[sunbug]

Stephen, I think somebody else sent me a link to that book as well The Dawn of Everything. Sounds absolutely fascinating! And of course one would love to imagine how Joseph Campbell might respond to that book!
I’m kind of fascinated by the distances people traveled then too from that perspective.
It paints whole new pictures of the past in our minds.
Of course can’t help yet another reference to Robert Mirabal but in the number “Painted Caves” he asks: “Who were these ancestors painting the same images all over the world?”

Keeping in mind he was a traveler…spent time in Russia, (where he was known as “gypsy man,” in Japan (worked with two Japanese Boka? dancers and Australia (and plays a digeridoo in performance)

Of course when I heard that, immediately thought of Joe Campbell.
I love synchronicities even as I celebrate beautiful differences in the world.

Think my imagination has always been called by those stories of the Polynesian Wayfinders the old canoes, rumors of the Welsh Prince Madoc in the Americas…and many other tales and histories. There is a historical fiction writer Anna Lee Waldo who studied the Madoc legend and incorporated it into her books.

And there was even once an article about two men who washed ashore in a boat in England (long before “discovery” of Americas) The description or the account of that in the article conjured a similar image to the Miq’ Maq Natives of North America, who had similar small boats? Wish I could remember more of it.

Then, there are times I hear East Indian music and of all things it reminds me of the tones of Irish or Gaelic songs or vice versa!

Of course most of this is in the imaginal realm.

But as far as verifiable stories, I still cannot get over the Homo Florensis people nicknamed “hobbits” of course.
Unless the evidence has changed again, it seems the anthropologists decided those 3 foot? tall skeletons were not diseased but perfectly formed…

That’s mind blowing.

There was another author Parke Godwin, who wrote fictional but legend-inspired books about the British Isles.

In one story, she writes of a small race of tan skinned people (peaceful nature oriented) but the taller people are superstitious of these people. So the author comes up with the idea that the tan or brown skinned people are allergic to iron and thus in her story she hints about the myth of fairies not liking iron. So the tall folk bar their doors with iron.

This is all fiction of course, but there was a recent anthropological article about ancient remains found in England perhaps even some of the earliest tribes (or Briton?) people to be there.  The scientists determined they were dark skinned and blue-eyed and more on the short side (not as short as homo florensis.)  That is dark skin as similar pigment  to African, African American, Australian Aboriginal!

Of course also occurs there are some beautiful dark-skinned people from India as well.

But regardless of all that wow! Once again what a horizon to imagine!

Really takes one to the mythic metaphor of what one thought they knew they did not know.

Scientists have also begun to discover that Viking groups were much more diverse than originally thought. Not all blond. Of course one could argue the Vikings were just in the business of um assimilation. 😉

Would love to see Joe Campbell delve into all of this!

Okay enough on that. But awesome ponder Stephen!

p.s. hope my “stony” response to Mark does not appear flippant, especially considering there are people in the world dealing with grief and pain (know a little bit about that myself.)

Since Chronos (time) was also in the conversation, sometimes it takes time to sort all these things out. And what works for me now might not be what helps another person. Just want to be considerate. 🙏 (and aware of my words.)

And Terrific thread so thank you Stephen and Mark.