Parzival and the Wet Black Branch of Language

In his continuing trilogy exploring the relationship between myth, wilderness, and a culture of wildness, Dr. Martin Shaw's second book, "Snowy Tower," offers a compelling retelling of the Grail epic Parzival. Claiming it as a great trickster story of medieval Europe, Shaw provides a deft and erudite commentary, delving into a wide range of topics, from climate change and the soul to the discipline of erotic consciousness, and from the hallucination of empire to a revisioning of the dark speech of the ancient bards.

Ingrained within the very syntax of "Snowy Tower" is an invocation of what Shaw calls "wild mythologies" – stories that transcend mere human allegory, brushing against the winged thinking of owl, stream, and open moor. This daring work seeks to connect the reader to the genius of the margins, where the big questions of today cannot be solved by grand, sweeping answers, but rather by the myriad of associations that both myth and wilderness have to offer.

At the heart of Shaw's exploration lies the Grail epic Parzival, which he frames as a profound trickster tale of medieval Europe. Through his erudite and insightful commentary, the reader is invited to navigate a vast tapestry of ideas, from the urgent challenges of climate change to the depths of the human soul and the discipline of erotic consciousness. The hallucination of empire, too, is brought into focus, as Shaw revisits the dark speech of the ancient bards, unearthing layers of meaning and resonance.

Underlying this intellectual journey is a fundamental recognition of the power of "wild mythologies" – stories that transcend the purely human, reaching out to the winged consciousness of the natural world. In this way, "Snowy Tower" becomes a clarion call to reconsider our relationship with the non-human realm, to seek inspiration and wisdom in the margins, where the big answers may not reside, but where the myriad of associations, both mythic and wild, hold the potential to transform our understanding of the pressing issues of our time.

Through his deft and erudite exploration, Dr. Martin Shaw invites the reader to embark on a captivating odyssey, one that challenges the status quo and opens up new avenues of exploration. In "Snowy Tower," the boundaries between the human and the non-human, the mythic and the real, are blurred, inviting us to embrace a more expansive, interconnected view of our world and our place within it.

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