EDITED BY - CLINT MARSH
GENRE - ART & MAGIC...FOR TEA-DRINKING, ANARCHISTS, CONVIVIAL CONJURORS AND CLOSETED OPTIMISTS
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN - USA
9 X 7/56 PAGES/BLACK & WHITE/CARD COVERS
PRICE - $16.00 + SHIPPING FROM THE FIDDLER'S GREEN WEBSITE
With a whimsical cover, drawn by Sigurd Persson, featuring a
maiden, two unicorns and an ancient castle, “Fiddler’s Green” looks like it has
been run off on some medieval mage’s printing press. Beautifully illustrated
throughout, the special “Unicorn White” cover is merely the tip of the
“Fiddler’s Green” aesthetic iceberg.
The articles are all perceptive and incredibly deep.
Levannah Morgan’s piece “Sitting Out” celebrates the ancient art of
“hedge-sitting/riding”, the act of sitting in the landscape and communing with
the spirits present in your chosen spot. Levannah offers a thorough guide on
how to perform your own hedge-sitting, including searching for the “pulse” of
the Earth. Sharing personal stories about the spirits of people and animals she
has encountered, the article is vividly written and makes the practice sound quite
intriguing, but not without danger: should you find yourself in the land of the
faeries, make no bargains and take no food or drink.
Neil Martinson explores the genesis and evolution of the
character known as the Scarecrow of Romney Marsh which he first encounters on a
45 rpm record by Disney. The journey takes in Patrick McGoohan, Hammer films,
and themes of personal freedom in an increasingly technological world. The
article also covers the history of scarecrows and the archetype in popular
culture, including “The Wizard of Oz”, Batman and a song by Pink Floyd. Despite modernity, the scarecrow persists in the 21st century as a reminder of our natural roots.
Laren Stover’s engrossing piece on the history of the
werewolf in literature is another example of the excellent writing in
“Fiddler’s Green”, an intelligent cultural trip through the ages that starts
with Gilgamesh and ends with the TV series “Grimm”. Stover also examines the
role of shamans in understanding the allegorical werewolf experience. Julia
Carreras Tort’s heady exploration of plants as magical allies in, primarily,
Pyrenean magic is like sneaking a peak into Hogwarts’ library; it’s a deep dive
into the power of the plant world that reads like a chapter in a tome of
forbidden, arcane knowledge.
Editor Clint Marsh’s personal piece on order and chaos
rounds off the articles. It’s a personal exploration of those themes through
the prism of Dungeons & Dragons, Wicca and particularly fatherhood. Clint’s
tale of the chaos of assembling a jigsaw with his toddler daughter and his
attempts to impose order is funny and poignant, yet the piece explores deeper
themes of good and evil. Other features include reviews of books and other
zines and an obituary of small-press publisher Alan Pryor. This issue also
includes a free flexi-disc of the track “Hazel Wood” by Moth Rah.
“Fiddler’s Green” is rare in zine circles for featuring
advertisements (welcome, as they are for vendors and services relevant to the
zine) and a letters page, offering a broader reading experience beyond the
usual zine content. Clint Marsh infuses “Fiddler’s Green” with authenticity, honesty and
candour, especially about the fiscal realities of producing the zine. There are lots of little quirky touches throughout that show a real dedication to creating a cohesive concept. It’s
surprising but pleasing that a folky publication like this comes from America
(not a land renowned for its love of folklore outside of Hollywood, especially that of, mostly,
another country), and the result is a charming, tactile, olde-worlde product
that is a joy to read and own. It even smells good!
[Also worthy of note is the series of “Fiddler’s Green Leaflets” which feature reprints of articles from early issues, available when in print from the website. There is a complete list of them in the zine.]
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