Celebrating the Winter Solstice
In many cultures, this is a time for gathering with family and friends.
- Look at all of the symbology of Christmas. How many symbols are from earlier, pre-Christian times?
- How can you reconcile yourself with this time of year?
- Plan events with family and friends. Enjoy yourself!
- Create gifts that are unique and home made instead of buying them this year. Learn a new craft and make your gifts accordingly.
- Charity should happen all year. Consider ways you can help the less fortunate all year around.
I. The Blessing of the Virgin Mother
At this time of year, Winter Solstice is almost upon us and we celebrate conception and birth of one who will bring light to the world.
Winter Solstice marks the longest night of the year. Daylight is scarce and we take comfort in the fact that the days will now begin to grow longer…the sun, in essence, is being reborn and will slowly begin to grow like a baby and shine more and more light to our world. We may not notice any actual change in the days’ length until Imbolc, but the days really do start to get longer after the Solstice!
The most popular story circulated at this time of year is that of a virgin mother giving birth to a divine child who will bring his light to the world.
The story we will be looking at comes from Wales and is also about a virgin birth. Most importantly, it is about the importance of a mother’s regard towards her child and the events that happen from that.
It was believed that the blessing of a mother was of great importance, even if the child was being traditionally fostered out. It was not uncommon for a mother to give her child his first solid food upon his father’s sword to ensure the child would be protected from harm. The mother’s blessing, or lack thereof, would greatly affect the child as he/she started in life.
You may recall the story of the rape of Goewin, the virgin who held Math’s feet as part of his Geas, from the Mabinogion. She was raped by his two nephews (and they were subsequently punished by being turned into animals of the opposite sex who would have to mate) and he was left without a virgin.
It was suggested that his niece, Arianrhod, be considered for the position since she was a virgin. Math called upon her right away.
When she arrived, Math asked her if she was a virgin and she said she was unsure. He asked her to step over his staff and they would see if she was a virgin. She did step over the staff and a baby boy fell from her loins. Math took up the child and said that he would be named Dylan. The boy was no sooner named than he plunged himself into the sea and swam as good as any sea creature. Dylan became the Son of the Wave and no wave would break before him.
Arianrhod fled the place and another baby dropped from her loins. No one seemed to notice, except Gwydion, who took the child and fostered him to a woman who would care for him.
This boy grew at an alarming rate and was big and smart enough to attend court by the time he was two! Gwydion saw the boy and took him back into his care. The boy loved him more than anyone else, but the time had come where he needed to receive the blessing from his mother.
Gwydion took the boy to Arianrhod’s castle and introduced him. Her response was less than favourable, for she saw the boy as a shame to her, and would not lay the blessing upon him or even acknowledge him.
“What is his name?” She finally asked.
“He has no name.” Gwydion replied. Arianrhod understood all too well the importance of a mother’s blessing and saw an opportunity to ensure this shame to her would be eliminated.
“Then this shall be his destiny.” she said. “He shall never have a name unless he gets one from me!” (Not giving a name was believed to kill the child)
Gwydion left with the boy in anger and began to think of a way to trick her into giving the boy a name.
On the next morning, Gwydion went out and through his magic, fashioned himself a boat and some beautiful leather. He took the boy with him in the boat and they landed at the port of Arianrhod’s castle. Gwydion disguised their likeness and he began to make shoes. People began to notice the high quality of the shoes, including Arianrhod.
She sent one of her servants to the disguised shoemaker and asked to send a pair of shoes up for her. The first pair he made was too big, the second were too small.
“Tell your Lady that I need to see her foot in order to make a proper shoe!”
Arianrhod came down to the boat and a pair of shoes was made to fit. While the shoes were being measured for her feet, the boy noticed a wren and shot it with his slingshot.
“With a sure and steady hand did the lion aim at that bird!” she exclaimed in wonder at the boy’s skill.
That being said, the boat disappeared and so did the disguises and the shoes, leaving only Gwydion, the boy and Arianrhod standing on the port.
