Member of The Society of Authors, Association des Ecrivains bretons
Twitter @brittanyexpert
sacred space paths elemental landscape ruins paganism
HERE & NOW May 2022
Writing about stones and their stories
Preparing for launch of last novel in Breton village trilogy
Back to writing in the hut after puppy break
Wendy Mewes writing about Brittany
The mirror of landscape
All my work, non-fiction and fiction, is essentially about the spirit of place in Brittany. I write primarily about the past, but here the distinction between now and then is a fine one. The physical/spiritual presence of ancestors lingers in the landscape and built heritage from the ubiquitous megalithic remains to sacred springs and parish closes. History, legends, archaeology, earth energies and geo-poetics are all strands in my explorations. Walking is always on the agenda. Since 2017 I have concentrated on place-writing, poetry and a new series of novels set in a Breton village, where the magic of ancient times endures.
SPIRIT OF PLACE
Personal connection with place is explored here through the description and character of certain little landscapes of Finistère, where the genius loci manifests itself with distinction. This book also considers universal themes relevant to the spirit of place, such as legends, sacred geography and the nature of ruins, as well as other essential elements of the special geopoetics of western Brittany.
WHAT’S IN A PLACE-NAME?
With a name, space becomes a place
Geographical glue for man’s environment
Knowing the name of a place is a badge of belonging
Knowing how to give directions is control over strangers.
Territorial affection breeds protean vocabulary
From simple words of shape and structure
To the bounty of Earth defined a myriad ways
Names celebrate nature.
All text and photos on this site are © Wendy Mewes. Please don’t steal my work.
THANK YOU
Many thanks to those who have donated on this website.
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A JOURNEY ON PATHS INTO THE PAST
WAYFARING IN BRITTANY is a narrative of exploration along old routes spanning history from megaliths to medieval times. On the trail of ancient movement and connection with the landscape, I visit lonely island locations, Neolithic monuments, Celtic and Roman vestiges, sacred ways and many landmarks of pilgrimage still in use today.
