STORYTELLING RETREAT COURSE FULL
October 11-16 • Hugh Lupton and Eric Maddern
Guest: Jake Keen

Residential: £525 (single); £450 (shared)

THE MATTER OF BRITAIN: The Sword out of the Stone

This is the third of Hugh & Eric’s ongoing, chronological ‘Matter of Britain’ series at Tŷ Newydd
 
About four and a half thousand years ago a new technology was discovered by our ancestors - it would change everything. Gold, tin, copper and finally iron were smelted from stone. An act of transformation became possible, and those initiated into its mysteries – the smelter and the smith – became figures of great power in their communities. This shift to the Bronze and later Iron Age saw an increasing militarization of society, with the warrior and semi-divine hero becoming key figures in the tales that were told.

The course will look at the mythology surrounding metal and other transformatory technologies (such as spinning and weaving) that were at the heart of Bronze Age culture. We will visit the four thousand year old copper mines at the Great Orme and some of the stunning Iron Age hillforts in the area.

Our visiting speaker (and smelter) will be Jake Keen, founder of the Ancient Technology Centre in Dorset.

Each of these weeks is self-contained. Participants do not have to have attended the previous courses but storytelling experience is essential.

NOTE: Some places are reserved for new and/or younger storytellers.