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Jon Sparks's avatar

And that's without even mentioning Tolkien's Dead Marshes, probably inspired by memories of no man's land on the Western Front in WW!.

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Ronald Turnbull's avatar

There's a pretty good bog in Game of Thrones as well. But they're not Allegorical Bogs in the same way as Bunyan and Dante. One day in my swampland thread I'll be covering the Wizard's Slough and Grimpen More though.

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Donald Burgess's avatar

Best (and only, but I can’t imagine a better) gathering of bogs and slops literature I’ve ever come across. Repulsive yet engrossing. Great piece of work, Ronald!

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Ronald Turnbull's avatar

Thanks, Dan! I have considered a book about the bog but who would publish that? My Substack roundup of the soggy places is at the Rannoch Moor tab https://aboutmountains.substack.com/t/rannoch-moor

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Marek Bidwell's avatar

A hiking friend told me of how he once heard a call aross a moor at dusk. He headed off the path and came across a runner who was stuck in a bog waste deep. He'd been calling for over an hour in desperation. Apparently, even with two, it was a tricky task to pull him out. He thanked them and continued his run. They never saw him again!

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Ronald Turnbull's avatar

Somewhere in Scotland? It's impossible to actually sink out of sight in bog or quicksand ( - except on fiction, which could be my next swamp themed post some time). But people can get stuck and die of exposure.

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Marek Bidwell's avatar

Sorry, that should read "waist deep"! Waste deep would be something else altogether. Yes, he was certainly stuck somewhere in Scotland or Northern England. I must enquire as to exact location!

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Tash's avatar

Enjoyed this boggy round-up.

The movie, Labyrinth, features a rather memorable, flatulent bog - 'The Bog of Eternal Stench' (presided over by the hilarious Sir Didymus). Otherwise, I don't think I've encountered many in life or reading!

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Ronald Turnbull's avatar

With Jim Henson Terry Jones David Bowie - how have I never come across this film? Shall order it up immediately. Given that it's not the same item as Pan's Labyrinth. Though which is weirder of the two...

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Tash's avatar

Absolute cult classic! It's worth watching for the puppets alone.

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Ronald Turnbull's avatar

These are the films my dvd rental service thinks are similar to ‘Labyrinth’. It's hard to spot the common factor between Paddington and Star Wars.

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Tash's avatar

The most surprising thing to me is that you are still renting dvds! All our dvd rental places shut years ago!

That is rather an odd combo haha. George Lucas was an executive producer on 'Labyrinth' so that might explain the appearance of Star Wars perhaps... Paddington - I'm at a loss.

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