“You have just given him a name: Llew Llaw Gyffes “he of the sure and steady hand of skill”!” Gwydion laughed.
“Well, you have tricked me on this one.” She said. “But I lay this destiny on him: he shall not take up arms unless I invest him with them!” Once again, it was believed that a child would have no protection or future without arms.
Gwydion left and the next day, he and the boy were disguised and came to Arianrhod’s castle as two young travelling bards. They spent a fine evening feasting and telling tales.
That night, while everyone went to bed, Gwydion worked his magic. In the morning, it appeared that ships were approaching the castle to attack.
Arianrhod ran into their room and announced to her guests that there were ships approaching who may attack.
“Close up the castle walks” He said. “And we shall help you defend it.”
Arianrhod agreed to give them all the arms they would need to defend the castle.
She returned with armament a plenty and two maidens to assist the young men into their armour.
The maidens helped the disguised Gwydion, while Arianrhod armed his smaller companion.
At that point, the noise died down and the ships vanished as quickly as they had appeared.
“What is this?” Arianrhod exclaimed.
Gwydion removed the charm of disguise from himself and the boy and told her that she had just armed her son.
“Well! There is one last destiny I will place upon this boy and not even you can use trickery!” She said. “This boy will never have for a wife, a woman of any race on this planet!”
Gwydion swore he would find a way around that and left with Llew in tow. He went to his uncle, Math, and informed him of Llew’s misfortune with Arianrhod.
“A wife not of a race of this earth?” Math asked. “Well, we can work our way around that yet! We shall fashion for Llew a wife made of the earth itself…of flowers!”
Gwydion and Math took the blossoms of Oak, Meadowsweet and broom, and from them fashioned the most beautiful of women. They named her Blodeuwedd.
Llew was wedded to the flower bride and Math gave them lands and riches to sustain them. They were loved by all of those in their land.
One day, Llew went out to see Math and left Blodeuwedd home alone with the servants. As the sun started to set, she heard a horn and saw a single man and his hounds chasing a stag. He finally killed the stag, but it was late and Blodeuwedd thought it would be a good idea to allow him to rest there for the night.
They ate supper together and it was not long until the two of them were gazing at each other with love in their eyes. The man, named Gronw Pebyr, expressed his love for her and she was overjoyed since she was in an arranged marriage and Llew never expressed such feelings for her.
They spent the better part of the night talking about their love for one another. While she had been made of flowers, she was still a woman and had fallen in love with a man of her choice!
For four days Gronw remained with her and on the last day he insisted he must leave. However, he told her to ask Llew how he might be killed…
Llew returned home to find his wife anxiously awaiting his return.
“Oh. I have missed you and have been worried so!” She said.
“Why would you worry?” He asked.
“What if you were to die while away for so long? What if you were attacked? I would be left all alone!”
“Lucky for you, I am not easily killed.” Said Llew.
“Tell me the manner in which you could be killed so that my mind may be put at ease…” She said.
“Very well.” He replied. “If it will put your mind at ease, I will tell you how hard it would be to kill me.
“I can only be killed by a wound…and that wound must be inflicted by a spear that has been a year in its forming…and it can only be worked on during a certain time on Sundays. I cannot be slain neither within a house nor outside of it, nor can I be slain on either horseback or on foot.”
“Well, in what manner can you be killed then?” She asked.
“One would have to make a bath by the side of a river and put a tightly thatched roof above it. A buck would need to be put beside the cauldron and I would need to have one foot on the cauldron and one on the buck. Then, one would have to strike me with the specially made spear.”
“Thank goodness for that…how silly of me to worry so!” She said with feigned relief.
She relayed this to Gronw who immediately set to work on making the spear.
A year later, the spear was finished and Gronw set his plan into action.
Blodeuwedd engaged Llew in the conversation about the nature of his death again and asked him to show her how it would need to be done. Llew, not being a very smart man, demonstrated how he could be slain by setting up the bath with the roof and the buck, alongside the river.
