Alban Arthan, which occurs around the Winter Solstice, is a seasonal event in the Druidic calendar. The documentations of the radical poet Iolo Morganwg, from the nineteenth century, are where the name originates. There has lately been speculation that Druids would congregate by the oldest Mistletoe-Clad Oak on the solstice date. While other Druids below held an opened sheet to collect the mistletoe, ensuring that none of it struck the ground, the Chief Druid worked his way to the mistletoe to be cut. The Chief Druid would slice off the mistletoe to be caught below with his golden sickle in a single motion. Pliny, dating between 24–79 CE, described this practise in his Natural History (16.24), but not as a component of a seasonal celebration but rather in the framework of a sacrifice of two white bulls to seek the blessings of the Gods on prosperity. The holiday is celebrated in a way that honours the passing of the Holly King at the hands of his son and successor, the Robin Redbreast Oak King (personification of Summer), which represents the new year and the rising sun. The Holly King i.e. the personification of Winter, is represented by the wren bird, which represents the past year and the shortened sun time. Both open and closed rituals recreated the Battle of the Holly King and Oak King. Although most of the confrontations or battles are verbal, there have been few sword fights to reenact the feud. [Information Credit :: Alban_Arthan, Wikipedia] [Image 1. Druid ; 2. Mistletoe-Clad Oak] #Mythology
MythoSphere
.jpg)
