#3 Poet JLM Morton reads her poem Drowning Backwards

Hello and welcome to episode three from EFGEECO.COM. home of Creel podcast. I'm Joff Elphick an angler from Gloucestershire with a passion for split cane, centrepins, and half a pint of gentles.  If you’ve listened to the previous episodes, thank you for coming back again. If it’s your first visit do have a listen to the previous recordings.

In this episode - Most anglers will know of the River Severn. A water known for its barbel, chub, salmon , and roach fishing it’s a river with a rich history dating back centuries, and it’s played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of England and Wales. Stretching approximately 220 miles, it stands as the longest river in the United Kingdom. 

The ancient Celts named it Sabrina, a nod to their mythology where a nymph named Sabrina drowned in the river, giving it a name that resonates through time. The Welsh named it Hafren. The River Severn serves as a natural boundary between England and Wales for a significant portion of its course. Its waters have witnessed pivotal moments in history, from Roman invasions to medieval trade routes. The river's strategic importance endured through the ages, contributing to the establishment and growth of settlements along its banks.

Navigating through picturesque landscapes, the Severn has been both a lifeline and a barrier, fostering diverse ecosystems and shaping the identity of the regions it touches. It's currents hold tales of trade, folklore, and industrialization, making the River Severn a living testament to the intertwined histories of England and Wales.

A year ago I collaborated with Gloucestershire based poet Juliette Morton and musician Oonagh Davies to work as field recordist/audio editor and producer for Juliettes reimagining of  the story of Hafren/Severn/or Sabrina first told in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of the Kings of Britain (1136) which recounts how one of the first Kings of the Britons, Locrinus, fell in love with Estrildis, a Hun prisoner of war. He kept her underground in a cave and after seven years of their affair, Estrildis gave birth to a daughter she called ‘Habren,’ another name for Hafren/Severn/Sabrina. Discovering her husband’s adultery, Locrinus’s wife – Gwendolen – raised an army, killed her husband and drowned Habren and Estrildis in the river in revenge. 

On her website Juliette Morton  says "...as well as reaching back to one of the founding myths of Britain, the poem connects with the goddess worship cults that were indigenous to the iron age Dobunni and hybridised in Romano-Celt culture – which speak to different ways of connecting with the land".

Juliette supplies the words, Oonagh the music, and I stitch it all together adding field recordings which I hope add atmosphere and sense of place.