Female; The Moon is full and rising
Making the meadow bright
And we maidens leap the circle 'round
Clad in the moon's soft light

A whisper in the meadow as
we wend through oak and corn
In fire the Oak King dies tonight
The Holly King is born

Male; The priests have entered the Giant's Dance
Of standing stone and spire
And in the dancing night we've seen
Fair Arianrhod's tower

While in the fields the maidens feel
Their skin against the corn
In fire the Oak King dies tonight
The Holly King is born

Female; The men shall dance the Old Sun in
With bells and ribbons green
While we will drive the cattle herds
The raging fires between

And to the barefoot meadow
Where sheep and lamb are shorn
In fire the Oak King dies tonight
The Holly King is born

Male; The Morris Men are in the glen
Their bells and ribbons gleam
To quicken the dead with rowan and thread
And thicken the harvest seed

With sword the fool is shattered
His clothes are tattered and torn
In fire the Oak King dies tonight
The Holly King is born

Male;
This day I've built a bower love
Where you and I may lie
Female;
There to share the Harvest Dream
Beneath the twilight sky

Male;
And there we'll seal our wedding
Female;
And love all lifetimes long
Both;
In fire the Oak King dies tonight
The Holly King is born



In ancient English celebrations of Solstice, men and women would dance
Morris and Garland dances, traditional rites that have existed for
centuries, to celebrate the death of the Oak God as the sun waned. The Holly
God was born with the sun's gradual sweep into winter. Couples who had
celebrated spring with lovemaking in the growing fields would marry on
Solstice day.

copyright © the author, 2000