When Sally asked us to take a look at our archived posts and find some to share I just couldn’t resist volunteering. My blog is soon three years old and with the usual rush of life I’ve barely looked backwards at my older post. Would I squirm in embarrassment? Would they still be interesting?
What struck me first was that, wow, three years doesn’t seem THAT long ago and I remember writing most of them, the research needed, the places visited and the photos I took.
Today’s trip down memory lane extends well-beyond the three years of my blog, back to storytelling time four thousand years ago. Enjoy!
Annika Perry 
What a fascinating post, Annika, and I’m glad you shared because I hadn’t seen it before. The idea of visiting our archives is good, too, because it’s easy to forget what we’ve posted in the past. Sending hugs and enjoy your day. ❤
Lauren, the archive series is a brilliant idea and It was enjoyable looking through my posts. I’d forgotten so many but as soon as I saw the title or caught sight of a photo the whole post came back to me! So glad you enjoyed this one and lovely to share on Sally’s blog. Hugs to you too and hope you’re having a good week..which seems to be flying by! 😀❤️
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Loved seeing you over at Sal’s blog. ❤
Thank you, Debby…it’s an honour and pleasure to be there. She is one busy lady!! Works tirelessly for us all! I just read her review of your book and loved it – wow!
I agree wholeheartedly – Sally is a dynamo! And how astonished I was that she took some of her precious time to write such an all encompassing review of my book. So grateful! 😉 xx
I would so love to see these carvings! I loved your post, Annika and what a fabulous idea of Sally’s to get followers to delve into their archives and reblog!
Clare, I know, it’s an inspired idea!! I jumped at the chance and it’s lovely for these older posts to be seen by more…at the time I had far fewer followers! So glad you liked the rock carvings…an amazing atmosphere and I never tire of visiting here and go back every year.
Intriguing post Annika. Interesting that it was thought ‘ok’ to colourise the carvings. In other places they’d be preserved ‘as is’ and maybe picked out by lighting and shadow. And I like the idea that the carvers were telling us their story in a permanent fashion. The oral story-telling tradition relies on each succeeding generation to carry it on.
Roy, as I understand it, there is evidence these were originally coloured in and that they are therefore restoring them…the colour is made the ‘olden traditional’ way. I agree, although oral storytelling can go back thousands of years not to this era however, these rock carvings give a wonderful sense of their wish to tell the story of their lives.
Thank you for digging your archive and resharing this story. What a wonderful way of celebrating your 3 years of blogging! Congrats, Annika and keep writing.👍🏽✍🏾
Khaya, thank you so much and I hadn’t thought about the three year anniversary until I started writing this post…I wholeheartedly agree that it is the perfect way to celebrate my three years of blogging!😀 It’s wonderful to share again and see so many enjoying the 4,000 Year Old Story. Happy Writing to you too! ❤️
Hi Annika
I remember reading this one – it doesn’t seem 3 years ago. Great to read it again though. It’s strange to think these carvings were done over 4000 years ago. Even now some of us can’t resist carving into rocks or trees, but now its mainly initials or dates. They lack the impact of these old carvings though!
Mike
Mike, I’m so happy you recall this original post – I agree it doesn’t feel like three years ago (or just under!). 😃 That aspect surprised me when I looked over these earlier posts as they all seemed so fresh and I remembered writing them, my thoughts at the time. Time is fluid! 😃 I like how you draw a connection between these rock carvings and today’s carving of initials or dates into trees…and sometimes rocks. Similar but the impact far less and probably will only survive a few decades!
Great post, Annika,
This is ao fascinating. I wonder what of our century will last that many years. Also how these caves go up against the caves in France?
JC, since visiting here, I’ve longed to see the cave drawings in France and particularly those in Lascaux … something to add to my ever longer lists of places to visit!! It is relatively close so it’s a definite possibility! 😀 Looking around I wonder if anything of today will last 4,000 years…one can but hope!
yes, Annika
there is something
quite ancient
in your ways 🙂
Storytelling has been a core part of our lives since human beings could communicate verbally … or at least I like to think so! 😀 We are all part of this tradition to some extent…many thanks for your comment, David, tapping into this ancient tradition continuing with us all.
