Spreads

The marshy regions where the forest's streams are born are known as 'spreads' or 'collects'; often out on the open heath and always amongst the stands muddled `carr woodland is present, especially where the streams first form proper. These always feel some of the wilder places in the forest, uncomfortable regions to navigate, wet, tangled and fraught with obstacles, fallen trunks and boot sucking quagmire; best avoided, though at the same time oozing with allure, their magic seems to draw you in. They represent an aspect of the timeless landscape of fairy tale and myth. Where do myths start, maybe it was an inherent magic that first led our prehistoric ancestors to favour these wet areas for ritual and ceremony; maybe how you experience such places is an echo of genetic memory, my ancestors reminding me of the sacred nature these places held in their world view. Maybe.