Faery Craft: Weaving Connections with the Enchanted Realm (37 page)

The Raven King’s Daughter

Once upon a time, be it long ago, this very moment, or perhaps in years to come, the Faery Court of the West was ruled by the wise and ancient Raven King. The Court of the East was ruled by the White Queen, who often walked the land in the form of a great white mare.

But twice a year, when the day and night were of equal length, the king and queen would meet at the boundary between their two lands, at the blessed mound of Silbury Hill. And there, while their clans celebrated in the halls beneath, the Raven King and the White Queen would meet in private at the top of the hill by silvery moon and discuss the fate of mankind.

The wisdom of the Raven King had kept the peace for many ages, but in the days we speak of, his patience was growing thin. No longer did it seem so wise to let the ills of man and their greedy deeds go unchecked, and yet the White Queen sang to him always of peace.

She loved the passion with which he raved, and he loved the beauty of her peaceful song, and between them, on a spring night, they made a daughter of true royal Faery blood, with the passion of her father and the beauty of her mother.

When the Raven King’s daughter had almost reached her bloom, she heard the ravings of her father and knew that his heart was at last determined upon war.

Placing her hand upon his heart, she pleaded with him to keep the peace.

“Father,” she urged, “to be sure, must we not know the truth of their hearts? Let me go amongst them and see whether I may learn it, for surely war is a dreadful thing!”

The king examined his daughter’s face.

“Are you so determined, my precious child? For you know that to fully enter the world of mortals, you must die to us and be reborn to them, and this you may do only four times, as the paths of the crossroads allow, before you return to us at last…”

“Father, I am determined,” she replied, “and willing to make this sacrifice for lasting peace.”

The Raven King could see the truth in his daughter’s eyes, and he knew there would be no dissuading her. And so it was that the Raven King devoured his daughter and went to the crossroads where the worlds meet.

There, alongside the first path, he saw a silver fish swimming in the river, so he visited himself upon the fish, and the Raven King’s daughter was born into the world of man as a fish.

Her life as a fish was short, for as she swam to get near the first men she saw, she was caught in their nets and sold to market.

When her spirit returned to the land of Faery, her father asked, “Tell me, what have you learnt of the heart of man?”

The Raven King’s daughter replied, “Father, I have learnt of their greed, but I think I saw a tinge of regret in the eyes of the man who caught me. Please, Father, I must return again!”

So the Raven King devoured his daughter and returned to the crossroads where the worlds meet. There on the second path he saw a bird sitting high in the branches of a tree, so he visited himself upon it, and the Raven king’s daughter was born into the world as a bird. Her life as a bird was long, for she flew high above the world of man, who seemed barely to notice her at all, yet she saw all their quarrels and the devastating effects of their growth and destruction.

When her spirit returned to the land of Faery, her father asked again, “Tell me, what have you learnt of the heart of man?”

“Father,” she replied, “I have learnt of their short-sightedness—and yet I saw some invention and ingenuity in the world they are creating for themselves. Please, Father, I must return again.”

So the Raven King devoured his daughter and went to the crossroads where the worlds meet. There on the third path was waiting a sturdy Shire horse, and he visited himself upon it. So his daughter was born once more into the world, this time as a horse.

Her life as a horse was long and hard, carrying luggage and heavy travellers over great distances.

When she returned to the land of Faery, her father asked, “Tell me, what have you learned of the heart of man?”

“Father, I have learned of their selfishness, yet the songs and stories they tell each other on their long journeys fill my heart with hope. Let me return once more?”

“This must be your final birth, daughter, for when you have at last returned again to the land of Faery, the paths of the crossroads may not be walked again into the land of mortals…”

And so the Raven King devoured his daughter for a final time and went to the crossroads where the worlds meet. There on the fourth path was a beautiful yet wretched woman who seemed to have been waiting there for days. The Raven King looked into her mind and took the form of the one for whom she was waiting, and so it was that the Raven king’s daughter came into the world of man as a woman at last.

After a childhood full of discovery and tragedy, her heart was worn and heavy, and yet at last she met one who seemed happy to carry its weight for her. He was simple and true, and she knew she had found what she had been looking for.

He even went with her as far as the crossroads, but she did not pass into the land of Faery, for her heart now belonged to a mortal man. He, in turn, had given his heart to her, and she was able to see at last the truth that lay within. She left her farewells at the crossroads and remained for the rest of her mortal life in the world of man, where she married and had many children. Her children grew in their turn and had children of their own, and so on it went…

So that is why the Raven King will not go to war with the world of man, for his daughter and her children, his descendants, live here still. In each of their hearts there lies a seed of Faery that is still seeking for the truth of men’s hearts, will ever seek out the best in those they meet, and will ever sing their song to the green wood and the hollow hills…

Emily Carding, 2010

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Acknowledgments

T
he first share must always go to them, the spirits of rock, tree, and river, who inspired many of the exercises and musings of this book. Unending thanks also to my husband, Jules (aka Bear), for amazing support, and daughter, Willow, for putting up with my grumpy author persona.

Huge thanks to Barbara Moore for suggesting me for this project, and to Elysia Gallo for her hard work and patience with constant questions.

Thanks to Sorita D’Este for always being so supportive of my work and for so many distracting late-night Skype chats! Big thanks to David Rankine for all the yummy grimoire info and various intriguing leads.

Thanks to R. J. Stewart, John and Caitlín Matthews, the Silver Elves, T. Thorn Coyle, Brian and Wendy Froud, Ari Berk, Elizabeth-Jane Baldry, Charles de Lint, S. J. Tucker, Karen Kay, Felicity Fyr Le Fay, the Dolmen, Linda Ravenscroft, Karen Mahoney, Cliff Seruntine, Lisa Allen, Marc Potts, and Kelly Martinez for taking the time to answer my questions, and to everyone who posed for photos. A big shout-out to Studio Lotus for the great elemental photo shoot done in a day! Thank you also to all the wonderful artists who contributed artwork. I must particularly mention Tamara Newman for creating the Faery Craft septagram whilst recovering from an operation.

Thanks must also go, of course, to the publisher for making this book possible, and to you for reading it now. Faery blessings to you all!

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