The Dark Stuff by Donald S Murray
For generations, people who lived near or within moorland have interacted with their surroundings, making use of their resources and drawing inspiration from their distinctive characteristics to give their lives form and purpose.
In his most recent work, Donald S. Murray explores the moorland, which may be found anywhere from the Scottish Highlands and Islands to the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, and even Australia. Murray examines moorland in all of its various forms and functions, taking into account its scientific, artistic, and preservational properties while evaluating how people have portrayed it in literature, art, and folklore for countless generations. He discusses its industrial history as well as how we still make use of and abuse it now.
The Dark Stuff by Donald S Murray
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Murray focuses on the politics of ownership and the ways that Europe’s moorlands have been used as a tool for repression and insurrections against the rule of the state.
As Murray looks into oral histories, poetry, songs, and historical records concerning these places, The Dark Stuff incorporates both his childhood recollections and his experiences from the Isle of Lewis. He examines current political discussion and scientific knowledge, delves into social, economic, and religious histories to provide a larger perspective, and addresses some of the darker aspects of how European moorland has been used historically and recently.
He is a writer with deep roots in a region known for its peat bogs; initially, on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides and currently on the Shetland Isles, he is competent to talk about peatlands in an academic yet approachable and enjoyable way. He sheds light on the role of the peat bogs in the survival of those whose lives were ruled by such an environment, the injustices perpetrated upon the moors by warring armies, and their ecological significance around the world by using numerous literary and historical allusions.
Clearly written, well-researched, exquisitely illustrated, and extremely entertaining! The quality of Donald’s writing keeps improving; personal observations, stories, and some excellent poetry increase our awareness of the peatlands throughout Europe and the Highlands and Islands. The author makes fascinating remarks on Highland history, folklore, botany, land management, and many other topics as a result of his inquisitive mind and thorough investigation.
