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Hear ye all the tale of old,
as we sit in a circle round;
This is a myth of the Ancient Celts,
when magick was abound.
Twins are they, with crowns adorned,
they rule with pomp and might;
Yet comes a time, twice in a year,
when they stand face to face to fight!
As the land stands still, expectant
every creature holds its breath;
Awaiting for the final outcome,
surely the looser will face Death!
“Who are these mighty brothers?”
surely I hear you ask
The Oak King and the Holly King
Lord of Dawn and Lord of Dusk
They are fighting over a Kingdom,
for the hand of a Maiden Fair;
No woman surpasses her beauty,
not even the legendary Guinevere.
The Oak stand tall in forest green,
a tree robust and firm;
But when time comes to shed its leaves,
the Holly has its term.
As the Wheel of Time spins round,
on the day the Sun stands still;
These Brothers, since the dawn of time,
faced each other on a sacred hill.
This happens in Midsummer,
when the light is at its height;
And once again in Winter’s midst,
when the ruler is the night.
In Yule, when cold abounds,
and winds howl like wolves of wild;
The Oak King has the upper hand,
and thus beginneth the Rule of Light!
In Litha, when the air is warm,
and the stars in the sky spark;
The Holly King regains his crown,
and thus beginneth the Rule of Dark!
So both twins share the Kingdom,
half a cycle in each Year;
The Holly rules the Waning part,
and the Oak the Waxing sphere.
As for the Immortal Lady,
Queen of Nature, ever fair;
She lives through all this Mystery,
as both brothers have their share.
She’s immortal, everlasting,
a Tabernacle of Life;
She’s a Virgin and a Mother
and a Crone when time is rife!
She’s a Consort to the Holly King,
and a Queen to the Oak as well;
Ruler of Light and Darkness,
as the mighty brothers dwell!
Like every ancient story,
every myth that ever was told;
Behind the rhyme there’s reason,
as the tale starts to unfold.
The battle of the brothers,
stands for the turmoil in our life;
Some days we have it easy,
whilst in others we must strife.
Light means nothing without darkness,
one life ends, another starts;
Nature strikes a perfect balance,
divides the year in equal parts.
As today we raise our chalice,
to bid the Oak King his farewell!
May the Sun be ever with us,
when in colder days we dwell.
Lets rejoice also for the Holly King,
as he is reborn anew!
May his rule be light a burden,
as the shorter days ensue!
Thus comes to a conclusion,
our tale has reached its close.
We have learned that there is harmony,
in the things that seem oppose!