I loved this, Annika. Great story!
Thank you so much, Jan and lovely to meet you through Sally’s blog! 😀
4,000 years ago! It took a while for man to migrate to those very cold climes. And drawing took even longer. Fascinating article.
Jacqui, you read my mind so well! 😀 Walking around this site on a coldish day I wondered how they coped with the freezing temperatures…I treasure central heating so much! A fire just doesn’t come close. The dedication and commitment to these carvings are inspiring and you can imagine their desire and dream to tell a story for themselves and for future generations.
A wonderful post, Annika! I always like to imagine what stories petroglyphs tell. Are they stories of the artist’s real life, the tribe’s life, or are they imagined stories, the myths they use to explain natural phenomenon like storms and seasons. Just knowing that thousands of years ago someone stood in that same spot is mind-blowing. Thank you for sharing!
Julie, trying to interpret the images, recreate possible stories is so much part of the visit…sometimes I wondered if they were part of ‘story-time’ for little ones! 😀 Or teenagers 4,000-year-old version of graffiti? I think neither but fun to play with ideas – ultimately you are right, it is just mind-blowing to stand where others stood four millennia ago, worked hard to carve and leave their creative work. Wow! 😀
Fun post Annika, especially since it ties in so well with my petroglyph series, one of which on Petroglyph Point at Lava Beds National Monument goes up tomorrow. There is something about petroglyphs that captures me: part of it is the art, part of it the message we can only guess at, part of it is the culture it is tied to, and finally, it is the setting. So thanks for digging back in your archives and sharing. –Curt
Curt, you sum these places up perfectly! 😀 When I saw the first one your series I just had to write, particularly as I knew this one was coming out – neatly linked! I look forward to your post tomorrow…the setting of yours is stunning and surreal; Vitlycke’s landscape is more familiar to me…so always a surprise to see these petroglyphs. There are three more archived posts to come in…it’s been a lot of fun looking around my older posts and I became carried away! Wishing you and Peggy a lovely weekend. 😀🌻
Peggy ans I are such fans of petroglyphs!
I’ve done a bit with archived posts, Annika, but I could certainly do more. I just noted up in my WP Dashboard corner that I have 744. When you think of all the time and effort that goes into these posts… A few have legs, so to speak, and wander along fine on their own, pulling traffic year after year. Those are the ones that Google has picked up on. But ever so many more languish. I look forward to the next three of yours. –Curt
Lovely story, beautiful post. Thank you for sharing with us, Annika ❤️
Thank you so much, Tina! ❤️ It was a delight to share and fun opportunity for me to look over my older posts. Xx
What wonderful carvings and I love the way you used your experience to ponder the history of storytelling.
Andrea, Vitlycke is the kind of place where you can’t help but ponder where we’ve come from, what we’re doing and where the future will take us! It seems to take us into the core of our existence.
Wow. That is amazing. I absolutely love things like this. Thanks for sharing. Hopping over to read.
Sarah, places like this are spine-tingling to visit; a wonderful aura about them and so fascinating. Thank you so much for your comment here and on Sally’s. ❤️
An enjoyable read, Annika. ♥️ Great story on the history and culture of those times… most fascinating!
Iris, thank you so much and so glad you enjoyed this share! You can’t fail with history and culture in such a wonderful location! 😀❤️
What a special place to visit Annika and to have it all to yourselves. It is amazing that has survived the times so well. Thank you for sharing it with us in your usual beautiful verse.
Brigid, warmest thanks for your lovely comment…verse, eh?😀 That is so sweet to say…I did so want to share the magic of this visit.❤️ It is almost incomprehensible that we are seeing images created four thousand years ago – the mind just boggles!
Yes. They are incredibly well preserved. 💚
I love that even back then, people were expressing themselves and leaving their mark. They really don’t make things like they used to, sadly. Your descriptions were stunning, and you made me feel like I was there. I would really love to see it. It’s just so cool imagining the hands that were on those rocks all those years ago. Great post, Annika!
