Reading Tai-Bo

This week I finished “Hood” by Stephen R Lawhead. I simply love his books. They are lyrical and smart and he does lots of research and has legendary folk falling in love and slaughtering one another with wild abandon. But legends are that way and he writes legends. As you may have guessed, “Hood” is a retelling of the Robin Hood legend but with lots of research attempting to place the story in the time frame and country where it probably originated. Much much earlier than the traditional location of Nottingham. Since that forest was basically a game park and could not have hidden even one “merry man”, much less a band of them.

And the absolute coolest thing about this book…the author traveled to the last primeval forest in all of Europe in order to research the ancient wood that Rhi Bran (Robin) called home. This is my new goal in life, to write a book requiring a visit to the last ever Primeval forest in Europe! Just the thought of walking a wood gone wild. Oak trees that have stood longer than most governments. I mean we have been around for less than 300 years and Ancient Assyria was in its height for only 500, and although Egypt is still here it is by no means the same thing it was in ancient times.

These trees are old. Some individuals are over 800 years old. I have goosebumps. All the old tales and legends that grew out of this type of forest. The kind of forest that we have no clue about because they no longer exist. Just entering such a place… So that is my goal. But the good news is that our family will be visiting the redwood forest this fall, the American version of a primeval wood. These trees are indescribably ancient as well, never cut by man, nature in its most massive non-mussed state. Such works speak of God and I can’t wait to experience them!