The Consort

Sitting in his library, Llwydrew flipped through the books surrounding him, occasionally making notes.

"Cernunnos and Maponos...  they seem to be the key.  Light and dark, summer and winter.  Life and death."

He reads from the text. 

"Cernunnos and Maponos are gods central to the Celtic Pagan tradition, and in the Arthurian legends we meet them frequently in their various guises. Cernunnos is personified as a wild creature with striking antlers growing from his head. He has power over animals, and his influence can be seen when the cold weather turns the landscape into a harsh and unforgiving environment. He contrasts dramatically with the youthful Maponos, whose elegance may be seen in the emergence of new life as the Winter frosts begin to thaw. Maponos has power over plants and trees, and he leads them into the light of the year. Maponos is personified as the Green Man, and his face is a splash of oak leaves.  

The Celts divided the year into two halves, as opposed to the current divisions of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. To the Celts, the year was comprised of a light half and a dark half. The light half began at the Winter Solstice, when the days started to lengthen, and the dark half began at the Summer Solstice. Distinct seasonal patterns were also recognised, beginning and ending at the equinoxes.

Cernunnos and Maponos symbolize this cyclical struggle between darkness and light, and they do battle at the solstices. At the Summer Solstice (Litha), Cernunnos is the victor, but at the Winter Solstice (Yule), he is defeated by Maponos, who reigns until their next combat. In the Arthurian legends, the tale of Gawain and the Green Knight clearly represents the changing of the seasons. The story should be enjoyed in its entirety, but a brief summary follows. "1 (OOC See source sited at end of entry).

Drew laid down his pencil, thinking hard. 

"Winter, frost, death, but with the promise of rebirth.  And then the light and care, protectiveness only to be defeated by the dark, which is in turn reborn into light.  Where was that other reference to Cernunnos?"  He begins to flip through the pages rapidly. 

"Ah, here it is...  The great horned god."

"The consort of the Goddess and symbol of male energy in the form of the divine, The Horned God reigns. He is the lord of the woodlands, the hunt and animals. He provides for the tribe through the hunt and is honored or rewarded for his deed by being permitted to copulate with the Goddess through the Great Rite.

The Horned God is is the lord of life, death and the underworld. And is the Sun to the Goddess' Moon. He alternates with the Goddess in ruling over the fertility cycle of birth, death and rebirth. He is born at the winter solstice, unites with the Goddess in marriage at Bealtaine, and dies at the summer solstice to bring fertility to the land as the Sacred King. "2 (OOC See source sited at end of entry).

He laid the book down, thinking hard. 

"That sounds a lot like my beliefs.  And my summer and winter phases are a good bit like that.  Interesting.  Very interesting.  This is something to think further about.  Maybe Robyn can tell me more about this...  Guess we'll find out."

With that, he turned back to his books, continuing to make notes.

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OOC
1 - http://www.celticwolf.co.uk/religion.html
2 - http://www.paganspath.com/magik/hornedgod.htm
Used without permission, please don't sue me.

Tug Brice
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