Plainloe

Plainloe is a fictional location that appears in the works of author Arthur Machen. It is often depicted as a desolate and ancient area, imbued with a sense of mystery and unease. Machen frequently uses Plainloe as a setting for his tales of the uncanny and the supernatural, where the boundaries between the natural and the otherworldly seem to blur. The landscape of Plainloe is typically described as bleak and windswept, with gnarled trees and a pervasive sense of isolation. This atmosphere contributes significantly to the unsettling mood of his stories.

The significance of Plainloe in Machen's mythology lies in its representation of a primal and untamed aspect of the world, a place where ancient forces might still hold sway. It is a landscape that evokes a sense of deep time and forgotten presences. Characters who venture into Plainloe often find themselves confronting hidden realities or experiencing profound psychological disturbances. The name itself, "Plainloe," suggests a plain or open area, yet it is imbued with a profound and often frightening significance within Machen's literary universe. It serves as a powerful symbol of the hidden, the ancient, and the potentially dangerous aspects of existence that lie just beyond the veneer of everyday life.