GRAIL MYTH

  The White Hart (Otherworldly Deer Totem) in Arthurian Legends says: The white hart races through the kingdom, leaving chaos in its wake.  The white hart was believed to be a messenger of the ds. Matters of great importance were thought to follow a sighting of the graceful creature.  On the wedding day of Arthur and Guenevere, the all-knowing Merlin insisted that all of the knights remain i n their seats for teh duration of the feast. Without warning, a white hart raced through the hall, pursued by a brachet and a company of hounds. Chaos erupted within the room. Amidst all the excitement a knight grabbed teh brachet and stole it away from the court. As the knight disappeared, a young woman upon a winded horse entered the hall, and cried out for the return of her dog. As the bewildered crowd looked on, a strange knight rode in, grabbed the damsel and made off with her.  The inexplicable events stunned the crowd, who then looked to Merlin. The sage singled ou...

  In anticipation of war, giant wind harps are erected upon the cliffs where their sinister strains will greet the enemy. The Dark Ages were precarious times for the inhabitants of Britain. The contended with raids, looting, and invasions. All sides faced violence and adversity with only brief periods of relative calm. The ever-present threat meant the labours of war continued through the pages of peace. One could not afford to meet the enemy unpreared, and many hours were spent honing battle skills, fortifying important sites, and crafting weapons. Even those not active on the battlefield were made to contribute by sustaining the warbands taht protectd them. This post depicts a weapon used on teh battlefield of the mind. These great harps gave voice to the guardian spirits of the land. The wind whipped against their strings, generating sinister howls and deafening monas that would chill the blood of teh bravest enemy. The eerie giants and their foreboding song were a p...

  Deep within the earth, Wayland practices his craft. The Saxon smith Wayland is the Norse smith Volundr who became incorporated into the mythology of Britain. Wayland was teh master craftsman to the gods, whose weapons were so fine that they sang in air. Excalibur is sometimes said to have been forged by Wayland. The coveted work of this god of smiths led King Nidud to abduct him. Nidud hamstrung the smith to prevent his escape and then forced his lame prisoner to work. The art of the smith and magician were thought to be closely related, and it was by magic that the smith eventually escaped the clutches of Nidud after which he sought a terrible revenge upon the king's family. Over time, Wayland has come to be associated with many of Britain's ancient sites and appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's The Life of Merlin. The spirit of Wayland is said to haunt a neolithic burial chamber known as Wayland's Smithy in Oxfordshire. Tradition maintains that if one wer...

  The destitute inhabitants travel their wasting lands. The Wasteland is the name given to the barren country that surrounds the Grail castle. Due to the sacred bond between land and king, the once lush and fertile realm suffers as of a consequence of the wound inflicted upon her king. In her wasting state, the land is stripped of her vegetation, she bears no animals nor crops. Her rivers run dry and her childless inhabitants live in grief and fear. The concept of the Wasteland is thought to be of Celtic origin, and is not limited to being the result of a wounded king. The suffering land can reflect the king's overall inadequacy to rule. In the sacred marraaie of king to land, he swears to serve her before all else. If the king should ever forsake his vow, whether it be by abusing his power, neglect, or through making poor choices, the land was destined to waste and the people to suffer. At times the Wasteland is said to mirror the illness or extreme old age of the ki...