Alban Arthan
Encyclopedia
In the Druidic tradition, Alban Arthan is a seasonal festival at the Winter solstice
. The name derives from the writings of Iolo Morganwg
.
Alban Arthan translates to Light of Winter. An older and more poetic meaning is Alban Arthuan, and this translates to Light of Arthur.
On the Solstice, druids would gather by the oldest Mistletoe clad Oak. The Chief Druid would make his way to the mistletoe to be cut whilst below, other Druids would hold open a sheet to catch it, making sure none of it touched the ground.
With his Golden Sickle, and in one chop, the Chief Druid would remove the mistletoe, to be caught below.
The early Christian church banned the use of mistletoe because of its association with Druids.
The holiday is observed in a manner that commemorates the death of the Holly King
identified with the wren bird (symbolizing the old year and the shortened sun
) at the hands of his son and successor, the robin redbreast Oak King (the new year and the new sun that begins to grow). The Battle of the Holly King and Oak King is re-enacted at rituals, both open and closed. The battle is usually in the form of words but there have been some sword battles.
The scene to the left depicts the Oak King's final strike against his brother, the Holly King and to ultimate victory, at least for the next six months. The battle shown took place at the Anderida Gorsedds open ritual for the Winter Solstice
or Mean Geimrech in 2005 at The Long Man of Wilmington.
Winter solstice
Winter solstice may refer to:* Winter solstice, astronomical event* Winter Solstice , former band* Winter Solstice: North , seasonal songs* Winter Solstice , 2005 American film...
. The name derives from the writings of Iolo Morganwg
Iolo Morganwg
Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg , was an influential Welsh antiquarian, poet, collector, and literary forger. He was widely considered a leading collector and expert on medieval Welsh literature in his day, but after his death it was revealed that he had forged a...
.
Alban Arthan translates to Light of Winter. An older and more poetic meaning is Alban Arthuan, and this translates to Light of Arthur.
With his Golden Sickle, and in one chop, the Chief Druid would remove the mistletoe, to be caught below.
The early Christian church banned the use of mistletoe because of its association with Druids.
The holiday is observed in a manner that commemorates the death of the Holly King
Holly King (myth)
The Holly King is a speculative archetype of modern studies of folklore and mythology which has been popularized in some Neopagan religions. In his book The White Goddess, the author Robert Graves proposed that the mythological figure of the Holly King represents one half of the year, while the...
identified with the wren bird (symbolizing the old year and the shortened sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
) at the hands of his son and successor, the robin redbreast Oak King (the new year and the new sun that begins to grow). The Battle of the Holly King and Oak King is re-enacted at rituals, both open and closed. The battle is usually in the form of words but there have been some sword battles.
The scene to the left depicts the Oak King's final strike against his brother, the Holly King and to ultimate victory, at least for the next six months. The battle shown took place at the Anderida Gorsedds open ritual for the Winter Solstice
Winter solstice
Winter solstice may refer to:* Winter solstice, astronomical event* Winter Solstice , former band* Winter Solstice: North , seasonal songs* Winter Solstice , 2005 American film...
or Mean Geimrech in 2005 at The Long Man of Wilmington.