An evocative social history of Europe's peatlands, moors, bogs and heaths.
Donald S. Murray spent much of his childhood either playing or working on the moor, chasing sheep across empty acres and cutting and gathering peat for fuel.
The Dark Stuff is an examination of how this landscape affected him and others. Donald explores his early life on the Isle of Lewis together with the experiences of those who lived near moors much further afield, from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland to the Netherlands, Germany, Ireland and even Australia. Examining this environment in all its roles and guises, Donald reflects on the ways that for centuries humans have represented the moor in literature, art and folktale, and he reveals how in some countries, these habitats remain an essential aspect of their industrial heritage and working life today.
On his journey, Donald confronts the unexpected – how Europe’s peatlands are part of the dark heart of that continent, playing a crucial role in the history of crime and punishment in several countries. He also examines our current perception of moorland, asking how – for the sake, perhaps, of our planet’s survival – we can learn to love a landscape we have all too often in our history denigrated, feared and despised.
By:
Donald S. Murray
Imprint: Bloomsbury Wildlife
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 216mm,
Width: 135mm,
ISBN: 9781399426312
ISBN 10: 1399426311
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 29 April 2025
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
PART 1: Ru`sgadh – Turfing Chapter 1: Fraoch (Scottish Gaelic) – Heather Chapter 2: Lyng (Danish) – Heather Chapter 3: Heide (Dutch) – Heather PART 2: Mo`ine Bha`n – White Peat Chapter 4: Vaalea Rahkasammalturve (Finnish) – White Peat Chapter 5: Grauveen (Dutch) – Grey Turf Chapter 6: Skyumpik (Shetland) – Mossy Peat Chapter 7: Svo¨rður (eastern Iceland) – Turf, Peat PART 3: Fa`d a’ Gha`rraidh – The Wall Peat Chapter 8: Mo´ini´n Pollach (Irish) – Small Pitted Bogs Chapter 9: Bluster (Shetland) – Rough Peat PART 4: Mo`ine Dhubh – Caoran – Black Peat Chapter 10: Blue Clod (Shetland) – Dark Peat Chapter 11: Musta Turve (Finnish) – Black Peat Chapter 12: Schwarztorf (German) – Black Peat PART 5: Rathad an Isein – The Birds’ Path Chapter 13: Su`il-chruthaich (Scottish Gaelic) – Quagmire or Bog, literally ‘the eye of creation’ Select Bibliography A Spadar Gives Thanks... Index
Donald S. Murray comes from Ness at the northern tip of the Isle of Lewis and now lives in Shetland. An award-winning writer, playwright and poet, Donald is the author of numerous fiction and non-fiction books including As the Women Lay Dreaming, The Guga Stone and Herring Tales, which was one of The Guardian's nature books of the year in 2015.
Reviews for The Dark Stuff: Stories from the Peatlands
A heartwarming spectacle of desolation -- Graham Robb * The Spectator * Deeply enjoyable. The book is a delight. This is a celebration of both the ordinary and the extraordinary. -- Alan Massie * The Scotsman * Engaging, inquisitive and beautifully articulate -- Roger Hutchinson * West Highland Free Press * A beguiling mix of nature writing, history and memoir...an unusual book, but a beautiful one. -- Cal Flynn * Five Books * A good story, well-told -- Michael Wigan * Country Life *
