Stone Chairs. Some ancient some not so ancient…Yet….

One of my favourite things to build is stone seats. There is something very special about sitting in a stone seat, it feels very grand, almost throne like. When building stone seats, a portion of my time is spent sitting, making sure that they are comfortable and positioned right. I must admit I have on occasion sat there wondering ‘will this seat still be here in a few hundred years. Will archaeologists be examining it to try and discover what kind of ceremonial uses it once had’ I like to think so!

(I often wonder the same thing about standing stones, Ireland is dotted with standing stones, and in recent years I have noticed it has become a very popular feature in new homes to have a standing stone in the front garden . What is to say that people weren’t doing this a few hundred years ago, maybe one day while building his mud hut, Séan decided to stick a big stone on its side as a nice garden ornament only to have archaeologists hundreds of years later declare it and sacred monument and document it in their books.)

This brings me to the other thing I love about stone seats. There is a rich history of stone seats in Ireland, dating back hundreds of years. Here are some of my favourites.



St Patrick’s Chair and Well

St Patrick’s Chair and Well (also known as the Druids Chair and Well or St Brigid’s Well or St Brigit’s Well) lies within Altadeven Wood, not far from the Ulster Way footpath. The chair is a huge 2m high stone block, shaped like a throne. The Well, which is said to never run dry is another rock, buth this one has a 25cm bullaun, or depression in it. This is filled with natural water. According to folklore, the water within such depressions or bullauns has healing powers and this well is supposed to be good at curing warts.

The Hag’s Chair

   

At the hill top cairns the Cailleach Bhéarra plays a prominent role with regards to stone chairs. In the north, where passage tombs occur, her seats would often stand in the vicinity of these Neolithic structures. A splendid rock chair of the Cailleach is the decorated kerbstone at the main cairn at Loughcrew, County Meath. In a place called ‘The Spellick’, not far from her home on Slieve Gullion in County Armagh, she has another stone seat. Until the early decades of the twentieth century, communal harvest gatherings took place at the Spellick on Bilberry Sunday, and people would sit in the chair as part of the festivites.

Áine's Rock Chairs aka The Mad Chair of Dunany

.. a great stone called "the chair of Aine, or the chair of the lunatics," was located, possibly still is, near Dunany, and the people generally believed that lunatics, actuated by some insuperable impulse, if at liberty, usually made their way to this stone, and seated themselves thrice upon it; and it was generally believed that after having performed that ceremony they became incurable. It was also considered a very dangerous act for persons of sane minds to sit upon this stone, lest they too might become subject to the power of Aine, that is, become affected with lunacy.

The human race were not the only beings supposed to have been affected by the mischievous Aine, since rabid dogs even were said to have come from many parts of the country and flocked around this stone, to the great danger of the neighbours and their cattle: when they remained around the lunatics' chair for some time, they then retired into the sea, as if compelled by some potent invisible power, and the people supposed that they were forced to visit the submarine dominions of Aine, since they were entirely under her subjection.

Grow our own chairs for national tree week

 1987 Peter Cook

As it is national tree week here in Ireland (7-13 March) at the moment, I thought a tree related post would be appropriate. So what better way to celebrate national tree week, than growing your own chair out of trees!!!!!!!!!
Unfortunately as I am currently renting a house in the centre of Dublin city, so I am unable to get to try this out myself, during national tree week, but as soon as I have time to head out to the home place in the heart of the country side of West Cork, I will be heading to our local nursery (which coincidentally, happens to be one of the best in the country www.futureforests.net/) to pick up some native trees to give this a go. If you click on the picture below, it will take you to a page on ‘Arborsmith Studios’ website where you will see instructions on how to create one of the magnificent chairs.

Click on the picture to see instructions by arborsmith on how to create a tree chair.

When researching for my living willow structures post, I came across many of these living chairs.

The idea of creating these fantastic structures has been around for some time.

Richard Reames creations

Probably one of the earliest depictions of a living chair is in a painting by Jean Perreal, from 1516 called ‘Dialogue between the Alchemist and Nature’.

