964-07:00I've only stumbled across this post now and am...I've only stumbled across this post now and am so thankful that I did. Wonderful! The Uffington White Horse is one of my favourite places and I feel grateful to be able to visit often. The poem always brings tears to my eyes. I'm a wanderer who finally found my home with the white horses.LeeAnn at Mrs Black's https://www.blogger.com/profile/05923451542086673198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-73888594804981273812012-01-22T20:40:06.985-08:002012-01-22T20:40:06.985-08:00The resemblance between this horse and the depicti...The resemblance between this horse and the depiction of the horse carved into Red Horse Hill on the cover of Runemarks by Joanne Harris is unmistakable. I had no idea it actually existed! I'll have to make sure to visit it now.Molly Gourleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17161796473825197923noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-81208397189601258562012-01-06T02:15:34.655-08:002012-01-06T02:15:34.655-08:00I was lucky enough to live in Uffington village fo...I was lucky enough to live in Uffington village for a few years more than a decade ago. I would walk up to the White Horse as my lunchtime writing-break. Such a privilege! I love the shape of the horse - something cat-like in it? - and am just astonished & awed by the idea that these ancient people created something that is so stunning seen from the air, without ever being able to have that view themselves. I was also always intrigued by the white spot on the hill just below it - isn't that supposed to be something to do with a dragon? (Oh, I used to know & have now forgotten!) <br /><br />In Uffington I was lucky enough to get to know an elderly man who had lived in the village all his life - never owned a car - & had worked (as had his parents) on the estate of which the village was a part. I don't know why I mention this, really, but the sense of continuity... of the old way of life so attached to *place* for so many centuries... of generations and generations who in the main did not travel much... somehow was as powerful for me as the magical White Horse itself. Living in the village for just a few years, I felt so attached to the horse... how much more attached must he and his forebears have felt?H.M. Castorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08716936870601385683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-72897658549428433222011-07-18T00:18:05.746-07:002011-07-18T00:18:05.746-07:00Catdownunder - it may have been Black Woolly Pony ...Catdownunder - it may have been Black Woolly Pony / White Chalk Horse - by Jane Gardam. It was two books in one - one about a girl called Bridget and her shetland pony, and one about a girl called Susan who tries to save a white chalk horse near her village.Lucyhttp://lucidfreelance.com.aunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-42519743862388912302011-06-06T03:19:03.549-07:002011-06-06T03:19:03.549-07:00Thank you! And yes, well spotted. In my head it...Thank you! And yes, well spotted. In my head it's a traditional English folk song. It just wouldn't work with Thrash Metal 8-)stonepoemhttp://www.stonepoem.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-67892248415009324282011-06-06T01:01:40.676-07:002011-06-06T01:01:40.676-07:00Lovely! - sounds like something that should set to...Lovely! - sounds like something that should set to music...Katherine Langrishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12529700103932422873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-20681981650814599862011-06-05T07:02:35.017-07:002011-06-05T07:02:35.017-07:00Enjoyed your post. It is a special place
Here...Enjoyed your post. It is a special place <br /><br />Here's a poem that coincidently also notes the magic of the Uffington moonlight. <br /><br />http://stonepoem.com/too-good-to-burn-v2<br /><br />- hope you enjoy.stonepoemhttp://www.stonepoem.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-91214573803105308092011-04-27T13:19:48.205-07:002011-04-27T13:19:48.205-07:00I love that Horse and oh how I would love to see i...I love that Horse and oh how I would love to see it by moonlight and let the primal part of the mind blur the past with the present. There's something about the night that draws at the roots of us I think...Windsongs and Wordhoardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12211375575810428500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-83213391187731705692011-04-23T13:25:24.406-07:002011-04-23T13:25:24.406-07:00Cathrin, I wish you could come and see it! I'...Cathrin, I wish you could come and see it! I'm sure it must have been regarded as a courier betwen worlds.Katherine Langrishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12529700103932422873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-3625518960377982702011-04-21T12:43:12.264-07:002011-04-21T12:43:12.264-07:00What a beautiful post. I'm so glad that you di...What a beautiful post. I'm so glad that you didn't assume everyone has heard of the white horse; I hadn't. As I read your words and looked at the pictures, I envisioned a horse for the first time as a creature that can carry us over a threshold between worlds. Since I live in a land of rodeos and barrel riding, this is saying something. I love horses, but I've never had that vision before. I would love to know why the creators of the chalk image chose a horse. It's too bad we can't ask them.Cathrinhttp://www.cathrinhagey.