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
for Ogier instantly forgot country and friends. He had no thought
whatever "ni de la dame Clarice, qui tant estoit belle et noble," nor
of Guyon his brother, nor of his nephew Gauthier, "ne de creature
vivante." His days now rolled on in never-ceasing pleasure. "Such
joyous pastime did the Fay ladies make for him, that there is no
creature in this world who could imagine or think it, for to hear them
sing so sweetly it seemed to him actually that he was in Paradise; so
the time passed from day to day, from week to week, in such sort that
a year did not last a month to him."[80]
But Avalon was still on earth, and therefore its bliss was not
unmixed. One day Arthur took Ogier aside, and informed him that
Capalus, king of the Luitons, incessantly attacked the castle of
Faerie with design to eject king Arthur from its dominion, and was
accustomed to penetrate to the basse court, calling on Arthur to come
out and engage him. Ogier asked permission to encounter this
formidable personage, which Arthur willingly granted. No sooner,
however, did Capalus see Ogier than he surrendered to him; and the
knight had the satisfaction of leading him into the castle, and
reconciling him to its inhabitants.
Two hundred years passed away in these delights, and seemed to Ogier
but twenty: Charlemagne and all his lineage had failed, and even the
race of Ogier was extinct, when the Paynims invaded France and Italy
in vast numbers; and Morgue no longer thought herself justified in
withholding Ogier from the defence of the faith. Accordingly, she one
day took the Lethean crown from off his head: immediately all his old
ideas rushed on his mind, and inflamed him with an ardent desire to
revisit his country. The Fairy gave him a brand which was to be
preserved from burning, for so long as it was unconsumed, so long
should his life extend. She adds to her gift the horse Papillon and
his comrade Benoist. "And when they were both mounted, all the ladies
of the castle came to take leave of Ogier, by the command of king
Arthur and of Morgue la Faye, and they sounded an aubade of
instruments, the most melodious thing to hear that ever was listened
to; then, when the aubade was finished, they sung with the voice so
melodiously, that it was a thing so melodious that it seemed actually
to Ogier that he was in Paradise. Again, when that was over, they sung
with the instruments in such sweet concordance that it seemed rather
to be a thing divine than mortal."[81] The knight then took leave of
all, and a cloud, enveloping him and his companion, raised them, and
set them down by a fair fountain near Montpellier. Ogier displays his
ancient prowess, routs the infidels, and on the death of the king is
on the point of espousing the queen, when Morgue appears and takes him
back to Avalon. Since then Ogier has never reappeared in this world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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