Cave of the Alfar

Cave of the Alfar

This is a beautiful cave in a remote forested area. It has three
openings. Over time stone walls and harrows have been made here, and the floor dug out to make more head room. The cave is reached from above by following an inconspicuous trail down along a gully that cuts the cliff face. Just as one approaches the cave entrance, there is an arbour made of living trees and vines through which one must pass. Sacred objects are hung on this arbour when the cave is being used. I call this shine the Cave of the Alfar because one feels the presence of the Ancestors and the Land Wights (spirits) very strongly there. It is a powerful stead and is a good place to do extended rituals, as it is a wonderful campsite. The cave undercuts a huge cliff and is about 40 feet deep. The opening is broad and about 6 feet high. At the front of this cave, not quite overshadowed by the cliff, is a harrow (altar)that is made of a thin slab of limestone supported by stones. The fire pit stones are arranged in a semicircle, open on the cave side, and altar is part of the hearth. It is used to warm food, or to dry herbs, for when the fire is burning in the hearth the altar stone gets warm. Another flat long stone on the ground in front of the hearth acts as a second, lower harrow, it does not get as toasty as the upper one. When one faces the cave opening, and looks straight in, one can see the inner hearth. It was formed by surrounding the central area of the cave with large stones, fitted together without mortar. This dividing wall separates the "living" area of the cave from a tunnel passage to the upper level, where there are two more openings. Because of the way the wall is constructed, the draught from the upper level of the cave draws smoke away from the living area. To the right as one enters is the tunnel, with the stone wall on the left. When a fire is lit in the inner hearth this passageway is lit by light seeping through cracks between the stones in the wall. It is a beautiful effect. If one follows the snaking tunnel around and up, one emerges in the upper cave chamber, which has one medium size and one small opening. Set amid the rock wall on the inner side (towards the living area) and around the hearth are many thin slabs of limestone that serve as shelves. Lamps, candles, and offerings are placed on these. At the wall's beginning there is a large rock slab that acts as an inner harrow. Offerings of food, incense, mead, and other gifts to the Land Wights and the Cave spirit are left here. One amazing thing about this cave is how easily the stones were to remove from the choked floor of the passageway, and to place into the wall. It is as if they wanted to be raised, and the cave liked the attention. Some of the rocks weigh at least 500 pounds yet one or two people found them easy to lift into place. This cave has a time-altering effect, and it is difficult to judge the passage of time there. From below, the cave mouth is partially obscured by a low bastion of stone. This conceals it very well. One must be right upon it to see that it is indeed a cave. I have had some very intense magical experiences here, and I will be visiting it soon to make some more detailed pictures of the upper chamber and the passageway.
Click on the link below to see some nocturnal pictures of this cave, or to visit other sacred caves.

Back to Holy Steads
Back to Harrows
Cave of the Alfar at Night
Cliff Shrine of the Alfar
Holy Pools
Alfar Moss Land
Raven's Mouth Cave
Nerthus Cave
Earth's Breath Cave
Helga Vé
Woden's Vé
Beach of the Stone Uruz

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