What is Woodsmyths Muse?

So I coined the term "Woodsmyths" to take as my "company" name to one day market my carvings. (NOTE: This is really only a placeholder site for now since I am still developing my skills and VERY slowly building up an inventory of carvings to sell.) This term blends the double meaning - Woods Myths (Myths from the wood) and an altered spelling of Woodsmith (i.e. worker of wood as in Silversmith: created from the forest using natural materials wood, bark, stone etc.). I added Muse as I see the Blog as an exercise in self-exploration and getting in touch with "the Muses" to forge my creativity for woodcarving.

One series of books that I am reading and that I find fascinating and the Mythago Wood cycle by Robert Holdstock. I have read the first book (Mythago Wood) and the last book (The Hollowing), and am currently reading the middle book (Lavondyss). The books tell the stories of various characters who interact with a mysterious forest in the English countryside - which seems to bring to life within its borders the "myths and imaginings" of the people around it. These beings are referred to a "Mythagos". If the beings leave the borders fo the wood - they die. It is a wood which is primal - having never been developed since the dawn of time, and which though seeming small from the outside - displaces time & space on the inside providing an entire "other world" to interact with. I am still trying to digest this series and feel I'll need to read it a few times. They are not "happy" books - as the characters meet with both their "good" and "bad" mythagos to varying consequences.

This series is a perfect example of fantasy that resonates with me and incorporates many themes which I find of interest. Highly recommended. In the second book (Lavondyss) the main character - Tallis - is the 12 or 13 year old younger sister of a character (Harry) from the first book. She creates a set of masks carved from the bark & wood of various species of trees which seem to represent various mythologic architypes. Not sure yet of their purpose or function. I am thinking of trying to create my own versions of these masks. Might be a cool project.