Hello,
My name is Rachel,
And my country is Scotland.
A country steeped in fairy faith.
A place of mythical valleys,
Fairy glens and fairy pools and lochs,
And ancient Caledonian pine forests.
Long ago,
Before the Four Seasons and before man,
Lived the fairies and two brother gods.
One brother came to be known as the Oak King,
As he wore a fine cloak of oak leaves and a crown of golden acorns,
And his warmth and radiance meant that everywhere he went bloomed with life.
His mere presence brought forth the sun and the flourishing of vegetation and the blossoming of flowers and the fruition of crops.
He was warm and generous,
And red squirrels and pine martins would dart up his long legs to feed from acorns from his large palms,
And speckled wood butterflies would settle amongst his acorn crown.
Golden and white-tailed eagles would swoop down to rest upon his strong broad shoulders.
His brother,
Who was also cheery and in harmony with the Scottish land,
Knew that light needed dark,
And that a season of growth needed to be followed by a time of rest and rejuvenation.
He was known as the Holly King,
And he wore a waxy,
Prickly cloak and a crown adorned with holly leaves and rich red berries.
Where the Holly King went,
The trees would lose their leaves to conserve their energy,
And he would help the animals to gather materials to make their cozy burrows and dens to sleep and rest through winter.
In the quiet hush where he walked,
A lamenting song of slumber would weave through the trees and lull the animals into the realm of dreams.
The fairy folk were very fond of the Holly King and the Oak King brothers,
And were grateful for their presence in bringing life forth and also helping everything to rest again.
They managed the cycle of the winter and summer seasons in perfect harmony.
However,
With the dawn of man,
The brothers began to quarrel and a rift formed between them that threatened to disrupt nature's balance.
You see,
Humanity's desire for the light and warmth and abundance brought forth by the Oak King The Oak King began to make the Holly King feel cast out and villainized.
People naturally favored the Oak King,
Bringing him gifts of gold and silks and begging him to stay in power for the whole year.
This flattery distracted the Oak King from his true nature,
And he began to believe that his existence was more important than that of his brothers.
Cosmic cycles like the seasons were frightening for the early people,
And the depths of winter would make them despair that summer was never going to return again.
Despite his kind nature,
The Holly King could never gain the people's trust.
Unlike the animals,
Humans found it too hard to trust in something out of their control.
So they plotted and connived to make the Oak King their one and only king.
A puppet king of sorts,
One to do their bidding and fill their days with perpetual summer.
Luckily,
The fairies could see what was happening and were determined to repair the rift in the brother's bond before it tore apart nature's fine tapestry.
They knew that the increasing dominance of the Oak King was no good for nature,
And feared that the scorned Holly King would try and battle his brother to regain some control.
So the fairies,
Led by their wise queen,
Althea,
Put forward a plan to the quarreling kings.
They would take charge of two new seasons,
Those of spring and autumn,
And these periods of transition would act as a buffer between the brothers.
They would also soothe the people as they would create a more gradual entry into winter that would reduce their fear that summer would not return.
The fairies put to the brothers that they could all work together during these transitional months,
Sprinkling signs of change that would bring joy to people and animals.
Their creative ideas included golden leaves,
Dappled light,
And ripened fruit and vegetables and grains for a fine autumn harvest.
They also suggested a season of budding trees,
Brightly colored emerging flowers,
And longer days of light in springtime.
The brothers were captivated by the fairies' vision,
And realized that their resentment of one another was hindering the growth of this beautiful world.
So now we have the fairies to thank for repairing the harmonious relationship between the oak and holly kings,
And for giving us the cherished season of autumn with its cool crisp walks and rustling golden leaves,
And comfort foods of soups and stews,
Apple pie and pumpkin spice treats,
And for their rejuvenation and optimism of springtime with new life everywhere.
And warmth returning to the air.