He stood with one foot on the buck and one on the cauldron, and Gronw, who had been waiting in ambush, jumped out and attacked him with the spear.
The poisoned spear struck Llew in the side and he turned into an eagle and flew away; the spear still sticking in his side.
Gronw took over ownership of Llew’s properties and he and Blodeuwedd ruled them.
Gwydion grew uneasy since he had not received word from his nephew in a long time and brought his concern up with Math. He went out to search for him and stayed at the house of a swineherd in Arvon.
They started talking about a certain sow that the swineherd could not seem to catch during the day, but she would return faithfully each night. Gwydion found this curious, so he decided to follow the pig the next day.
In the light of the next morning, Gwydion stood by the pig sty and the door was opened. The sow broke out from there and ran at a great speed. Gwydion followed her until she came to brook now called Nant Y Llew. Upon arriving there, she went to the base of a tree and ate what looked like rotting flesh and vermin.
Gwydion looked up and saw a wounded eagle with a spear in its side. Each time it shook, putrid flesh would fall from it, which the pig would eat.
Gwydion sang an englyn (4 lined song) to the eagle:
[This song is taken from the Mabinogion translated by Lady Charlotte Guest8]
“Oak that grows between the two banks;
Darkened is the sky and hill!
Shall I not tell him by his wounds,
That this is Llew?”
The eagle descended a bit down the tree and stopped in the middle. Gwydion sang again:
“Oak that grows in upland ground,
Is it not wetted by the rain? Has it not been drenched
By nine score tempests?
It bears in its branches Llew Llaw Gyffes!”
The eagle came down a bit more until it was on the lowest branch and once again Gwydion sang:
“Oak that grows beneath the steep;
Stately and majestic is its aspect!
Shall I not speak it?
That Llew will come to my lap?”
With that, the eagle hopped onto Gwydion’s lap. Gwydion touched it with his staff and the eagle turned into Llew Llaw Gyffes, his nephew.
The man was barely skin and bone and half-dead, but Gwydion was able to take him to some fine healers and within a year, Llew was fully healed.
When Llew was in fine health, Gwydion and Math decided that it was time for justice to be done upon the conspirators of Llew’s attempted murder.
Gwydion chased Blodeuwedd into the mountains and her maidens were all drowned.
“I will not kill you” he said. “Instead, for the shame you have brought upon Llew, I will change you into a bird that lives at night, will be the hate of all other birds because it will attack them and yet still has the face of a flower.” With that he changed her into an owl, the flower faced bird that is the fear of all other birds.
Gronw knew that justice was to be done to him and he offered gold, riches or anything he could offer to compensate Llew for his injury.
Llew would accept nothing less than to have Gronw stand the same as he did, upon the bath and the buck and let Llew take a shot at him with a spear.
No one in Gronw’s household would take his place, so Gronw took it upon himself to stand as Llew had done on that fateful day.
Now, Gronw prepared himself to stand as Llew did and asked Llew if he could place a stone slab between his body and the spear since it was the “wiles of a woman” that had caused him to injure Llew.
Llew, as we all know, had a sure and steady hand, and agreed.
Gronw stood with the stone and Llew hurled the spear. True to his name, the spear was aimed straight and it struck true…through the stone and through Gronw’s heart, killing him.
Llew took back his lands and lordship and ruled benevolently until the end of his days.
Despite his uncle’s trickery, Llew did suffer a near-fatal hardship because his mother had not blessed him with a wife of this realm.
I cannot blame Blodeuwedd her choice in trying to be rid of a husband who may not have loved her as Gronw did because it would seem that she did not have rights in the first place.
Because of Arianrhod’s curse upon her son, more than just Llew suffered for it!
Even though we will not die if our parents do not name us, approve our choice of mate or vocation, many still feel that their opinions and blessings have a lot of impact on their lives.