Yeah!! 😃 Tanya, I so wanted to transport readers to Vitlycke, seeing the carvings and feeling as if they were there – I’m over the moon you felt that!! The time and effort to create these must have been huge and you can just imagine the drive and desire they had to leave a story, part of themselves. What I kept thinking was, how many more such carvings exist, under all the soil, in the forests around … never to be seen again.
This is fun, Annika. Three years whiz by as fast as a rain drop, as quickly as cookies bake and as swift as a brisk walk in the woods. Thus, it’s good to return to our stories every once in a while and catch our breath. xo
Pam, your comment was poetically fun with wonderful similies to describe the three years of blogging! 😀❤️ I like the sound of cookies baking…It was indeed an eye-opener taking the luxury of time to look over my earlier posts…and not too much squirming at all -phew! xx
xo
A wonderful post from Annika who is one of my favorite writers.
😊😊 Bernadette, warm thanks for your kind words…means so much to me. ❤️
I love that you shared this on Sally’s blog! Congratulations on three years of blogging, Annika! It goes fast, doesn’t it? ❤
Thank you Jill, it’s gone frighteningly fast and I still can’t believe it. I do remember my first post…I was nervous and full of trepidation and had really no idea what I was doing! It’s only recently I’ve gained the confidence to be guest on other blogs and a delight to be part of Sally’s archive post series. Wishing you a very special weekend, Jill. ❤️🌻
What a wonderful trip down memory lane Annika. Your story writing skills are exquisite and so full of imagery and life. Keep on blogging my friend and sharing your very special talents. xo
Bless you, Miriam for your wonderful comment…my heart is smiling! ❤️ I did worry once I’d offered to be part of the archive series if perhaps my older posts were not as good as I’d like them to be…so happy you enjoyed this and the writing. Oh yes, I have no intention to stop blogging…just hope to squeeze in some more fiction writing! Happy Weekend to you and your family. 😀❤️
I had one of these surreal moments there…too much partying yesterday where I read the title wrong and thought it was ‘of’ not ‘by.’ I thought Annika has been around a long time… x
Haha!!! 😀😀 Shey, I can’t stop laughing after reading your comment. That must have been a great party…celebrating anything special? Hugs xx❤️
My birthday Annika. May I say I just thought, Annika is doing awfully well… xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Happy Belated Birthday, Shey!! 🎂 Yep, reckon I’m hanging together…this has had me in giggles all day and my family loved your comment!
Amazing. And so apt to chose this post from your own archives. Three years of blogging – I hope you treat yourself / celebrate at that milestone.
Thank you! 😀 It was fun to look over older posts and I became quite carried away with looking at them but in the end round found four I thought would be interesting for everyone! So glad you liked it! 😀😀 I like the idea of celebrating the three year anniversary of blogging and hadn’t thought about it until now…we are having a special party for the launch of my anthology book however!
Annika, I am glad to see you re- blogged this on your own site. It is worth showing to the growing
audience you have today who will love knowing of the deep desire to tell the stories of life.
4000 years ago among the people in Sweden.
These stories will repeat themselves among tribes all over the globe. Wonderful, isn’t it?
You Annika is a born story teller. You make people come alive and live among us again.
Miriam
Wow! Double wow!! Miriam, thank you so much for your wonderful uplifting comment…it has me smiling on so many levels and particularly your words about me being a ‘born story teller’. You’ll see why very soon!!
I felt so deeply and passionately throughout this visit and was keen to bring it to life for everyone who hasn’t been there…great to know you can feel the vitality of the post. It is amazing how these stories repeat themselves around the globe and this can be witnessed through the cave paintings/drawings as well as other rock carvings! How I long to see these!
Many thanks again, Miriam and wishing you a very special weekend. 😀❤️
LOved this post on Sally´s blog and the resulting comments.
Darlene, that’s wonderful and thank you so much! 😀 I feel hublmed and overwhelmed with all the thoughtful comments…they become as much part of the post as the original article. Hugs xx
I love when that happens!! Have a great weekend. xo