Queen Mab, Titania, or Galadriel?
The Queen of the Fairies is said to be a beautiful creature of great majesty. She is said to wear floating garments and flowers in her hair. The Queen is variously represented as a youngish, or an early middle-aged, but never elderly humanoid woman. She is often given the elves ears and Celtic/Norse hair colouring of corn blonde, or Goidelic (Celt) strawberry blonde.
The Fairy/Elven Queen usually seems to rank above her lord. More has certainly been written about her. It is said that she has to pay a tithe to the Underworld every seven years. It is also said that she pays this tithe by sending down the bodies of her lovers.
The Goidelic, or Irish Celts called the last high queen of the Daoine Sidhe, Oona. The king, her husband was called Finvarra. The Brittonic, or English/Welsh Celts called her Queen of Elphame. She later became called Mab, or Titania, as seen in Spenser and Shakespear’s writings.
The ‘Faerie Faith’ cult has been reinvented in the 1970’s and is largely based on such books as The White Goddess by Robert Graves. This new faith uses the Celtic Tree calendar (Beth-Luis-Nion). This calendar is based on Graves re-interpretation of the Celtic Ogham alphabet.
Our researchers found this ancient account in the parish records of the small Welsh mountain village, Blaenewydd.
Rudiobus returned late home to the village, one night and found his young sister in agitation. “Where do you go, so late at night, Rudiobius? You would never have stayed out to all hours when our parents were alive”.
Rudiobus shrugged, sat, but the fire, and drank the hot ale which Lerina gave to him. “A man’s got to do his courting!” Said Rudiobus.
“But none of the village girls say that they are being courted by you’’
“Am I to be spied on?” Said her brother. He moodily got up and went to bed.
Lerina sadly tidied up the pots and then retired to her bed, also.
The next day, Lerina asked around the neighbouring village, when she went to pick up a couple of old horseshoes from the blacksmith (for good luck), None of the maidens of the village were being courted by Rudiobus, either. “You want to keep an eye on your brother” said Natae, the carter’s daughter. There’s been two men disappeared in the last few years and no-one knew where they went. It must be the fairies!” She said.
“Don’t be silly, Natae” said Lerina, what on earth would the fairies want with Rudiobus. “What, besides his bonny black hair and glowing green eyes, then?” smiled Natae. “But the fairies are small …” “…Not the high Elf Lords” interrupted Natae, as she wrapped the horse shoes for Lerina. Lerina went out to her horse, and put the shoes into the saddle bag.
Lerina was late returning through the woods and dusk had already turned to twilight. As she entered the beech grove, Lerina suddenly saw her brother talking, about thirty yards away, on the other side of a nearby clearing. As Lerina drew near, she saw a beautiful woman, with a long flowing, white dress and a thin golden, filigree crown. The woman slowly stepped back, and then stepped a little upwards, as if onto an invisible step. She became radiant with a bluey white light and her hair floated out around her. She extended a hand in beckoning to Rudiobus who moved slowly in her direction.
Lerina realised that she was seeing the attempted taking of her brother and called out in fright, “Rudiobus! Rudiobus!” She might as well not have bothered as Rudiobus seemed as if in a trance. Lerina knew she had not a moment to act. She remembered that the fair folk were vanquished by iron and she drew out her two horse shoes. She threw one of these shoes at the Queen of Elphame, while kicking her pony forward. Unfortunately, the horseshoe missed the queen. So, as she was by now near to the Queen, Lerina, jumped down off her pony, and ran at the woman’s face raising the other horse shoe to strike her. “Oh, no, you don’t!” There was a flash, and the white queen vanished.
“Where has my love gone?” said Rudiobus, waking from his trance. “Your love has gone back to Elphame to pay her tithe to Cerenunnos, the God of the Underworld. She won’t be using you, however to pay it!”
“No, Mab is just a beautiful woman” protested Rudiobus.
“Yes, yes: one that just happens to float, shine and kidnap men” said his sister. “Fortunately, you aren’t following the carpenter and miller, to the Underworld. However … and if you don’t say thank you, for my rescuing you, I shan’t let you have any fish pie”.
She got back on her pony and Rudiobus walked home, sulkily, by her side.