The Fae Of Roche Menor
Where the road cuts through the ryeĀ
I saw the stars and swear I heard
Them singing in the heathen sky
As, all about me, magic stirred ā
And in the air there hung a chill,
Yet though the stars shone merry bright
The moon herself shone brighter still
In Camelot that night.
T'was not the stars but voices near
(And not from men like you or I)
Who sang their songs of pagan cheer.
I held my breath as they walked by;
Laid still as death and watched ā and there,
Right there beneath the moon I saw
(And this be true I do so swear)
The fae of Roche Menor.
The fae of Roche Menor they were,
Of that I had no doubt at all ā
And I hid myself lest I incur
The cursĆØd fate that may befall
An innocent abroad so late.
No sane man tests the faeries' might
Yet Merlin met them at the gates
In Camelot that night.
That the man who wields such power
Over our dear and Christian king
Iās out within the witching hour
Is a question that needs answering.
I saw him take from them a chair,
T'was not like one I'd seen beforeĀ
And Merlin paid them then and there ā
The fae of Roche Menor.
He paid them all with silver rings
And cambric cloth and coins of gold,
For faeries like the finer things,
And each one had all they could hold.
They left old Merlin standing there,
Left him with many blessings bright
And thereupon he kissed the chair
In Camelot that night.
He took the chair and walked away
Through midnight shadows (gone from sight)
And all was quiet as I lay
Beneath the blanket of the night.
And was this only but a dream?
T'was not a dream, of that I'm sure,
For I am certain that I'd seen
The fae of Roche Menor.
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Comments
Brilliant Tina! A brilliant and most magical read throughout.
Great poetry entwined in the Arthurian/Camelot legends even Merlin revealing his presence felt. Superb and captivating reading with faeries for good measure. And can only assume Roche Menor is their underground home, for my Arthurian legend is a bit rusty.
Great story and a perfect rhyme scheme and one that is never easy when writing at length to pull off and not wander off the thematic poetry path and pad it.
But you've done and delivered in splendid spades! Beautiful writing.
Perhaps a follow up of Avalon.
Great to see you back writing and delivering more than touch of class my friend.
Something special and equally wondrous and magical.x.
Ā
Hi Shaun, thankyou my friend for such a fabulous comment. Have you heard of the siege perilous? Or the Perilous chair.Ā It was a chair that only the bravest and truest knight could sit in at the round table. It was, as it turns out, Sir Galahads chair. Knights who say in it did not survive it as it was waiting for Galahad. It was said in one tale that Merlin made it and in another tale it was given to Merlin by the fairy of Roche Menor. I used poetic license and imagined a witness at the chairs arrival. Really glad you like it!Ā Thank you so much for reading and commenting x
Tina hello there and to be honest Nordic, Roman and Greek were my fortes. The Perilous chair or Sedd Peryglus was that empty chair at Camelot and was then given to Galahad for delivering the Holy Grail.
Now I see it much more clearly in your poem with the chair and Merlin relationship.
He's preparing the ground so to speak for any noble knight who takes up the challenge or quest and survives, as the witness views its delivery.
And simply didn't know about the knights who died after sitting in it before Galahad earnt it.
So now more than ever you deserve more than five stars.
And your unique imagination is a joy to see on offer here.
Stay well and thank you again my friend and for enlightening me. x.Ā
You are very welcome, and thankyou again xx
Beautiful, beautiful writing Tina! The Inklings of Oxford would be proud of this. Wonderful atmosphere of fokelore legend that you have created, a fireside tale to relish on long, cold Autumn and Winter spectral misty evenings. Superb writing from an immensely talented, skilled writer at the pinnacle of her craft. Brilliant! Thoroughly enjoyed reading this, marvellous entertaiment. Thank you for sharing it. Warm regards and hugs to you dear friend. XXX
Hi Tony, thankyou for your kindness regarding my work. I imagined a witness to the arrival of the Perrilous chair in Camelot. I used a lot of poetic license lol. Thank you so much for reading and for leaving such a warm and wonderful comment xx
Tina what a great poemĀ
I just loved itĀ
what a masterpiece
this poem
is
Bless you and thank you Greg. I am really happy you like the poem x
I believe it was in Le MorteĀ d'Arthur where, in the late 1400's, the foundation was laid for this.....but......and I just had to comment on this most impressive & poetically creative undertaking........because my AP English teachers would be VERY disappointed in me if I were NOT to comment....... given that we spent an entire Half semester on the book (smiles) .......I must simply state that it takes "Big Balls" to take this on....and you, dear poet sister, have tapped into the 'simply brilliant' and undeniably 'creative' excellence of the sublime here!!.......truly artistic and powerfully compelling BEING ME!!.....PINNED for perfection!!.....well conceived & BEAUTIFULLY delivered dear poet sister!!.....LOVE & ROCKETS!!.....T xoĀ :Ā )
Thankyou Tony!Ā Yes, the Siege Perilous or the perilous seat. The unnamed chair at the round table for only the most noblest knight, which turned out to be Sir Galahad I believe. Some stories say Merlin made the chair others that it was made by the fairy of Roche Menor. In my poem a witness, the narrator, saw a group of fairies from Roche Menor deliver the chair to Merlin. I like mixing things up a bit lol. Thank you so much for reading and leaving such an insightful comment it is much appreciated x
WOW!!! When you post it is ALWAYS worth waiting for!! Your skill in story telling whether in books as in your published book 'The Garrow King' or in poetry ...are excellent Tina. Your love of myth and legend shines!!... and is passed on to the reader. I was enthralled reading this and was inspired to google and find out more.