How many tears do we see come to the eyes of a person at any age who hears the words “I’m proud of you” from a parent who may never have expressed such pride?
As children, we seek approval from those whom we see as authority figures, namely our parents or guardians. They influence our lives as we grow up more than they may think. Like virgins, we forget that our parents are not perfect and cannot have experienced everything there is to know before having us. The Celts saw the importance of this feeling to the point where it was a curse not to find recognition or approval.
However, what we often find it hard to struggle with, is the concept of shining one’s light without parental approval. We tie ourselves down so much with what our parents have projected upon us that we often forget that we are separate people with our own destinies. Destinies that need not be tied to our parents. Sometimes, our parents give us the right blessings, but even the right ones can hold us back at times.
Is it right to continue the cycle of abuse because it was done by the parents?
Is it right not to take risks because your parents always sought to protect you?
Is it right to let one’s life be less because a parent or authority figure did not approve or have faith in one’s ability?
We hear stories all the time of people told by doctors that they will never walk again, yet by their own will, they walk…much to the doctors’ amazement! Llew defied the prophecy of how he was to die and survived despite being attacked in the way that should have killed him. Llew is a shining character who, with help and without, defies his mother’s curse and even death itself to end up ruling as a benevolent lord.
The will of the human heart is an amazing thing and one that resides within each of us. We all have the power to create our destinies and do things that will amaze the nay-sayers.
In this time of utter darkness, look at the light within you…your passions, your desires and your skills. What in your past holds you from letting your light shine? Who in your past prevents you from letting your light shine?
This winter, focus on giving birth to the light within yourself. What can you do this upcoming year to make your light shine and break the bonds of past curses?
Questions:
1. How have your parents affected you in this regard? Do you feel you have done them proud? Do you feel a sense of loss if they have not expressed pride or have rejected you in some form?
2. How much influence would you say your parents’ opinions of you have had on you? Has their approval made you stronger? Has disapproval made you weaker or has it made you want to go out and do better to prove them wrong?
3. How have you bucked your parents/guardians’ approval and gone on to do the things that you want to? What results have you had?
4. For those of you who have children or work with children, do you feel that your actions and opinions influence them? Have you seen evidence of this influence in their lives? Do you encourage them to do their own thing and create their own destinies?
5. What light within will you try to give birth to this Solstice?
II. The Green Man’s Challenge
If you were to visit one of the old cathedrals in the United Kingdom, you would see a marvel of architecture and art, with tall, carved stone spires and intricate carvings, stained glass, tapestries and paintings depicting biblical scenes throughout.
However, if you were to look a little closer and perhaps a little higher, you might see a number of faces staring back at you, with leaves growing out of their noses or mouths and seemingly making up their faces entirely, hearkening to an older time in the land’s history… A time when folks enjoyed an intimacy with nature that seemed to recede slowly as the new religion, technology and governmental structures took hold. You might even see these faces adorning benches, gardens and the corners or roofs.
Not all of these leafy fellows are from the middle-ages either! Some of the most beautiful carvings were done in the 19th Century and could be found on banks and official buildings. I would not be surprised if some modern buildings have a “Green Man” or two watching over their inhabitants!
Who are these leafy faces? Where did they originate? Who is the “Green Man”?
Some scholars believe that the Green Man may have originated with primitive man. There are many old trees in Europe and some of them do have the appearance of human faces in the way the bark or trunk has formed. It would not be surprising if our ancient ancestors thought those human-like faces staring back at them were spirits or Deities of some sort.
When folks began making houses and such out of wood, a tradition may have been passed down to honour the spirits of the wood that had made the house, bed, table, etc., by carving their “faces” into the objects.
The 11th Century was when the familiar “leafy faces” began appearing around Europe…around the same time the cathedrals and such were being built to enforce the place of the new Christian religion. The faces were often carved out of the way, high up in the ceilings where the light did not shine or even into the intricate scrolling on pews, beams and doorways where they might not be noticed unless one was specifically looking for them. Electric light finally revealed the families of faces staring down from high beams and ceilings!
