Actually, even among modern pop/punk/rock stars he often appears to be on the very fringe of normality (an opinion that is generally only confirmed by his own admissions in his autobiographical works, Head-On (see our review) and Repossessed (see our review)). Echoing the New World discoveries of Sioux, Cheyenne, Cherokee – “the noble savages” – England’s most cultured people jettisoned the then-fashionable togas of our Roman invaders in favour of the richly embroidered robes of Stukeley’s Celtic Druids, whose more sympathetic cause spread quickly throughout the dispossessed outlands of the British Isles: Scottish Celts, Welsh Celts, Irish Celts, Cornish Celts.

Modern Antiquarian by Julian Cope, First Edition - AbeBooks Modern Antiquarian by Julian Cope, First Edition - AbeBooks

The Iberian Peninsula contains many impressive examples of these structures, and the rock-cut tombs at Delphi in Greece are similar to Cornish dolmens and burial mounds. When I first bought this book I had little knowledge of history, or landscape beyond the local, and had no interest in wearing cagoules or walking boots on a weekend. Having been to countless since, I can confirm that it was the finest, and therefore the Ur-reading against which all others will be judged. It has witnessed arguments on Dartmoor, epiphanies at Castlerigg, first dates at West Kennet, grief at Arbor Low, blowjobs on Silbury Hill, and perhaps, most recently, the end of lockdown at Sunkenkirk, where visitors squirted antibacterial gel on their hands after touching its quartz-veined stones. Over time, Cope wrote the book he wanted to read and condensed his knowledge to create a new pathway through the subject.And heaven forbid that Celtic historians should ever fall into the kind of squabbling that has plagued much UK archaeology in recent times (when some argued quite seriously that Stonehenge was not really a henge at all. We moderns may too-often suffer from a mixing up of historical sequences, but better that, surely, than risk raising a population that is entirely not-arsed about its past. If you love what we do, you can help tQ to continue bringing you the best in cultural criticism and new music by joining one of our subscription tiers.

The Modern Antiquarian - Wikipedia

For example, the A1 runs parallel to the Ure-Swale Plateau, so there is a convincing argument to suggest that parts of our current road network were first mapped by ancient Britons. By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. Additional to his own work as a musician, Cope remains an avid champion of obscure and underground music. My all-time favourite prehistoric artefact’: the silver Gundestrup cauldron, uncovered in 1891 in Denmark. In the exhibition cabinet, this huge brash silver artefact – originally dug up near the Neolithic village of Skara Brae – dominates its far earlier Celtic neighbour like some overly chromed 1950s Cadillac parked up next to an Austin Allegro.They provide expert and detailed descriptions, disclose all significant defects and/or restorations, provide clear and accurate pricing, and operate with fairness and honesty during the purchase experience. In Cope’s world, nostalgia equals death, which is perhaps the same reason he didn’t turn up for The Teardrop Explodes’ Mojo Inspiration Award in 2010. Cope is also a recognised authority on Neolithic culture, an outspoken political and cultural activist, and a fierce critic of contemporary Western society (with a noted and public interest in occultism, paganism and Goddess worship).

Modern Antiquarian - Cope, Julian: 9780722535998 - AbeBooks The Modern Antiquarian - Cope, Julian: 9780722535998 - AbeBooks

It is formed in the shape of a Celtic cross with five rows of standing stones and a chambered tomb at its core. Curators Farley and Weetch are refreshingly defiant in defining the Celt as inclusively as possible – at pains throughout to provide maps and more maps of the Celtic worldview as its truth has migrated down the centuries. Each entry combines a photograph, Ordnance Survey directions, a paragraph of geo-historical significance, and a personal observational note of Cope's.When Christian culture finally arrived, many of the sites were consumed by the new religion through an act of syncretism, and the book lists chapels and churches that were built using these sacred stones, such was the significance of the sites. In the grim meat-and-potatoes land of late-90s fashion, he looked like he had landed from outer space. It's not that I cared about the book being worth anything, just some childlike wonder about the 'autograph'.

The Modern Antiquarian: A Pre-Millennial Odyssey Through The Modern Antiquarian: A Pre-Millennial Odyssey Through

I once queued up for ages at a Julian Cope signing for Modern Antiquarian and eventually gave up and went to the pub. Next comes an Irish harp discovered in Scotland, the impressive Druidic robes of the late 18th-century Celtic revival, and in a cabinet close to the exit an arrangement of football shirts with green-and-white hoops: Glasgow’s Celtic FC, of course. Gaps between the stones were frames with a ceremonial purpose, where the moon became a stage light as it rose.Krautrocksampler, Japrocksampler and Copendium are all manifestations of his musical obsessions and provide readers with a treasure trove of material to discover. And so it is with a similar generosity of spirit that the London exhibition lays upon me its open-minded vision of all things Celtic. In the book’s corresponding BBC documentary, Cope once remarked: “People don’t go anywhere nowadays, unless there’s a sign. Staring at a computer screen, and clearly off his gourd, Cope selected his own questions and bounced around the room like a mad chimp.