‘Dialogue between the Alchemist and Nature’ by Jean Perreal 1516

 However probably one of the first people to give it a go, was bank president/cheese maker and naturalist, John Krubsack (1858-1941) who, unsatisfied with ordinary furniture said “Dammit, one of these days I am going to grow a piece of furniture that will be better and stronger than any human hands can build.” And that is precisely what he did. In the spring of 1907 he planted 32 box elders trees, then the following spring he gradually began to train the young stems to grow gradually in the shape of a chair. After the seventh year all the trees were cut, making in all eleven years from the time the seed was sown until the chair was finally completed.

John Krubsack 1908

Following him in 1925 was arbor sculpture and creator of the tree circus, Axel N Erlandson.

Axel N Erlandson 1925

Some of the more resent contributions include Peter Cook, (pictured at the beginning of the post) who in 1987 asked himself, "I wonder if I can grow a chair?" The answer to this question is evident in the picture at the top of the post.

More recently in 2000, sixty year old Chinese chair designer, Mr. Wu has been shaping elm tree branches into chairs. It takes Wu about five years to grow a tree chair, during which time he constantly trims and guides it into shape before harvesting it. He currently has one tree chair in his home, and six more in production.

Mr. Wu 2000

Although there are many more examples, the final example I will mention is Arbor smith and sculpture Richard Reames, (the guy who’s instructions above you all will be using to plant your own chairs). Richard opened Arborsmith Studios (A tree nursery/art studio) 1993. He has grown many of these chars, and in 1995 wrote a book on the matter, simply titled ‘How to Grow a Chair’

Richard Reames 2000

So I hope ye are all inspired now, and that you all go off now on this national tree week to continue on this tradition started over 100 years ago!

Happy planting

There are still a number of events on this weekend, right around the country. To find out what in happening in your area, follow the tree council of Ireland link http://treecouncil.ie/tree_council_national_tree_week.htm

Living Willow Structures

I am currently looking into organising a weekend workshop in live willow structures in West Cork, which has inspired me to write a post on the topic. I have always liked the ides of willow structures and am looking forward to the opportunity of creating one.

Willow has been highly valued since ancient times. The Celts considered it sacred. It has been used medicinally, as a dye plant, to make charcoal and as a timber. In more recent times, as we strive for green alternatives willow is undergoing a renaissance. One of its new uses is to create living willow structures.

Living willow has long been used for fencing. Once developed it makes a very strong and affective barrier for animals, because when willows are planted close to one another and twined together they will actually graft into one another.

Live willow fences are still used in today’s gardens and can be a unique feature in any garden. Long un-rooted willow cuttings (whips) can be used to make these functional and attractive structures/barriers in the garden that will grow and develop throughout the years. For example, woven screens, arbours or bowers over seats, arches, tunnels, children's play domes (which could be interconnected with tunnels if you have the space), and then you could use them to support climbing plants such as roses, honeysuckle, golden hop or clematis.

Any variety with sufficient growth can be used but the faster growing varieties that produce long straight whips are best especially for larger structures. Viminalis varieties are probably the most suitable but others can be used for varying stem colour/leaf/catkin interest within the structure.

In Germany there is a company called Sanfte Strukturen, here they bring living willow structures to an entirely new level. Here is an example of one of there projects.

The Auer World Palace was built in March / April 1998 with 300 volunteers from all over the world.

Marcel Kalberer was assisted by builders, architects and artists, who guide the many different volunteers through the construction of the palace.

While the construction was a social event, the Palace itself would soon be used as a center for community festivities. The full moon events for example are already legendary and have drawn more than 80,000 visitors from near and far. Every event has its own character due to changing cultural activities and light installations.

As the first Living Willow Palace it became a very welcome and necessary tourist attraction in the sleepy countryside between Weimar and Naumburg.

If anyone would be interested in doing a weekend course in living willow structures in the West Cork, please do let me know.