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The Storytelling Roundhouse at Cae Mabon in Wales
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If you happened to be taking a walk around a little place
in Wales called Fachwen, you may come across a sign pointing to a
place called Cae Mabon
that nestles in an oak forest clearing by a
little river that cascades down to the nearby lake. If your
curiosity is strong enough to take you there, then half a mile
down a woodland track you will discover
a magical place with storytelling rooms,
tree spirits
and Celtic traditions woven into the hills.
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Cae Mabon
takes its name from the Welsh word ‘Cae’, which literally means
‘field’. Mabon, is an ancient character from one of the
Mabinogion
stories meaning ‘the Great Son of the Great Mother’ which can be translated as ‘the Divine Youth’. So ‘Cae Mabon’ can mean
the ‘Field of Divine Youth’.
This beautiful stone walled thatched roundhouse is
the storytelling room and centrepiece at Cae Mabon which was created over the
last twenty or so years by storyteller, songwriter and author of
children’s picture books, Eric Madern. Here is one of his books.
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With the help of countless
volunteers and natural builders from around the world, Eric has
created a rare collection of beautiful natural homes. Among the
natural builders who helped create Cae Mabon were
Tony Wrench
and Ianto Evans. In keeping
with Celtic style the roundhouse is decorated at its entrance by
Celtic knotwork. If you would like to try your hand at designing
knotwork this video, on the maths of knots, will give you hours of
doodling fun.
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The maths of celtic
knots |
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Circling the roundhouse is a family of elegant natural
homes, among them a straw bale
hogan, an oak and slate
longhouse, two cedar cabins, a redwood chalet and looking down over
them all a cob cottage. It's the three arched windows of the cob cottage you
can see reflecting light from the morning sun on to the snow
covered slope of the thatched roof (left). Eric tells
you more about Cae Mabon in a short documentary by film makers
Living in the Future.
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Cae Mabon
by Living in the Future |
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