The excision of a chapter (or chapters) from an author's work, without the author's consent, strikes me as manifestly sacrilegious. But it's par for course (I suppose), in these most sacrilegious of times.
I used to take my copy of Story of My Heart up onto the Gogmagog hills south of Cambridge and read it looking over the rolling downs. A lovely book. Paul Kingsnorth seems to me to be the modern English writer most in tune with the older criticism of capitalist urbanistic materialism, although he's firmly Orthodox.
Oh Paul, as a child that Piper chapter was so moving and terrifying (but in a good way) to me. The desecration of even the memory and history of our rural history and birthright is pure evil.
Paul Cudenec puts words to something many of us have felt but rarely articulated: the way height, wildness, and open land thin the veil between the visible world and something older, deeper, and alive.
This isn’t nostalgia. It’s memory.
Through Richard Jefferies and Kenneth Grahame, he traces how modern “progress” didn’t just scar the landscape—it collapsed the inner horizon. When roads became rails, and rails became systems, imagination was fenced in alongside the fields. The mystery didn’t vanish; it was engineered out.
Grahame’s Great Pan isn’t a devil or a fantasy figure. He’s nature itself—human nature included—before it was disciplined, surveilled, and made ashamed of its own instincts. Calling Pan “evil” was a necessary trick for those who wanted land stripped of spirit and people stripped of sovereignty.
What struck me most is the idea of the “gap into Elf-land”—that first step beyond materialism, before belief systems and doctrines, when the world is still alive and speaking. Children sense it naturally. Adults are trained out of it. But it never fully dies.
That pull toward hills, old paths, silence, and open sky isn’t escapism. It’s recall. A signal from something that predates the machine and will outlast it.
The iron roads may dominate the map, but the old tracks are still there—for those willing to walk.
Have just read Findhorn Flower Essences by Marion Leigh. She recalls her experiences of meeting Pan, it was very interesting. Just requires the right place in nature and a lot of patience!
Looking into the bright and beautiful eyes of my newborn granddaughter, on a photo sent to my ipad, reminds me how 'brutal and deathly" it is in my view to assume that she is "born a sinner" who's bound to toil, repent, and come "creeping to the cross".
Your almost hypnotising post, Paul, takes me to an age many many decades before I was born and which I cannot imagine will come back. It is like a dream.
Thankyou for this Paul. I was gifted a collection of Richard Jeffries writings many years ago. I'll enjoy dipping into it later this afternoon / evening.
I've had the full nature download at this stage.. it is fascinating and edifying . The problem is we are still blaming christianity for suppressing it.. people have been so busy blaming christians for dispelling the magic, they've ignored the other religions and beliefs that would happily crush you for any glimmer of paganism. At this point in history judeochristianity is actually closer to pan than many other religions. fairyfolk christians and judaists are sliding down the same path to oblivion There is something distinctly brutal and deathly in humans , it's astonishing how strong it is. We might literally pave paradise entirely and put up a solar farm .. seriously!.
I've been defending fairy niches for decades and people seem to care less by the day. Sorry to sound glum but escaping into the fairy realm doesnt feel so much of a realistic option these days... not since tir na nog was bought up by a fish farm ! :/
The excision of a chapter (or chapters) from an author's work, without the author's consent, strikes me as manifestly sacrilegious. But it's par for course (I suppose), in these most sacrilegious of times.
I used to take my copy of Story of My Heart up onto the Gogmagog hills south of Cambridge and read it looking over the rolling downs. A lovely book. Paul Kingsnorth seems to me to be the modern English writer most in tune with the older criticism of capitalist urbanistic materialism, although he's firmly Orthodox.
Oh Paul, as a child that Piper chapter was so moving and terrifying (but in a good way) to me. The desecration of even the memory and history of our rural history and birthright is pure evil.
Yes, that's where evil really lies.
Beautifully lyrical and reverent. Loved reading this. Thank you, Paul.
Elf land! Thats where i belong!
(*Footnote 19 missng)
Me too! (Thanks. Fixed now)
This man had a close acquaintance with Pan.
https://albion.org.uk/historical-albion/r-olgivie-crombie-1899-1975/
Paul Cudenec puts words to something many of us have felt but rarely articulated: the way height, wildness, and open land thin the veil between the visible world and something older, deeper, and alive.
This isn’t nostalgia. It’s memory.
Through Richard Jefferies and Kenneth Grahame, he traces how modern “progress” didn’t just scar the landscape—it collapsed the inner horizon. When roads became rails, and rails became systems, imagination was fenced in alongside the fields. The mystery didn’t vanish; it was engineered out.
Grahame’s Great Pan isn’t a devil or a fantasy figure. He’s nature itself—human nature included—before it was disciplined, surveilled, and made ashamed of its own instincts. Calling Pan “evil” was a necessary trick for those who wanted land stripped of spirit and people stripped of sovereignty.
What struck me most is the idea of the “gap into Elf-land”—that first step beyond materialism, before belief systems and doctrines, when the world is still alive and speaking. Children sense it naturally. Adults are trained out of it. But it never fully dies.
That pull toward hills, old paths, silence, and open sky isn’t escapism. It’s recall. A signal from something that predates the machine and will outlast it.
The iron roads may dominate the map, but the old tracks are still there—for those willing to walk.
—Lone Wolf
Have just read Findhorn Flower Essences by Marion Leigh. She recalls her experiences of meeting Pan, it was very interesting. Just requires the right place in nature and a lot of patience!
Looking into the bright and beautiful eyes of my newborn granddaughter, on a photo sent to my ipad, reminds me how 'brutal and deathly" it is in my view to assume that she is "born a sinner" who's bound to toil, repent, and come "creeping to the cross".
Your almost hypnotising post, Paul, takes me to an age many many decades before I was born and which I cannot imagine will come back. It is like a dream.
Great piece Paul, have you read On Wondering Paths by Sylvain Tesson? Similar sentiments expressed.
Thanks Mike. No, I haven't read that. Yet!
His journey walking through France on the old pathways. All his books worth reading though.
Beautiful writing by Grahame et al.
I wish these old books celebrating life and man's spirituality were staples in readers groups across the country.
Sadly such literature doesn't sit well with the WOKE PC culture of the dimwits who populate such groups.
Thankyou for this Paul. I was gifted a collection of Richard Jeffries writings many years ago. I'll enjoy dipping into it later this afternoon / evening.
Just what I needed on a sunny morning in early April. Thankyou.
I've had the full nature download at this stage.. it is fascinating and edifying . The problem is we are still blaming christianity for suppressing it.. people have been so busy blaming christians for dispelling the magic, they've ignored the other religions and beliefs that would happily crush you for any glimmer of paganism. At this point in history judeochristianity is actually closer to pan than many other religions. fairyfolk christians and judaists are sliding down the same path to oblivion There is something distinctly brutal and deathly in humans , it's astonishing how strong it is. We might literally pave paradise entirely and put up a solar farm .. seriously!.
I've been defending fairy niches for decades and people seem to care less by the day. Sorry to sound glum but escaping into the fairy realm doesnt feel so much of a realistic option these days... not since tir na nog was bought up by a fish farm ! :/