Why were they hidden? It has been speculated that the craftsmen who carved the intricate biblical scenes of the foreign religion wanted to place a little piece of their own folklore into their work. Perhaps they still held the belief that they were honouring the spirits of the land that gave them the wood and the stone used to build the structures…perhaps they were subconsciously seeking the blessings of their ancestral land spirits. A powerful tradition was already in place when Christianity built its churches in Europe!
Whatever the reason, there are not many churches and buildings from the medieval period that do not contain at least one leafy green man.
The likeness of the Green Man is not only present in European countries like England, Wales, Italy, and France, but there are even figures like this in India and the Middle East!
The Green Man also appears throughout European history in human form with celebratory dancers. Christian Holidays began to merge with Pagan ones and the country folks still wanted to retain their folk traditions to some degree.
On December 22, for instance, bonfires were a prominent feature as they were lit across the countryside. “Guisers” (wildly dressed performers in masks), later called Mummers, made their way from village to village, enacting old stories and customs to the delight of the folk.
One figure who stood out among these performers was the Green Man himself. He had many names: Jack-In-The-Green; Robin-in-the-Hood; The Green Night, The Holly King and the Green Man to name a few. His purpose was to challenge the folk, and his challenge was this: “Work with me, not against me.” A simple challenge, really, from the man representing the forces of Nature. In exchange for working with Nature, Nature would provide its blessing. Work against Nature, and the consequences would be dire.
Why this time of year, when the sun was at its weakest and the land at its most barren? Probably as a reminder of what Nature can do if it wants to deprive mankind of its bounty.
However, this challenge has become increasingly difficult for mankind to fulfill, and evidence of Nature’s promises seem to manifest almost monthly as mankind seems to forget its ancient promise to Nature.
Today’s story is an Arthurian one that involves the Green Man and a challenge he issues to Sir Gawain, who is sometimes known as the Pagan Knight in King Arthur’s Court.
The story comes to us from a poem, written in Middle English, found in a late 14th Century manuscript. I have included translations of the poem below.
The story goes something like this:
During the Christmas Feasting at Camelot, a large knight, dressed in green and carrying a holy club and a large axe, entered the feasting hall and gave his greetings to all assembled there.
“I have come to offer a Christmas game.” Said the knight. “I will allow anyone here to strike me with my axe. In return, I will be permitted to strike an equal blow at the place of my choosing on New Year’s Morning next year.”
Hardly a game, as you can see, and the assembly was rather disturbed.
King Arthur himself volunteered to face the knight’s challenge but Gawain interceded and asked that this venture be his to undertake.
“A brave man indeed!” said the knight and gave Gawain the axe.
Gawain took the large axe and struck such a blow that the knight’s head was cut from his shoulders.
The knight said nothing, but picked up his head and said “On New Year’s morning in a year’s time, meet me at the Green Chapel, where I shall return this blow.”
The knight then left the people to their feasting and did not leave directions as to where this “Green Chapel” was. He did tell him to ask around after “The Green Knight” and the folk would be able to direct him.
Throughout the following year, Gawain set out in search of the Green Night’s chapel. He came across many interesting adventures and quests before he finally reached his goal: a hollow mound. No finery adorned, there was no chapel…just this mound with a hole on each end and grass growing over it. This could not be it! Gawain thought.
The knight emerged with a freshly sharpened axe, even bigger and nastier than the first and bade him welcome to his home.
“You have kept your promise right to the time and found me well.” The Knight said. “I commend you. However, there is no one here save for us. Take off your helmet and fulfill your promise to me.”
Gawain made no moan of the task and did as he was asked. “Do as thou wilt” he said, offering his neck.
The knight raised his axe and it fell. Gawain shrunk away.
“You are not a valiant man!” the knight cried. “I did not flinch when you struck me!”
