Supernatural Tales

Since I mentioned the M.R. James event in York last week in my previous post, I thought I would write a brief account of what it was all about. The event was 'A Celebration of the Work of M.R. James on the 120th Anniversary of his Visit to York'. It began on the afternoon of Wednesday 26th at the Bar Convent, with general welcome and the first session of talks. Paul M. Chapman set the ball rolling with a look at the invention of a 'new type of ghost', focusing on MRJ's development of the antiquarian ghost story. That was followed by Mark Valentine on the figure of the scholar in the stories. Terry Hale rounded off the first session with 'M.R. James and French fin de siecle Occultism'. All of these talks led to interesting Q&As and general discussion. They certainly inspired me to rethink and ponder some aspects of the ghost stories, which is the point, and of course they reminded me of just how much I enjoy them. After a nice cup of something talk...

I recently returned from the fair city of York, where I met with a whole bunch of M.R. James enthusiasts. The occasion was the centenary of Monty visiting the city to examine various stained/painted glass windows in the city's churches. One very significant window that impressed the future Provost of Kings (and later Eton) is at All Saints, in North St. It is a vision of the end of the world, drawn from an immensely popular medieval poem entitled 'The Pricke of Conscience'. If you click on the image below you can embiggen it and see just how wonderful some of the panels are.

h/t Steve Duffy

Three more short tales from Figurehead by Carly Holmes ( Tartarus Press 201 8). The first story is, on the face of it, a sad tale of a recently widowed woman in the grey, soulless period between her husband's death and the funeral. She takes phone calls, makes arrangements, plays with her dog. But all the time the hills outside are moving, gathering, gradually coming closer. She must hold out until Friday. 'Heartwood' is another story of a woman transformed, merging earlier themes. Like 'Bake Day' it explores the boundaries between womanhood and motherhood, as a brother and sister react very differently to their mother's hybrid nature. 'In the spring and summer threads of blossom sprang from her scalp and twisted down her shoulders.' Full of beautiful imagery, the tale ends with a betrayal in the name of orthodoxy, a sense of loss. The title story takes us a step further, with a carved mermaid on the prow of a ship becoming conscious, merging wit...

I've been neglecting radio drama, which I love and listen to a lot. So here are a few links to some BBC supernatural tales that are available on the iPlayer (in the UK, at least). I See The Moon '1967: Richard Thornton is at a planning conference. In the big house where he's staying, he comes across a little girl on the top landing. He comforts her and promises to return, but his hosts deny any knowledge of her. Can she really have disappeared into thin air?' I enjoyed this one, which felt quite substantial and heartfelt in the way it links a ghost story to the postwar planning blight that devastated Britain more effectively than the Lutfwaffe. Ancient Sorceries Only six days left to listen to the late lamented Philip Madoc read this abridged version of Blackwood's classic tale. A great bedtime listen. Four 30 minute episodes. The Dead Hand Wilkie Collins, in a bit of fine old Victorian Gothic. "When he looked at the bed now, he saw hanging o...

Ah, yes, great band - I remember buying their first album, back when it was all vinyl... No, hang on, it's actually an item about archaeology . And a very odd item it is: Deep in the darkest reaches of Cioclovina Cave in Transylvania, archaeologists have discovered an astonishing amount of jewelry and skulls that have been estimated to date back 3,300 years. It is now believed that this site was once a subterranean temple of sorts that may have been used as part of a nymph cult, with offerings given to the naiads who dwelt in this sacred location. It's a fascinating read, connecting classic literature - Homer and all that - with discoveries concerning East-West trade routes. In particular, the glass beads that were discovered inside the cave were fashioned out of both Egyptian and Mesopotamian glass which have been dated from between 1400 to 1100 BC. Along with these glass beads, archaeologists also found 1,770 amber beads that had originated in Scandinavia. But for som...