Greetings and welcome to my page. As you may have noticed, we have moved so everything looks a little different. However, This and pages relating to Grimalhame will be newer, brighter and more interesting. I hope you will stay with us for a time and discover more about Grimalhame and the world of the fire cat. First of all I will tell you a little more about us and where we live.
“What and where is Grimalhame?” I hear you cry. Well, all will be revealed on this page and in my new book which will be out in the summer. I would like to take you on a guided tour of our part of the cosmos and tell you about all the wonderful things we have here in the Far Pavilions and in our forest home of Arcadia. You already share your world with many kinds of feline beings but you may not be familiar with Grimalkin society. Grimalkins, like yourselves, have a huge range of abilities such as healing, medicine, nature-craft, magic, art and music, as well as being the custodians of ancient history and traditions.
Grimalkin society in the Far Pavilions differs to Grimalkin society in your world called Earth. There are no human beings in our world and so our way of life has changed little since time began. But this book is especially for you, my human friends, to give you glimpse into the mysterious and complex world of the Grimalkin. We are esoteric creatures, highly attuned to nature and the Great Mother Goddess and our lives are governed by the seasonal cycles, and the movement of the stars, moons and planets. We revere all that is natural and aim to preserve our precious world as well as the ancient stories passed down to us from times of Old.
The Mountain Kingdom of Arcadia
The Clowder of Grimalhame is situated deep within the ancient oak groves of the Great Arcadian Forest in the wonderful world of the Far Pavilions. It lies southeast of the great Lake Danir and the River Hestia on the western side of the mountain chain that divides Arcadia almost in two.
Most of the Great Arcadian Forest is rich deciduous woodland with meandering streams, deep gullies and wide sweeping valleys, home to every sort of tree, shrub, flower and fungi. Further up the mountain sides are the tall stately pines and conifers that mark the boundary of Higher Arcadia
Summertime is warm with brightly coloured blossoms abound; creatures are endowed with renewed vigour and the Grimalhame Henge plays host to Adrach - or summer solstice - the liveliest festival in our calendar.
Autumn is a season of rich, warm colours and the sweet smells of loam, decaying leaves and balefires, while winter is a white sparking world of ice crystals, frozen mist and soft, muffling silence.
What is a Clowder?
A clowder is a township of cats that live together in an ordered society. Grimalhame is home to over four hundred thousand cats including other smaller communities in the surrounding country.
Clowders are typically matriarchal, that is to say, they have a Clowder Mother, a female Governess that presides over the entire community. All three clowders – Grimalhame, Orishame and Marishame – fall under the jurisdiction of one Clowder Mother who is democratically elected by her peers. Marishame and Orishame both have an elected Head of Council, with their own Democratic Council of Elders consisting of older members of the clowder, members of the druid Order of Tir Oliach, historians and scholars.
Traditionally, a Clowder Mother, who is considered the most learned of all citizens, is elected by the citizens and Council once her predecessor has passed over to the Otherworld. Our present Clowder Mother is Winnowyn Celandine Longwhisker, healer and chief midwife. Winnowyn comes from a very long line of healers and is a member of the Order of Tir Oliach, as is her brother Rowanberry (our Master Healer and Chief of the Order).
About Imeldra
Imeldra Moonpaw is the Deputy Clowder Mother and Chief Historian of the Clowder of Grimalhame. She lives within the clowder library and has been the custodian of Grimalhame's 7000 year history for over fifty years.
Born in the year 1556 (Earth Year 1936), Imeldra joined the Order of Tir Oliach at the age of 20 and trained as a teacher and later, a professor of history, languages, bardic studies and philosophy.
Imeldra taught for thirty years before becoming Head of History and Chief Librarian. She also became Scribe for the Democratic Council of Elders and a senior member of the council and order.
After becoming Deputy Clowder Mother in 1619 (1999), Imeldra took on the role of chief of relief work which helped those living in hardship outside of the clowder by organising 'blanket drops' (distributing blankets and clothes to those in need before the winter.
As a descendent of the ancient founding family of Deodar, Imeldra has penned many volumes on the history of Grimalhame including The Ancient Families of Leptailura, Marlioch and Deodar, The Revised Dictionary of Old Grimalkin and Weird and Wonderful Customs of the Grimalkin.
Imeldra's Book - The Most Ancient and Magical Clowder of Grimalhame is available. Everything you wanted to know about Grimahame, Grimalkins and the world of the fire cat is in this book with illustrations and maps to find your way around.
The Clowder of Grimalhame
Come and have a wander around the clowder and see some of the ancient features of our home.
Maps
Find out where we are in the world with these helpful maps
Imeldra Moonpaw's Blog on WordPress
Where Are We?
The Great Arcadian Forest consists of all of the wooded areas in Arcadia combined. However, each section of woodland or forest has a name so creatures can find their way around. For example - Grimalhame resides in Oakwood, Orishame in Hazelwood, and Marishame in Birchwood. Because the area that surrounds Grimalhame is so large, Grimalkins decided to map the area so that travellers and scouts could find their way easily without getting hopelessly lost.
The Clowder of Grimalhame is the centre of a whole network of smaller clowders and settlements that fall within a 600 mile radius in every direction. Apart from the main clowders of Grimalhame, Marishame and Orishame, there are the gypsy communities of Freecloud, Lochan Hathai and Munin Òetiri. Shilgrene, Margrene, Grindlerigg, Marleyrigg, Kerry and Meade are all permanent mini-clowders with their own councils, but still fall under the protection and jurisdiction of the Clowder Mother.
More information to add as the page and site grows.
*Home * Imeldra's Page * Gallery * Dance of the Fire Cat *
*The Ocean Lord * The Dark Portal * Maps * Heraldry * The Clowder of Grimalhame * Imeldra Moonpaw's Most Ancient and Magical Clowder of Grimalhame* The Old Grimalkin Book of Thalaig *World of the Fire Cat Colouring Book * Strange, Fantastical and Unusual Creatures * The Grimalkin Almanac * The Grimalkin Oracle * Photography* Iskalia * The Clowder Gardens *