A Green and Pagan Land: Myth, Magic and Landscape in British Film and Television

228 Pages·2018·7.071 MB·English

by  David Huckvale

A Green
and Pagan Land
ALsobyDAviDHuckvALe
AnDfrommcfArLAnD
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A Green
and Pagan Land
Myth, Magic and Landscape
in British Film and Television
D H
AviD uckvALe
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Jefferson, North Carolina
LibrAryofconGresscAtALoGuinG-in-PubLicAtionDAtA
names: Huckvale, David, author.
title: A green and pagan land : myth, magic and landscape in british
film and television / David Huckvale.
Description: Jefferson, north carolina : mcfarland & company, inc.,
Publishers, 2018 | includes bibliographical references and index.
identifiers: Lccn 2017051745 | isbn 9781476670508 (softcover : acid
free paper)
♾
subjects: LcsH: Popular culture—Great britain—History—20th
century. | myth in art. | Paganism in art. | national characteristics,
british, in art. | Geographical perception.
classification: Lcc DA589.4 H83 2018 | DDc 941.085—dc23
Lc record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017051745
britisHLibrArycAtALoGuinGDAtAAreAvAiLAbLe
ISBN (print) 978-1-4766-7050-8
ISBN (ebook) 978-1-4766-2993-3
© 2018 David Huckvale. All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying
or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publisher.
front cover: Poster art for the 1973 film The Wicker Man
(national General Pictures/Photofest)
Printed in the united states of America
McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640
www.mcfarlandpub.com
to markus Wallasvaara
bringmemybowofburninggold;
bring me my Arrows of desire:
bring me my spear: o clouds unfold!
bring me my chariot of fire!
i will not cease from mental fight,
nor shall my sword sleep in my hand:
till we have built Jerusalem,
in england’s green & pleasant Land.
(William blake, “Jerusalem,” 1808)
Table of Contents
Preface 1
Introduction: Into the Woods 5
ONe. the return of king Arthur 23
TwO. Who is the Grail? 46
Three. the Green man cometh… 64
FOur. tristan and isolde 74
FIve. celtic twilight 83
SIx. the Garden of Pan 104
SeveN. et in Arcadia ego 129
eIghT. the Golden bough 145
NINe. Witchcraft in the village 158
TeN. the road to Penda’s Fen 179
Chapter Notes 197
Bibliography 207
Index 211
vii
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Preface
my aim in this book is to explore the british literature of pagan fantasy
that foreshadowed so many celebrated british films. these are the most
recent expression of this particular preoccupation of british culture, but
such pagan fantasies have also influenced music and the visual arts, to
which i will also be casting a passing glance. the films which seem to me
to represent this tradition most imaginatively include stories based on
Arthurian legend and celtic mythology such as Gawain and the Green
Knight (dir. stephen Weeks, 1973), Monty Python and the Holy Grail (dir.
terry Jones & terry Gilliam, 1975) and Excalibur (dir. John boorman, 1981)
and the acclaimed british tv series,The Owl Service (prod. Peter Plummer,
1969–1970) and Children of the Stones (dir. Peter Graham scott, 1977). in
2006, the legend of tristan and isolde attracted the attention of director
kevin reynolds, who cast James franco and sophia myles as the doomed
lovers in a rather gritty approach to a subject that richard Wagner had
transformed into the world’s most revolutionary and influential romantic
opera in 1865.
there are also stories of sacrificial nature worship and ancient magical
practices in Eye of the Devil (dir. J. Lee thompson, 1967), The Wicker Man
(dir. robin Hardy, 1973)and the television play, Robin Redbreast (dir. James
mactaggart, 1970). A third category concerning witchcraft has been par-
ticularly appealing to filmmakers, inspiring such classics as The City of the
Dead (dir. John Llewellyn moxey, 1960), Night of the Eagle (dir. sidney
Hayers, 1962), Witchcraft (dir. Don sharp, 1964), The Witches (dir. cyril
frankel, 1966), Theatre of Death (dir. sam Gallu, 1967), Witchfinder General
(dir. michael reeves, 1968), Blood on Satan’s Claw. (dir. Piers Haggard, 1971)
and Wakewood (dir. David keating, 2010). nigel kneale’s television drama,
Murrain (dir. John cooper, 1975), is also part of this tradition.
Blood on Satan’s Claw echoes Lord Dunsany’s The Blessing of Pan
1