The Nisse Mother Clock

A HILL-HAG LOOKS OUT from where she crouches underneath a tree whose roots entangle her white hair. 

Amongst the roots also hide Nisse - small red-capped Norwegian gnomes, and outside beyond the hill, dusk is coming in. I can hear crows. 

The hill-hag who is older than the hill, or perhaps, even, is the hill, crouches there patiently. Her large hands tending a brew which bubbles inside a double horse-headed cauldron over an underground fire.

Only the Nisser know what aeons of ingredients the hill-hag sprinkles into the brew, but it's a time-turning concoction, and the magic is more ancient than I can say.

This is the latest Once Upon O'Clock to come from my busy paintbrushes. It was made for Alette Thorsnes in Norway who asked for a clock wound up in Norwegian folklore, old wise women, trees and Nisser, and this is what I conjured.

I was particularly pleased with this gnarled northern scene, and so decided to turn it into prints, which I don't normally do with the clocks, as I don't think they always work without their hands and numbers.

You can buy small prints of this Nisse Mother and larger archival giclée prints here, which will be joined by some other new giclée prints over the coming days, so keep your eyes open.

My clock order list is shortening slowly, but I'm still not taking on any new clock orders until all those outstanding are done, and I'll let you know here when that day comes, though at the rate I paint, by then my hair might not look dissimilar to hers...

The Game

I THOUGHT I'd show you an interesting little something which I made a few years ago as the final piece on my Book Arts & Crafts degree...

This piece is an ancient opening casket board game with an accompanying book which tells a story. The story, which I have written in rhyme, is set in a ‘Dark Age’ land not unlike England, and describes a man’s journey around his land in search of its people’s lost happiness and to overturn the evil king. Meanwhile two children dig up an old game and begin to play it. The journey takes a year and a day and as the main character travels, he passes through the four quarters (seasons, directions, elements, and times of day) which echo the four corners of the game and meets important characters on the way. Each move in the children’s game is mirrored in real life and a desperate battle between the rich few and the downtrodden masses builds momentum. The characters’ names are all Anglo-Saxon words which all have particular significance to the story. A glossary is included at the end of the book.

The story encompasses many themes –

~ The struggles of ordinary people under the rule of the dishonest rich and powerful, and a dream for equality, justice and a voice for us all;

~ My love for the earth and anger at its destruction;

~ A search to find value once again in life’s simple truths;

~ An exploration of ancient Pagan beliefs and Dark Age ideas about the world;

~ Ideas about balance and the wheel of life – accepting both life and death, day and night in all things;

~ A longing for a time before cars, concrete and all things industrial and corporate;

~ A desire to reawaken a love for stories and recognition of their importance in society.

The Game

The rules of this board game are based on an Anglo-Saxon game, ‘Hnefatafl’ popular in this country between about AD 400 and AD 1000 when chess arrived. It was carried here from Scandinavia by the Norsemen who were continuing an ancient tradition amongst the northern European tribes. A more detailed history is contained within the accompanying book. This game is appropriate to the time in which the story is set, and the opposing forces are of unequal size and have different objectives. This ties in with the political theme to the book.

Board games in ancient societies played a significant role over and above that of mere entertainment. The grid or chequerboard pattern has been described as a form of cosmological divination, representing the land, the universe, or the human body. The central square, as in Hnefatafl, signifies the city or the navel (indeed the word ‘hnefi’ - the king-piece - is also thought to be cognate with the word navel). Often this central point in a country was marked out by a sacred tree as in Glastonbury or Carmarthen, or a stone as at Tara. This place is one of central convergence, often the setting for fairs and obviously in the case of cities it is the seat of the ruler. The rules of Hnefatafl require that for the king’s side to win, the king must reach the edge of the board, signifying his complete dominion over the land. The opposing larger force must capture the king.

The Illustrations

The illustrations are based loosely on a gospel page illumination from the Book of Durrow (St Matthew's Gospel Folio 21v). This manuscript was produced around the 7th century at the monastery of Durrow, County Offaly which was founded by St Columba. Saint Matthew is depicted with a chequerboard body, echoing the idea of the board game/body, and the decorations are examples of Celtic and Pictish design.

The Font

The font design is based on alphabets in Anglo-Saxon manuscripts and other illuminated gospel books like the Books of Durrow and Kells.

The Board

The board is made from spruce wood, stained and antiqued, making it look as if it has just been dug up. It is decorated to echo the illustrations from the book and each side corresponds with the four directions, seasons, elements and times of day. Each gift given to the main character by those he meets on the way is illustrated on the four sides. The board also displays symbols from the Ogham – an ancient magical script – the Celtic equivalent to the Runes. Each Ogham letter relates to a particular tree and time of year and is correspondingly displayed around the board.



