Folklore Friday
The soundscape of autumn rises and falls with the sun. Borne aloft, almost by their calls, are the migrating geese. A cacophony of sound announces their arrival and the turning of the seasons.
Photo Credit Ron Mitchell
Geese follow the stars on long journeys and have familiar routes they follow year after year. Crossing thousands of miles, treading a well worn path. They can travel at up to 70 mils an hour while migrating, with a good tail wind. Tuned to the earth's magnetic field.
They feather the air
with their V shaped formations and demand awe in the casual observer and enthusiast alike.
Geese are truly social animals. Relationships between kin start from the moment the chick begins to develop in the egg and last a lifetime.
They recognise their family call before birth and use it to communicate when travelling.
Geese symbolise cooperation, perseverance, and trust.
Their call evokes loyalty and compassion.
The Picts and other ancient people honoured the geese.
Sometimes carving intricate patterns on stone to symbolise interconnection and trust.
In the pictures we can see one goose holding on to the neck of another in a complicated pattern.
I was gifted this Batik when I moved out of my family home many years ago.
It takes the motif of trust and community from these ancient stones and replicates the pattern in a new form.
This has travelled with me from home to home ever since.
On Sun 23rd Oct join me at Montrose Basin Wildlife Reserve and Visitor Centre as we explore Wild Geese and other stories as part of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival