Founding of the Knoll
13/01/31 at 2.36am / by Auz
“Raven’s Knoll” is the name of a unique campground property. It is a home for the Pagan community in Eastern Ontario and throughout Canada, established in 2009 as the home of Canada’s largest Pagan gathering, the Kaleidoscope Gathering, as well as other events large and small. Even before the land search had begun Auz, in a blinding flash of inspiration, scrawled down the following name that carried the intention of the quest for land:
“Raven’s Knoll of Wisdom Whence Flows Rivers of Hazel-Fed Salmon-y Knowledge Through Verdant Groves of Ancient Ash and Thorn From Silent Wells of Elder Days by the Longhouse Hearth of Glowing Friendship.”
A quick consultation indicated that this seemed a bit too long for most government forms and the road sign, so we settled on the short-form “Raven’s Knoll.”
The selection of this name proved to be prophetic, since the land that was found does indeed have two small knolls on either side of the front gate. And, when MA went on the last site visit to finalize the deal with the banker, she saw two ravens sitting upon one of those very knolls. It is up to all of us who visit to make the rest of the name become a reality.
The raven is an important symbol in many elder cultures. Amongst many First Nations peoples Raven is a well-known trickster and creator figure. His trials and tribulations helped to create the world and serve as an example of how we should behave in it. In ancient Norse belief the all-father god Odin sends his two ravens – Thought and Memory – out into the world each day where they represent our connection to the gods through our very consciousness. In ancient Celtic belief ravens can represent a people’s connection to their land and in some later folk belief ravens served as familiars whereby the spirits of the ancestors can speak to the living.
The raven in the Raven’s Knoll symbol is taking flight and calling to us all. Raven holds two items – an oak leaf with acorn and three arrows. These symbols have multiple meanings that balance and complement each other through Raven. The leaf represents the Divine in nature and the arrows the Divine in human affairs. The oak is a symbol of ancient wisdom in Europe, while the grouped arrows represent community strength to First Nations. The oak leaf stands for yonic power, while the arrows do the same for lingic power. The three arrows show we need to protect our three realms of living reality – Water, Earth and Sky – through our knowledge of the old ways and the laws of nature, as represented by the oak.
This is the official blog of Raven’s Knoll, where readers can expect periodic updates on the upcoming or past activities at Raven’s Knoll. More information about Raven’s Knoll can be found on the Raven’s Knoll website or the Facebook group for Raven’s Knoll.