(Continued from previous page) ...earth under horse's hooves, smell the sweet breezes, or hear the wind in the trees. The easy language of these stories belies the intricate symbolism contained, which reflects among other things the symbiotic nature of our material and spiritual relationship to the land.
        Another text that proved most inspiring was The White Goddess, by Robert Graves. In his book Graves' attempts to decipher a magical secret code, hidden in a poem of the Eleventh Century. This poem sought to preserve the ancient knowledge of the troubadours, in writing, in such a way that was hidden from the Christian insurgency of the time. This knowledge was in danger of being lost forever, as it had been decreed by the British King that from that time hence, all poetry must only be concerned with either Christ or the monarchy. Early English poetry was thought to contain magic, and power, it held the secrets of life and words themselves were believed to have an important symbolic resonance, hence the notion of spells, an idea that lingers to this day.
        The poem Graves deciphered is called the Cad Goddeau, or The Battle of the Trees. This magical document cryptically explained, among many other things, the meaning of the alphabet, the numbers, the symbolic aspects of animals and plants, the seasons, and the myriad of connections between them all. It is a treasure of intriguing arcane knowledge, and imagery. In many European cultures the landscape has contributed much to the archetype of myth. The study of these archetypes may provide information helpful to the understanding of the human psyches, as the landscape is an omnipresent factor in the human experience.
        In Iceland, where there are many fantastic earth formations due to the influences of volcanic and glacial activity. Local legends often seek to explain geological phenomena by telling stories about how a spell may have caused a troll, or a witch or unfortunate person to be turned to stone Often an evil or uncareful spirit, surprised by the rising sun, meets a similar fate. The landscape in these tales is shown to be a living, active participant in the story and to the culture. Similar legends abound in England, in Ireland, and Scandinavia.
        My photographs are meant to show these concepts and possibilities, that the landscape is spiritually connected to us, as we are to the land. Modern science tells us that humans are programmed to recognize faces in patterns for our own protection against predators. We often see faces in cracks on the wall, or in the sidewalk, or in the patterns of nature, that's a part of our survival instinct. Could it be a part of our spiritual instinct as well?
        All but a few of the images in this series were taken in the north, in Canada, Scandinavia, and most especially Iceland. In most every case the landscapes were wild, in their primeval state, in places where the gods may still live.

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