Strange Solace

It was said there was a Wizard living in the Malvern Hills. But that wasn’t true.

Yes, there was a man who might be mistaken for a wizard. Due to his wisdom and his eccentric manner. But just because he wandered the hills deep in contemplation didn’t mean he had the ability to control the weather, shape shift into animal form or summon spirits.

No, this man was a storyteller. A man who simply found inspiration in the natural beauty of the hills, a quiet place away from the busyness of the town where he couldn’t hear himself think.

No, he needed to feel cool breath of the breeze and see the gentle glitter of the night sky. He needed to find inspiration in the rare flora and fauna. Whilst he wandered through woodlands, meadows and heathland he found he could hear the tales on the wind.

He would often spot wildlife such as buzzards or foxes or white horses who would cast themselves in mysterious tales in his head. 

But as all storytellers know, there is indeed magic in stories. And there are some stories which are too slippery to be written down. Some stories which need to be told in a mosaic of shells.

And so, the not-wizard used some of this magic to build another way of telling his stories.

He called it the storyscope.

It stands atop the Malvern Hills and when the viewer looks though it over the hills she or he will see the storyteller’s tales played out in front of their eyes. Like magic.

My favourite is the one about the white horse who speaks your heart’s desire. Let me know yours.

Copyright: image believed to be in the public domain and used for creative, non-commercial purposes. Vintage postcard of the Toposcope, Malvern Hills. Published by Tilley & Son, Ledbury. Postmarked 1900s.