“I apologise.” Said Gawain. “I shall not shrink away again. However, unlike you, I will not be able to simply pick my head up and walk out of here. This hardly matches us blow for blow. Regardless of my impending death, I shall not shrink away.”
The knight lifted his axe again and came down hard…but stopped just before he could strike the killing blow. Gawain stood as still as a stone and did not flinch.
The knight then asked Gawain to move his hood so that the neck would be bare.
“Just get on with it.” Gawain said after removing the hood and baring his neck. “I did not flounder and delay when I struck my blow!”
The knight lifted the axe lightly and just let it fall on Gawain’s neck. It cut in a bit, but not much. Some blood poured down Gawain’s neck, but the blow was hardly debilitating or fatal.
“Stop.” Said Gawain. “I have stood here while you struck not once but twice. I flinched on the first, which is my fault. But I did not flinch on the second and you decided not to strike me. If you strike me again, I shall requite you, for you have not upheld your promise of blow for blow.”
During Gawain’s travels, he had met with a beautiful lady who had seduced him and tried him with kisses. She had even given him a woven green girdle. The Green Knight called Gawain on this since the woman had been his own wife. Gawain apologized in shame for wooing the knight’s wife.
“Worry not.” The other knight said. “I sent her to try you and you held off as well as an honourable man would be expected to. Keep the girdle, for it is mine to give to you.”
“I shall keep this girdle to remind me of my weakness towards women…” Gawain said, thanking the Knight.
The Knight then confessed that Morgain Le Fay had sent him to the Hall that Christmas night to test the will of Arthur and placed a blessing of happiness and good fortune on Gawain for being an honourable man.
Gawain fared well in all his endeavours after that point, but still bore within himself a sense of shame, even though he had been exonerated. No one bore him ill will, but he wore the girdle and the scar on his neck as a reminder of his weakness.
Questions:
- At this time, look at the challenges facing you. What are you seeking to accomplish this coming year?
- In the dark of the winter, Nature gives us the challenge to “work with it, not against it”. It has struck its blow by making the land barren and the sky dark. How can we fulfill our promise to Nature? What can we do to achieve this?
- Who is your main challenger in life? Looking at this person (who you may not even like!), what does he or she teach you? How does he or she reward/challenge you?
- What do you feel are the Green Man’s challenges in your life? What is the main theme?
And now for a special Holiday treat…two translations of the original Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Poem! This is heavy but very entertaining reading of a poem found in a late 14th Century Manuscript (although it may have been composed earlier).
The first is E.V. Gordon and J.R.R. Tolkien’s translation of the poem in its original form of English (Middle English):
And the second is a translation in Modern English (Translated by Jessie L. Weston of the Camelot Project at the University of Rochester):
III. The Art of Evading Deception Don’t believe everything you “see”!
From the con artist to the spiritual test, deception is a concept we are all familiar with in some form or another. There are several common forms of deception that are seen regularly:
- Testing – Teachers may deceive a student to see if he or she is on the ball and can come up with correct answer. There are a few legends, such as the story of King Cormac, where Mannannan deceived Cormac in order to test his wisdom and honesty.
- Misleading – The one we are most familiar with! How many folks get conned by fake lotteries, internet hoaxes (of which there are many), bad products, etc.? Other examples are misinformation or blatant lying.
- Malicious – The most dangerous is when someone deceives or lures to cause harm to another.
- Parental – We’re familiar with the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and various other things that parents and adults tell children. Harmless and fun, kids often discover the truth behind these deceptions on their own.
- Comedic – Practical jokes are the most common of these.
- Protective – Sometimes a person may lie to protect someone from a painful truth. Parents may lie to children to keep them calm when things are going wrong. One may also lie to protect one’s reputation, livelihood or life.
- Self Deception – We’ve all been guilty of this one at points in our lives where we deceive ourselves into thinking we can overwork ourselves or that we are less (or more) than we are.