And here is an extract from the story:

...In warmer days the greenness came
As summer fullness smiled;
In contented, heady, pregnant air
Our Faran’s time was whiled.

Then around a corner one midday
Beside a meadow sweet
Came fiddle music, frisking-fast and
The sound of tapping feet.

Faran neared, intrigued to find
A flabbergasting sight ~
A motley stranger, red and yellow,
His costume chequered bright.

A wood contraption round his shoulders,
And hooked onto one end
A wobbling little whimsy-man,
A dancing puppet friend.

As the jester played the devil’s tune
And jigged all up and down,
It caused those puppet feet to tap
Of the wee lopsided clown.

By his side, a patchwork knapsack,
All bulging, tied with twine;
Some strange light from out the bag
Mysteriously did shine.

Faran tiptoed, quite bewildered
Closer to the gleeman;
‘How-di-do?’ The stranger asked him,
‘I s’pose you must be Faran?’

His face was funny, his eyes were fiery,
He’d a lilting, joking voice;
The puppet danced whene’er he moved
Because he had no choice.

‘My name’s Fyr’ grinned the jester,
‘I’ve come to join the dance;
Come sit awhile beside me here
And play my game of chance.’

The harlequin, ungainly-tall,
Sat his bright body down;
The wood contraption clacked and rattled;
The puppet seemed to frown.

So Faran sat and watched in awe
As the motley-magic-man
Reached inside his coloured sack;
And wild his blood it ran.

Out came dice and playing cards
And curiosities
And jumping beans and dominoes
And candles, tricks and keys.

And tiny phials all filled with fire
And stones and beads and sticks
And rare glass balls and wooden spoons,
A mad embroidered mix!

Chancy games and fateful tricks
The harlequin did play;
And all the while the puppet watched,
Not one word did he say.



Copyright © Rima Staines 2008

Father Christmas

THIS WELL KNOWN AND LOVED character has evolved nowadays into the sickly-sweet “acceptable” American Santa Claus, but he has ancient and diverse origins, which are not all so “clean” and indeed may not be so successful in the realm of ringing cash registers!

Father Christmas is a blend of many different cultures, customs, legends and mythological creatures. His earliest ancestors date back to a time when the earth was ruled by sky-riding gods, but much of his legend is based on the life of St Nicholas, a fourth century bishop from Patara, in what is now Turkey.

In 9th century England the Anglo-Saxons honoured King Winter or King Frost. Welcoming him as a personage or deity was believed to make the season less harsh on them. With the arrival of the Vikings to the British Isles during the 9th and 10th centuries Odin, their chief god, influenced the winter gift practices. Odin had twelve different characters and the December character was known as Yalka or Jule – this month was thus called Jultid (our Yuletide). The Vikings believed that Odin visited earth during this time on Sleipnir, his eight-legged horse. He would be disguised in a long blue hooded cloak and carrying a staff and a satchel of bread, accompanied by a raven or crow. He was said to join groups around their fire and listen to their conversations to see if they were content. He would sometimes leave the bread as a gift at poor homesteads.

This Nordic figure lent a good deal to the image of St Nicholas, a wealthy Bishop who was nevertheless legendary for his generosity and kindness to the poor. One legend tells of three young women in his parish, who Nicholas became concerned about, since their poor father was about to deliver them to a life of slavery. He came to their house late at night and tossed three bags of gold down the chimney, landing by chance in the sisters’ stockings which were hung by the hearth to dry.

St Nicholas was remembered for his championing of the needy and of children and has lent this generous spirit to our Christmas celebrations. After the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century, the veneration of Catholic Saints was banned and people did not want to lose their winter gift-giving saint. St Nicholas underwent a transformation into a new, non-religious but nonetheless generous figure. He became Weihnachtsmann in Germany, Father Christmas in England, Pere Noel in France and Sinter Klaas in Holland, although he is still also referred to as St Nicholas. The Scandinavians also lent their gift-giving elves like the Tomte to the image of Father Christmas, adding a friendly rotundness to his slightly austere image.

Father Christmas has various companions, one of which in Germany is Knecht Ruprecht. However, not all of his helpers are frightening; the Christkindl, meaning Christ Child, was thought to accompany him in many countries. Indeed, the Christian Christmas story is difficult to separate from these other winter legends.

Father Christmas’ connection with reindeer harks back to ancient times when the Winter King was a symbol of masculine natural energy, embodied in the stag and other horned animals. His reindeer are replacements for Odin’s eight-legged horse Sleipnir. Magic is obviously an integral part of the legend and enables Father Christmas to deliver gifts to all children around the world on Christmas Eve!
Immigrants to the New World brought along their beliefs and customs, the Dutch settlers bringing Sinter Klaas – later to become the modern American Santa Claus.

Illustration: drypoint etching