The flow here is brilliant and also the choice of words
'He paid them all with with silver rings
And cambric coins of gold,
For faeries like the finer things,
And each one had all they could hold.'
A truly stunning brilliantly written magical piece Tina...I.love your work...please come back and post more...you are MISSED!!! š
Ā
Hi Marion...thankyou so very much forcreading and commenting. I am happy you like this and really pleased it encouraged you to check out the legend. I do love a good story lol! I will try go get on here more.Ā Thank you againĀ and hugs xx
Bloody brilliant Tina. That's all I can say. Thanks for accepting my friend request on Fb. I hope you are well~
Hi Max!Ā Thank youĀ glad you like it. Thank you for reading x
Hello Tina, I am late to the party but wow what a find! I got a bit of goosebumps from the sheer magical atmosphere you created as you narrated this fine moment. A moment many people have no doubt talked about and questioned just who did make that special chair. There is so much hidden wonder in the King Arthur and Merlin stories. I think you kept that magic and wonderment alive here in this most exquisitely penned piece of poetry. Massive fan of all you do my friend. Always a true pleasure to find you have posted. You always deliver above and beyond with your skillful wording and vivid imaginationĀ
Gwen xxĀ
Aww, Gwen, what can I say? Thankyou seems, well, not enough but I do thank you ā very, very, very much for your high praise. And I thank you for reading too. I will go to your page and try and catch up with your work when I can. Thank you again š»xx
Merlin brilliant man with great magic and ideas.Ā
We all could do with him and Mohammed alley, glad your a visionary.Ā
Ā
Hi Liliana, a huge THANK YOU! x
More than liked but loved, so she gets my vote and qualifies to wear his pin ..
I am indeed mightily impressed .. and I aint kidding neither ... Furthermore, there are quite possibly far too many reasons to list why I am sitting here typing in awe ..
The words chosen and the way they are wielded & subsequently laid and played certainly play a big part .. The construction flow and feel throughout, not to mention the historical accuracy and detail woven like some amazing tapestry from end to end are also contributory factors .. but there are additional reasons as well .. For indeed,Ā what this particular reader wouldn't give to have writ these fine words before thee dear Tina does not even bear thinking about .. Ha .. all that, plus the fact the subject and characters are among my longstanding favourites ..Ā
There is an equally longstanding joke among my family members that I have some kind of affinity with all things Glastonbury .. indeed, I dont live too far away and I fear it bewitched me long ago ................. So ya see, under such circumstances, my hands were tied and I just had to award the toppest magikal marks possible ..
Neville :)Ā
Ā
Glastonbury is a very special place! I have to admit though, when I visited in August I didn't feel the same vibe as I have on all previous visits. Perhaps it is because of Covid, I still love the place though.
Thankyou so much for reading and for taking the time to write such an amazing comment. I am so happy you enjoyed reading the poem. I promise to return the favour (as I try to do for all those who comment) when I get time to get back on here later. THANK YOU! x
āāā
No worries whatsoever .. my pleasure, as ever ..Ā
Loved this, absolutely brilliantĀ
Great imagery and storytelling, I felt transported into a medieval time of sorcery and legendsĀ
fantasticĀ
lorna x
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Hi Lorna šĀ I am so happy you enjoyed reading this poem. Thankyou very, very much for reading and leaving a comment x
A masterpiece... loved this .
Bless you and thankyou so much Leah. You are very kind x
You're welcome.Ā
glad I read this again. You have my like and 5 stars.Ā
Sophisticated beautiful write. šššš§š»āāļøš§š¼š§š»āāļø
Thankyou so much, John, am happy you like it x
My Dear Tina,
Your lovely poem takes its readers on a trip back over half a millennium into the days of King Arthur's Court, Merlin's magic overpowering the evil that existed.Ā Bravo to this brilliant journey through Ancient Urban Legends.
All my love,
Larry xxx
Dear Larry, thank you for your kind words on this poem, very happy you like it š x
You are are the writer that I aspire to be! Such a stellar write my friend, really enjoyed reading this.Ā
Awww, Simon, you write sooo damned well yourself! You really do. I will catch up with your work today. It is good to see you back on here my friend! I hope you will stay here with us on Cosmo because right now Cosmo is in need of more poets who actually engage in conversation/ discussion etc as well as posting their work.
Thankyou so much for taking time out to read this and also, of course, for leaving such a lovely comment. Thank you xx
Very devine
Hi GregĀ how lovely to see you on Cosmo again! It is an honour that I see you here upon my page. I hope you and your family are well. Thankyou for reading and for commenting x
I am in awe of your sight, imagination, and skills, all gifts from the gods? if so, still well applied and most generously shared here.
Ā
you inspire me to revisit that epoch and the legend .... thank you
Hi Mark, please, please forgive my horrendously late reply to your lovely comment. I am glad to hear my poem nudged you to go and revisit the legend that is Camelot and the Seige Perilous. Many thanks for reading and thankyou for leaving your thoughts x