The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various CountriesKeightley, Thomas
General
The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various Countries
Keightley, Thomas
Fairies; Fairy tales; Folk literature; Folklore
The Feeries of romance may be divided into three kinds: Avalon, placed
in the ocean, like the Island of the Blest; those that, like the palace
of Pari Banou, are within the earth; and, lastly, those that, like
Oberon's domains, are situate 'in wilderness among the holtis hairy.'
Of the castle and isle of Avalon,[74] the abode of Arthur and Oberon,
and Morgue la faye, the fullest description is to be seen in the
romance of Ogier le Danois, from which, as we know no sure quarter but
the work itself to refer to for the part connected with the present
subject, we will make some extracts.[75]
At the birth of Ogier several Fairies attended, who bestowed on him
various gifts. Among them was Morgue la Faye, who gave him that he
should be her lover and friend. Accordingly, when Ogier had long
distinguished himself in love and war, and had attained his hundredth
year, the affectionate Morgue thought it was time to withdraw him from
the toils and dangers of mortal life, and transport him to the joys
and the repose of the castle of Avalon. In pursuance of this design,
Ogier and king Caraheu are attacked by a storm on their return from
Jerusalem, and their vessels separated. The bark on which Ogier was
"floated along the sea till it came near the castle of loadstone,
which is called the castle of Avalon, which is not far on this side of
the terrestrial paradise, whither were rapt in a flame of fire Enock
and Helias; and where was Morgue la Faye, who at his birth had endowed
him with great gifts, noble and virtuous."[76]
The vessel is wrecked against the rock; the provisions are divided
among the crew, and it is agreed that every man, as his stock failed,
should be thrown into the sea. Ogier's stock holds out longest, and he
remains alone. He is nearly reduced to despair, when a voice from
heaven cries to him: "God commandeth thee that, as soon as it is
night, thou go unto a castle that thou wilt see shining, and pass from
bark to bark till thou be in an isle which thou wilt find. And when
thou wilt be in that isle thou wilt find a little path, and of what
thou mayest see within be not dismayed at anything. And then Ogier
looked, but he saw nothing."[77]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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