http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Rare-white-stag-caught-camera/story-11939373-det...

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Mabinogion/Geraint_the_Son_of_Erbin

And on Whit-Tuesday, as the King sat at the banquet, lo! there entered a tall, fair-headed youth, clad in a coat and a
surcoat of diapered satin, and a golden-hilted sword about his neck, and low shoes of leather upon his feet. And he
came, and stood before Arthur.
"Hail to thee, Lord!" said he.
"Heaven prosper thee," he answered, "and be thou welcome.
"Dost thou bring any new tidings?"
"I do, Lord," he said.
"I know thee not," said Arthur.
"It is a marvel to me that thou dost not know me. I am one of thy foresters, Lord, in the Forest of Dean, and my name is Madawc,
the son of Twrgadarn."
"Tell me thine errand," said Arthur.
"I will do so, Lord," said he. "In the Forest I saw a stag, the like of which beheld I never yet."
"What is there about him," asked Arthur, "that thou never yet didst see his like?"
"He is of pure white, Lord, and he does not herd with any other animal through stateliness and pride, so royal is his bearing.
And I come to seek thy counsel, Lord, and to know thy will concerning him."
"It seems best to me," said Arthur, "to go and hunt him to-morrow at break of day; and to cause general notice thereof to
be given to-night in all quarters of the Court."
And Arryfuerys was Arthur's chief huntsman, and Arelivri was his chief page. And all received notice; and thus it was arranged.
And they sent the youth before them. Then Gwenhwyvar said to Arthur, "Wilt thou permit me, Lord," said she, "to go to-morrow to
see and hear the hunt of the stag of which the young man spoke?"
"I will gladly," said Arthur.
"Then will I go," said she.
And Gwalchmai said to Arthur, "Lord, if it seem well to thee,permit that into whose hunt soever the stag shall come, that one, be
he a knight, or one on foot, may cut off his head, and give it to whom he pleases, whether to his own lady-love, or to the lady of his friend."
"I grant it gladly," said Arthur, "and let the Steward of the Household be chastised, if all are not ready to-morrow for the chase."

Dont know whether some of you have seen the plane or heard of Air NZ's decoration celebrating Peter Jackson's movie.
http://tvnz.co.nz/hobbit-news/air-nz-reveals-plane-video-5235188

The World Premiere is very exciting for NZ and has attracted thousands from around the world.

Rita James

At that point, I decided that exploring the area around Tintern Abbey was a better course of action.

There's nothing like having family scattered from Somerset through South Wales, and a copy of the Mabinogian, to feed the imagination. (Later, the mists of Avalon was similarly entertaining, as I had memories of so many of the places mentioned.)

Teenaged me, to Isaac, while driving past ruins: "Please, can we stop so the kids and I can explore the castle?". Isaac, kindly, "Well, okay, but it's just a pile of rocks". Years later, rushing through a visit with far too much scheduled to ever be accomplished . . . Isaac: "Do you want to stop and visit the castle?" Me: "What castle, Isaac? It's just a pile of stones . . ."

That said, I wish my three littles ones had the opportunity now to explore the ruins while they still seem magical.

Film crews worked their magic in the ancient Roman iron mines near Coleford when they
shot scenes for the drama that follows the early life of the wizarding wonder from
Arthurian legend. http://www.bbc.co.uk/merlin/

The episodes filmed at Puzzle Wood are expected to be aired on November 29 and December 6 2008. { I hope the BBC sells the rights to broadcast it to our off shore readers}

Chris

Not difficult to fall under the spell!

Simone x

JK Rowling and Harry Potter also have come under the spell - but I've not read any of the books ...

This is fascinating please keep sharing your wealth of knowledge of the area
with us

Barbara Lloyd

Between the mouth of the Wye and Newnham-on-Severn, the Forest of Dean thrusts southwards towards the Severn along a series of irregular ridges and spurs, divided here and there by small streams. At Lydney, nine miles north-east of Chepstow along the Gloucester road, one of these spurs, a mile from the present shore and 200 ft. above it, commands a vista of luxuriant forest and spacious estuary which can scarcely be matched for beauty even in a county of pleasant park-lands. The spur is ranked by deep glens of which one contains (it is said) the first plane-trees introduced into this country from Italy ; and the whole deer-park, wherof it is now a feature, has been enriched by many generations of the Bathurst family with a great variety of timber, which flourishes upon the soft ferriferous limestone of the district.

At one time it seems that the spur was known popularly by the name of the Dwarf's Hill. ' When the estate was purchased by Mr. Ben. Bathurst in 1723, all this part was overgrown with bushes, but there were walls remaining about 3 ft. above the ground, particularly in a part called Dwarf's Chapel. . . . Many large coins and other antiquities were then found . . . many of which [Mrs Bathurst] is said to have sent to a friend in London.... '

Short Description:

A ''promontory fort', or small embanked hill-town, five acres in extent, was established at Lydney in or shortly before the first century b.c., and was subsequently, during the second and third centuries a.d., occupied by a Romano-British population, engaged to some extent in iron-mining. An intact iron-mine, not later than the third century a.d., has been partially explored. Soon after a.d. 364—7 a temple, dedicated to the otherwise unknown deity Nodens, was built within the earthwork, and with the temple, which was of unusual plan, were associated a guesthouse, baths, and other structures, indicating that the cult was an important centre of pilgrimage. About the end of the fourth century, the buildings were surrounded by a precinct-wall; but, later, they fell into decay, and the final phase of occupation, coinciding probably with the fifth and sixth centuries, is represented by a reinforcement of the prehistoric earthwork. Amongst the '•finds', the prehistoric pottery and brooches, the Roman bronze figurine of a dog, the hoard of small sub-Roman coins, and the post-Roman brooch are noteworthy.

So when was "The Hobbit" written and published - late 1920's to September 21, 1937

Do you remember the dark forest of Mirkwood ? Milkwall near The Scowles and Puzzlewood ??

The Noldor (deep elves) ? Roman / Celtic god Noden / Nudd - associated with hunting ?

Lord of the mines ?

Seems like JRR may well have been taken under the spell of the Forest