Any one of us can be taken for the proverbial “ride” when we are not paying attention or when we do not question what is presented to us. Some folks think that because something is spiritual, it must be truth…kind of like the old myth that if something is “natural”, it must be safe to eat or use. This is not always the case as we know with the example of cyanide. It is naturally occurring, but is most definitely not safe to eat!
How do we prevent ourselves from being led astray by visions, dreams, experiences or even those internet lottery winner notifications? How do we prevent ourselves from paying the inevitable “stupid tax” that comes with being scammed?
As Druids, many of us strive to uphold truth and we must be honest with ourselves first and foremost. When we know and trust ourselves, especially our instincts, we find ourselves less likely to fall prey to the wiles of many deceivers…including ourselves!
One basic truth in life is that while we may try to be honest, not everyone else will be!
Common sense is the greatest weapon we have against most types of deception as one of Fionn McCumhail’s warriors found out the hard way one night… (From the Fenian Cycle of Irish myths)
Fionn and his men were involved in a chase one evening and were found by a Druidic Dwarf while taking a rest afterwards. The dwarf invited them to stay at his place since they looked weary.
The men were not trusting of the dwarf, but figured it would be nothing if not an adventure…so why not?
The men were treated to a wonderful dinner with plenty to drink and then fine beds to sleep in afterwards. Once the men had retired for the night, the adventure began!
Fionn was visited in his room by a woman who was fairer than the fairest women of legend. She stood in a rich chariot drawn by tiny horses and she spoke in a melodious voice.
“Come and sit beside me in my chariot and come with me to my home in the hills!” she said in an inviting tone.
Fionn was enthralled by the woman but something in his mind told him to put his thumb to his mouth (for Fionn could receive Otherworldly wisdom via the thumb he had burned on the Salmon of Wisdom). He did and the vision changed immediately.
Before him stood not a beautiful maiden in a rich chariot, but an old withered creature on a cart of sticks. Fionn turned away and did not move. Sensing that the creature had not left, he blew his horn to warn the others of wicked tricks.
The horn was heard by Fergus, Caeilte, Diarmuid, Oisin, Luacha, Goll, and Conan. All of these men were being visited by similar visions of loveliness and each took this as a sign to turn away as their chief had done.
Only one of the company did not hear the horn: a man by the name of Conan the Incontinent…one not very well loved by the rest of the Fianna.
He jumped right into the fey woman’s car and found himself landing headfirst into a well of boiling water. He grabbed onto a beam that was above the well and yelled so loud the others came running to him. He was found straddling the spit over the large cooking cauldron.
The others comforted him but warned him to resist temptation for the rest of the night.
No sooner had Conan the Incontinent fallen asleep but he was visited by the same vision of the woman in the chariot and again he jumped into the car, only to find himself thrust into a forest where he was attacked by a giant panther that took his head into its mouth and began jawing on it. He screamed and the men rushed to his aid, only to find him lying on the floor with a housecat sitting on his chest, licking his chin.
“If you disturb us again with your wailing, we shall beat you with our sword belts!”
All was silent for awhile, but Conan’s cries again filled the house. The men found him pinned to the floor by his hair while he struggled against unseen hands. Fionn chewed his thumb and saw the Druidic dwarf sitting in the corner singing a song. The warriors held their spears to his throat demanding his release.
The dwarf gave Fionn a vial which he then gave to Conan. The other men stood watch over the dwarf until they heard Fionn laughing. When they turned around, Conan sat unhurt but with a large bald spot on the top of his head.
They all laughed a moment, but resolved to leave the abode as soon as possible for fear of further trickery.
From that day forward, any warrior embarking on an adventure was wished better luck than Conan at Creas!
One has to wonder about someone falling for the same trick three times!
Always challenge what you see and hear, whether in the spiritual or in the physical sense. A little common sense goes a long way in the world!
Questions:
1. Have you ever been the victim of a scam? Looking back, how could you have prevented it?
2. Have you ever deceived someone else?
3. How have you grown from your experiences with deceit over the years?