Friday 13 March 2015

The Beast of Dean - The Moose-pig

In the year 1802, the people of Parkend in the Forest of Dean were disturbed by strange beastly sounds in the forest.
The beast itself was discovered to be a giant wild boar. It was of such enormous proportions that it felled trees, damaged hedges, and flattened fences. The villagers organised a hunt to capture or kill the animal, but their endeavours came to nothing.
Many years later, in 1998, two people living locally reported seeing a creature the size of a cow, but with the appearance of a boar.
Later, in 2005, an early morning sighting was made between Pygmy Pinetum and Mireystock crossroads. The report described the beast as a ©big black animal©. Another recent witness spoke of a wild pig as big as a horse. 
At some point the animal became known locally as the "moose-pig", elsewhere as the Beast of Dean.
Until its more recent reintroduction the wild boar had been extinct in the British Isles for many centuries, possibly since the 13th century.
In the 11th century story of Culhwch and Olwen, there is a section about a magical boar named Twrch Trwyth that is hunted across South Wales, and into the Forest of Dean from where it escaped by jumping into the River Severn.


Sunday 1 March 2015

Tolkien in the Forest of Dean


The Ancient Lydney Temple dedicated to the gods Nuada (Nodens) and Sylvanus
J.R.R. Tolkien visited the Lydney Pagan Temple in the 1920s and was fascinated by what he discovered. He spent much of his spare time exploring the landscape and delving into its rich folklore.
Overlooking the Lydney Park Estate are two hills, one crowned by the broken walls of a medieval castle, the other with the extensive remains of a Romano-British temple.
Located on the southern edge of The Forest of Dean with views of The River Severn, Temple Hill was excavated by archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler, who was assisted by Tolkien.
Local tradition spoke of the ruins being the home of goblins - reputably not a place to visit at night time. The Roman metal workings on the hill were known as the “dwarf mines,” and were believed to extend far out, deep beneath the mysterious Forest of Dean. 
Much of what Tolkien saw and heard here influenced his later writings - The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
The nearby“scowles”, areas of rough rock strewn passageways, mossy and overgrown with twisted trees look like the forests of Middle Earth.


Located on the southern edge of The Forest of Dean with views of The River Severn, Temple Hill was excavated by archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler, who was assisted by Tolkien.
Local tradition spoke of the ruins being the home of goblins - reputably not a place to visit at night time. The Roman metal workings on the hill were known as the “dwarf mines,” and were believed to extend far out, deep beneath the mysterious Forest of Dean.