ˆ

THE MYTHAKULON

TALES FROM THE TELLING TREES

ˆ

THE MYTHAKULON

ACORN TALES

Pronunciation (mith-ack-you-lon)
Etymology Roughly derived from Classical Greek
Mythos (story, tale, legend); Akulos (acorn)

ORIGINS

“Man is born like a garden, ready planted and sown”

WILLIAM BLAKE

image

The Mythakulon is a repository of stories, both young and old, known yet forgotten, delighting and endangered. A trove of intelligent mythic tales ... tales from the telling trees

They can be found nesting deep in mossy forest glades, by ferny boulders, sun-sprung rides and owl-winged hollows

Woven well on rocky outcrops, big bold barky riverbanks and rook-spun copses

Venture to the woods, to see what wonders you might find or what depths might be found waiting inside of you

image
image

1. The Narrator with Oxfordshire’s Champion Oak, July 2015 | 2. Undisclosable location, Shropshire, September 2015 | 3. Leaves and acorn, Druids Oak, Burnham Beeches, Buckinghamshire; August 2015

ACTIVITY

“The door to the soul is unlocked; you do not need to please the doorkeeper, the door in front of you is yours, intended for you, and the doorkeeper obeys when spoken to”

ROBERT BLY

image

PILGRIMAGE

England is resplendent with more ancient oaks (known botanically as Quercus robur, Q. petraea and their hybrids) than the whole of the rest of Europe. It is to these great beings that our story is called and their wisdom and memories humbly received by acorn to heart

Each autumn, our narrator undertakes a journey to some of the oldest, broadest, grumpy, majestic, lonely, chirpy and characterful oaks in the land

This peregrination honours the Tree People, the spirit of the Great Forest, and offers up a reweaving of the bond between Tree and Man, the wild within and without

NURTURING OAKLINGS

Autumn 2015: 1st WAVE: Acorns were gathered from ancient trees in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Herefordshire, and around 350 saplings now flourish in a specialist oak nursery in Somerset

Autumn 2016: WAVE NUMBER TWO: The narrator again embarked on journeys to speak with and consult Albion's wisest Oaks (Tree People). Acorns were requested, nurtured and presented from many, including Tree 1001 ... a mystery which shall be revealed all in good time.

Autumn 2017: THE THIRD WAVE: Saplings from Wave 1 are now reaching a size whereby they can be offered up as part of THE EXCHANGE. This coming autumn will see an increase in the scope and volume of our acornucopian adventures ... as you start to become more and more involved ...

Autumn 2018: the searing heat of summer plumpens, ripens and broadens our immanent crop of oakseed. Harvesting is heralded imminently. The scope broadens this year to ancient lands in Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Berkshire …

Autumn 2019: new ships were launched into the Mountains of Wales, North Yorkshire and the flats of Norfolk, as well as return visits made to Herefordshire, Derbyshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Lincolnshire.

YOUR WORK

“The Oak - Gate of Kings”

ANONYMOUS

image

SEWING THE STORY

Now 1’ to 2’ tall, a few 1st WAVE saplings will be released to those who have EARNED the right. Summer 2019 will see more of the oaklings released, when they will have reached about 3' to 4' tall

The Mythakulon is a story, or perhaps a treasure chest of stories, being woven with your good selves, with the trees, the forests and by the creatures that live therein. To find out what your mission might behold, click on THE EXCHANGE below

GET INVOLVED

THE EXCHANGE

THE VISION

The Exchange and the Vision are presently stewing, in an earthy, deep hearty broth. It has yet to simmer long enough. It is sweet, savoury, dank and warming, yet not quite ready for ladelling

So, live well, yet keep eyes oakward for the stewserve. Once all ingredients have been added by just the measured amounts, in timely time, with manners apportioned, and stirs of kind limbs, steadily on, shall revealings be known

Launching gradually

In the meantime ... little by little we will be revealing intriguing actions for you to take, novel invitations to spend time with trees, remembering how to be with them. Does an old tree feel different to a young sapling? We will introduce you to ways and means to communicate with trees, and tell your stories together. Everyone has a story, some unique gift, waiting to be shared.

Indulge yourselves a little, pledge time to visit the woods, a park, a tree, any tree ... explore your feelings through trees. Carry a notebook and gently wander about. After a while, take a moment or two to settle your mind and allow your attention to wander to your heart, where your sense of feeling resides. When quiet and relaxed, bring your awareness to a tree, any tree, one that you feel naturally attracted to. Give it your full attention for a few minutes. Observe every detail: shapes, sizes, colours, textures, bark, leaves, scents and even the sounds. Then ask yourself, ‘how does it make me feel?’ Write down everything you notice, and everything you feel, no matter how odd it may seem. Then ask yourself if you can describe what it is about the tree that elicits such feelings. What do you like most about it? When you feel you’ve explored this thoroughly, you should now have an honest written record of how you feel about a tree, and why. Then repeat the process with a few more trees you are drawn to. Ask the questions too ... cry out for a story. Wait ... see what returns. This may elicit long unfelt or unthought-of qualities. It may lead you into as-yet unexplored experiences of 'treeness', and perhaps your own bubbly depths ... also consider: who did you meet on the way? Did anything unusal happen? Did you meet with coincidence ...

The Spanish poet Federico García Lorca once implored, to write in GREEN INK

There's no limit on words. Write it up, with feeling, and send it to us. We shall endeavour to publish every story that wants to be told. Guidelines for authors will be issued in early Spring 2020.

Find us here: story@mythakulon.org

The next twirl in this story will be born(e) by early Spring 2020

© THE MYTHAKULON ACORN TALES

2020. All rights reserved.