Unknown Terrain

Poet Robert Frost wrote, 'The woods are lovely, dark and deep/ But I have promises to keep/ And miles to go before I sleep....' To some others, however, forests are scary places, so dark and deep and not-so-lovely. Fear of the unknown takes over, for forests are mysterious wonderlands or nightmares, depending on whose perspective it is. Forests are pregnant with as much or more life below the ground as there is above. And what if one gets lost?

Texas-based mythologist Stephanie Zajchowski says that once, on her way to a cave in a Belizean forest, she fell behind her group as she was mesmerised by the lush surroundings and lost her way; her heart started racing with fear. She began recollecting stories that reveal how the forest can be both dangerous and transformative.

Adventures lead heroines and heroes into the forest, and few leave unchanged. Reuniting with her group eventually, Zajchowski realises that one of the most valuable takeaways from this adventure was that she had begun to feel comfortable about being lost.


Getting lost is an essential part of finding our way, she says. Because self-discovery outside the bounds of social constructs means we are in uncharted territory, wandering, seeking and finding, until a path presents itself - as opposed to treading a path carved out by someone else.