The ancient past
History and the past is a key theme in this text and inspires some of the children's artistic endeavors. One example is Kit's story, about a young boy called Lak, who lived during the Ice Ages. As such, ancient history is a key part of the imagery of Kit's Wilderness. Kit is fascinated by ancient civilisation and is inspired to write a story when his teacher tells him about life in the Ice Ages. She says: "Imagine them there, crouched around the fire in the smoke. They painted pictures of beasts on the walls, huge mammoths and bison, the tigers and bears that brought such terror to them." Kit incorporates the imagery of the ancient past into his story about Lak.
Mining
Kit's grandfather used to work in the Stoneygate mines and often tells Kit fascinated stories about the mining culture. The imagery of the mines includes old songs, the tale of Silkie the ghost, items his grandfather has kept, and descriptions of life in the mines. For example, Kit says: "He took me walking and showed me that the evidence of the pit was everywhere - depressions in the gardens, jagged cracks in the roadways and in the house walls... He told me how things had been in his day: the huge black slag heap beside the river, the great wheels and winding gear, the hundreds of men disappearing every morning and every night into the earth."
Askew's den
This is where Askew's frightening game takes place, and it is certainly an appropriate setting. The den is dark, wet and eerie: "Askew's den. The floor was damp with yesterday's rain. Water had trickled down the walls through Askew's carvings. The scent of damp, of the candles, of the bodies crouching there." The den is intended to reflect the mine that their ancestors worked in, and is the children's way of connecting with their personal history.
