When I stayed in Rhossili ten years ago

I walked from St Mary's Church

down limestone cliffs to the Goat's Hole

where the Reverend William Buckland unearthed

the red ochre dyed skeleton of a Roman Lady

(who he thought must have been a prostitute)

left in limestone cave of the Goat's Hole

and who now can't possibly be with God.

A few years ago he appeared in my dreams

carrying a mammoth skull,

the bones of long extinct animals

and the red ochre dyed skeleton of a Roman Lady.

He said they were all from the Great Flood.

What could I do? Say the lady was in fact

male, a shaman who lived in the Stone Age

and he's up there with whatever God he praised.

Today, after Jade Goody's tacky funeral

I walk down to the shops

and it reminds me of walking down cliffs

to the beach. At the supermarket I follow footprints

to the clouds and unexpectedly I find a dream

of the Reverend William Buckland carrying

the red ochre dyed skeleton of a Roman lady

who, he believes, can't possibly be with God.

From the highly ritualistic nature of his burial and the presence of votive offerings and ivory wands (for the practice of magick) accompanying him in his grave, as well as the staining of his body and grave goods with red ochre, it is now believed that he was a man of some important spiritual standing - a Shaman with the power to guide and heal the people who obviously held him in very high regard. Whether the Shaman actually made Paviland his home prior to his death is unknown but it is believed that some important mystical attribute must have been attached to Goat's Hole Cave during those early times for it to have been chosen as his his burial site. It is now also believed that the "Red Lady's" grave was visited as a magical Shamanic shrine and attracted visitors from far afield. CHRIS ELPHICK

From the highly ritualistic nature of his burial and the presence of votive offerings and ivory wands (for the practice of magick) accompanying him in his grave, as well as the staining of his body and grave goods with red ochre, it is now believed that he was a man of some important spiritual standing - a Shaman with the power to guide and heal the people who obviously held him in very high regard. Whether the Shaman actually made Paviland his home prior to his death is unknown but it is believed that some important mystical attribute must have been attached to Goat's Hole Cave during those early times for it to have been chosen as his his burial site. It is now also believed that the "Red Lady's" grave was visited as a magical Shamanic shrine and attracted visitors from far afield. CHRIS ELPHICK

om the highly ritualistic nature of his burial and the presence of votive offerings and ivory wands (for the practice of magick) accompanying him in his grave, as well as the staining of his body and grave goods with red ochre, it is now believed that he was a man of some important spiritual standing - a Shaman with the power to guide and heal the people who obviously held him in very high regard. Whether the Shaman actually made Paviland his home prior to his death is unknown but it is believed that some important mystical attribute must have been attached to Goat's Hole Cave during those early times for it to have been chosen as his his burial site. It is now also believed that the "Red Lady's" grave was visited as a magical Shamanic shrine and attracted visitors from far afield. CHRIS ELPHICK

rom the highly ritualistic nature of his burial and the presence of votive offerings and ivory wands (for the practice of magick) accompanying him in his grave, as well as the staining of his body and grave goods with red ochre, it is now believed that he was a man of some important spiritual standing - a Shaman with the power to guide and heal the people who obviously held him in very high regard. Whether the Shaman actually made Paviland his home prior to his death is unknown but it is believed that some important mystical attribute must have been attached to Goat's Hole Cave during those early times for it to have been chosen as his his burial site. It is now also believed that the "Red Lady's" grave was visited as a magical Shamanic shrine and attracted visitors from far afield. CHRIS ELPHICK