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-32882035221270248172011-04-18T03:52:49.667-07:002011-04-18T03:52:49.667-07:00I hope you finish it one day, Katherine! I should...I hope you finish it one day, Katherine! I should love to read it.Katherine Langrishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12529700103932422873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-75626418025596776312011-04-16T12:14:45.050-07:002011-04-16T12:14:45.050-07:00I remember our Charney walk up to White Horse one ...I remember our Charney walk up to White Horse one day in July - afterwards, I was inspired to write a fantasy novel about it, but the story's still half formed, rather like the horse itself, trapped on the hillside awaiting some powerful word to emerge...Katherine Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-38815324518734957282011-04-16T09:48:20.149-07:002011-04-16T09:48:20.149-07:00hooray, you remember who The Giant Under the Snow ...hooray, you remember who The Giant Under the Snow is by! I read it as a kid and actually don't recall the plot at all, just some vague scary images, but know I loved it.<br /><br />And the TV series was called The Moon Stallion.lilyhttp://www.lilyhyde.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-17126301399124658482011-04-16T01:51:08.311-07:002011-04-16T01:51:08.311-07:00No Lily - but thankyou for reminding me of that on...No Lily - but thankyou for reminding me of that one! I will continue to think about it!catdownunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959328192182156574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-41699042330154577662011-04-16T01:41:05.150-07:002011-04-16T01:41:05.150-07:00Oh, Lily, yes - John Gordon's 'The Giant U...Oh, Lily, yes - John Gordon's 'The Giant Under the Snow' - though that was literally a giant and not a wyrm. Marvellous book, though!Katherine Langrishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12529700103932422873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-6850105248803651822011-04-15T22:20:32.802-07:002011-04-15T22:20:32.802-07:00Everything looks better by moonlight! Your descrip...Everything looks better by moonlight! Your description is wonderful.<br /><br />I don't know any poems but there was a great children's TV series when I was kid, set in Victorian or Edwardian times, about a blind girl and the Uffington horse and pagan sacrifices - am racking my brains to remember what it was called.<br /><br />Catdownunder - The Giant Beneath the Snow?lilyhttp://www.lilyhyde.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-68694897106643541632011-04-15T14:32:00.142-07:002011-04-15T14:32:00.142-07:00Ha! I like your theory, Charlie! I remember now ...Ha! I like your theory, Charlie! I remember now that guy who said it was a dog... not like any dog I know. <br /><br />Cat, I thought you might have been thinking of William Mayne's 'A game of Dark' - till you added the ice yacht and the meterologist. I'm stumped!Katherine Langrishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12529700103932422873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-73904384775287393222011-04-15T11:26:31.681-07:002011-04-15T11:26:31.681-07:00Not a poem, but I do have a theory: http://steepho...Not a poem, but I do have a theory: http://steepholm.livejournal.com/142530.htmlCathy Butlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03838615971611193743noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-27158656864954369982011-04-15T04:05:25.395-07:002011-04-15T04:05:25.395-07:00I love that horse too! (though I've never seen...I love that horse too! (though I've never seen it by moonlight). I also love the way it is abstract and modern-looking while being so ancient.<br /><br />Kath I wish you'd put it in a book! And thanks for the Chesterton, which I didn't know. "Children of some second birth" is perfect to represent the human condition.Mary Hoffmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06241989732624913706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-73633117901375216222011-04-15T02:54:41.375-07:002011-04-15T02:54:41.375-07:00Hello Joan - no - this one is set in the 20thC and...Hello Joan - no - this one is set in the 20thC and I think the author is male - I have a copy somewhere but cannot find it which is most frustrating! There is also an amateur meteorologist and an ice yacht...catdownunderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06959328192182156574noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4950999049789394042.post-68399931098713350382011-04-15T02:45:09.915-07:002011-04-15T02:45:09.915-07:00It must be amazing to walk along there by moonligh...It must be amazing to walk along there by moonlight, huge white horse aglow! There are so many magical spots in Britain - and it's wonderful to see how they are then woven into poems and stories. Thanks for another fascinating post, Katherine!Lynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01674923395134039554noreply@blogger.com