Folklore : The Priest and the Fair Folk
Dec. 28th, 2018 10:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kimurhoThis is one of my favorite stories. It is from the Letter to Gaelic Learners #738 & 739 by Rory MacLean that was aired in Sept of 2013. Any fault in the translation is mine.
This story perfectly illustrates the core article of my faith.; to wit .. God's forgiveness and God’s mercy are available to all who seek Him.
This story represents one of the core diversions between reality and the world I’m building, the Celtic Christian Church accepted Otherfolk into their ranks, along with magic, and so was able to stand against the tyranny of the Church of Rome.
~~*~~
The Priest and the Fairies
According to legend, shortly after Columcille returned to the Island of Ile, one of the priests of Pabay went to the Isle of Skye to visit with the people. He reached a clearing in the woods where there were various stones here and there.
The priest had nothing but the clothes he wore and a staff (of office). The staff was the one worldly thing the priest owned and he valued it. It had been made by another priest near his monastery on the mainland of Scotland. It was made of ashwood.
The priest was tired and he sat to take a little rest. He put the staff nearby. While he was resting, he heard sounds and moving in the woods all around him. He was of the opinion that he was hearing voices, but they were small and they didn't belong to any mortal man.
He looked up and what was before him but a host of small people. They were between three and four feet in height. But aside from that, they were exactly like ordinary people.
He started up and, to protect himself, he made the sign of the cross. But that didn't frighten the host. One of them came forward - a little old man with a grey beard - and he went down on his knees. "I ask," he beseeched, "that you would bless my people." But these were like no people he had ever met before.
"Who are you?" asked the priest.
"Fairies," answered the elder. "We are asking of you to make a prayer for us. We have never received the blessing of God."
The priest rose. "Make a prayer for you?!" he said. "I will never do that. For such great sinners as you, there is no forgiveness."
The elder sighed but he said nothing.
A small old woman came forward. "There is joy in Heaven," she said, "about one sinner who repents. The person who comes seeking God will not be refused."
The wisewoman's words upset the priest. But still, he believed that fairies belonged to Hell.
"I would rather that my staff would become a tree again than that you would get God's forgiveness," he said. "Leave my sight!"
The fairies retreated. Although he was certain of his mission, there was doubt in the priest's mind. He thought of the face of the elder and of the wisewoman when he refused refused their pleas. His mind was full of thoughts and he forgot to take his staff with him when he left. He continued through the woods. He heard the wailing of the fairies. The sound was all through the woods.
The priest was traveling to visit with a family and he came to their hut. He baptised their new baby. And he gave warning to the child's parents to be careful because there were fairies in the neighbourhood.
He remembered his staff. The man of the house made him a new walkingstick ouf of ashwood. But the priest prized the old staff and he decided to look for it.
He left the house, and he returned to the woods. He arrived there but there was no sign of the staff. Where the priest had left the staff, a large ash-tree had risen.
The priest fell to his knees. He prayed for a long time. He remembered what he had said to the fairies. He repented. He believed that God had spoken to him. He called aloud to the little people abut they did not return. He moved through the woods. He heard the keening of the fairies but they wouldn't come near him.
The priest returned to Pabay where he received permission to leave the island in order to live in the woods. He preached sermons day and night to anyone who would listen to him. And to the animals and birds and trees. This was his message "God's forgiveness and how any person at all may receive it."
Gradually the wailing in the woods ceased, but the priest never saw the little people again.
This story perfectly illustrates the core article of my faith.; to wit .. God's forgiveness and God’s mercy are available to all who seek Him.
This story represents one of the core diversions between reality and the world I’m building, the Celtic Christian Church accepted Otherfolk into their ranks, along with magic, and so was able to stand against the tyranny of the Church of Rome.
~~*~~
The Priest and the Fairies
According to legend, shortly after Columcille returned to the Island of Ile, one of the priests of Pabay went to the Isle of Skye to visit with the people. He reached a clearing in the woods where there were various stones here and there.
The priest had nothing but the clothes he wore and a staff (of office). The staff was the one worldly thing the priest owned and he valued it. It had been made by another priest near his monastery on the mainland of Scotland. It was made of ashwood.
The priest was tired and he sat to take a little rest. He put the staff nearby. While he was resting, he heard sounds and moving in the woods all around him. He was of the opinion that he was hearing voices, but they were small and they didn't belong to any mortal man.
He looked up and what was before him but a host of small people. They were between three and four feet in height. But aside from that, they were exactly like ordinary people.
He started up and, to protect himself, he made the sign of the cross. But that didn't frighten the host. One of them came forward - a little old man with a grey beard - and he went down on his knees. "I ask," he beseeched, "that you would bless my people." But these were like no people he had ever met before.
"Who are you?" asked the priest.
"Fairies," answered the elder. "We are asking of you to make a prayer for us. We have never received the blessing of God."
The priest rose. "Make a prayer for you?!" he said. "I will never do that. For such great sinners as you, there is no forgiveness."
The elder sighed but he said nothing.
A small old woman came forward. "There is joy in Heaven," she said, "about one sinner who repents. The person who comes seeking God will not be refused."
The wisewoman's words upset the priest. But still, he believed that fairies belonged to Hell.
"I would rather that my staff would become a tree again than that you would get God's forgiveness," he said. "Leave my sight!"
The fairies retreated. Although he was certain of his mission, there was doubt in the priest's mind. He thought of the face of the elder and of the wisewoman when he refused refused their pleas. His mind was full of thoughts and he forgot to take his staff with him when he left. He continued through the woods. He heard the wailing of the fairies. The sound was all through the woods.
The priest was traveling to visit with a family and he came to their hut. He baptised their new baby. And he gave warning to the child's parents to be careful because there were fairies in the neighbourhood.
He remembered his staff. The man of the house made him a new walkingstick ouf of ashwood. But the priest prized the old staff and he decided to look for it.
He left the house, and he returned to the woods. He arrived there but there was no sign of the staff. Where the priest had left the staff, a large ash-tree had risen.
The priest fell to his knees. He prayed for a long time. He remembered what he had said to the fairies. He repented. He believed that God had spoken to him. He called aloud to the little people abut they did not return. He moved through the woods. He heard the keening of the fairies but they wouldn't come near him.
The priest returned to Pabay where he received permission to leave the island in order to live in the woods. He preached sermons day and night to anyone who would listen to him. And to the animals and birds and trees. This was his message "God's forgiveness and how any person at all may receive it."
Gradually the wailing in the woods ceased, but the priest never saw the little people again.
