Here We Go Again [Gaul, 150 BCE] (tag: Rosmerta)
Aah, Beltane. Cernunnos had been around long enough to hear it called about twelve different variations on it, as well as Cetsamhain, and in his heart of hearts, he really preferred Cetsamhain over Beltane. But Beltane was much more descriptive of the pyromanical goings-on of the festival, and so he kept his own counsel and merely nodded when necessary and mused when it was not.
There was only one part of Beltane he was uncomfortable with, and that was the idea of the sacred marriage, or the Great Rite.
First, a leading woman of the village, a woman who had great honor among the people or who was chosen because of a special quality about her was anointed the May Queen on Beltane. Chosen beforehand, she would be crowned Queen at the break of day, and would spend the first few hours of the day waiting for the arrival of Cernunnos. As he arrived, he would be crowned May King, as he always was, and the May King and Queen would "re-enact" the wedding of the Earth Mother and Earth Father, ensuring fertility and good harvest for the upcoming season.
He was rather worn out with the pagentry, although it made the people happy. And he was racking up a great number of ex-wives, most of which remained as untouched as the day they'd come to him. If they hadn't come to him untouched, then he had no qualms about participating in the Great Rite with abandon, so long as the woman was willing, and they generally were. The ladies seemed to have no problem making love outside, fertilizing the fields with the ritual, and Cernunnos was glad to accomodate them.
This season was shaping up to be no different.
From his horns hung garlands of honeysuckle and wisteria, and a crown of hawthorne and roses sat upon his brow. A sacred bonfire of hazel and birch was being laid in the center of town, and as he walked by the houses, he could see the wives and mothers quickly putting out their fires. A youth was in charge of dipping hazel torches into a bucket of pitch for the re-lighting of the house fires later, and a young girl quickly ran about the village, leaving tiny frosted fairy cakes out for the good fairies. He carried by his side the ritual double-bladed Athame, and he was content to stand to the side and watch the decorations.
Until several maidens grabbed him by the arms, pleading for his help with the May Pole. Feeling a little conspicuous, Cernunnos nevertheless helped secure the pole in the ground, and fed the long swaths of red and white to the girls as they fastened them at the top of the May Pole. To test it out, he and the girls had a wild dance around the pole, spinning ever closer as the ribbons entwined and pulled them closer together, and they collapsed in a laughing, heavily-breathing pile to the wild applause of the adults gathered around.
A trilling of flute and harp brought Cernunnos to his feet, and the village elder began the ceremony with a prayer to the Earth Mother.
"Great earth mother! We give you praise today and ask for your blessing upon us. As seeds spring forth and grass grows green and winds blow gently and the rivers flow and the sun shines down upon our land, we offer thanks to you for your blessings and your gifts of life each spring."
There was a moment of solemn reflection, as the last grains from the previous year's harvest were fed into the sacred bonfire that had been laid, offering what they had to the Earth Mother as thanks and asking for her further blessing of bounty. Then the Elder began the prayers of the Great Rite, starting with the prayer to Cernunnos, which the deity mouthed silently along the with the elder."
"God of the green, Lord of the forest, I offer you my sacrifice. I ask you for your blessing.
You are the man in the trees, the green man of the woods, who brings life to the dawning spring. You are the deer in rut, mighty Horned One, who roams the autumn woods, the hunter circling round the oak, the antlers of the wild stag, and the lifeblood that spills upon the ground each season.
God of the green, Lord of the forest, I offer you my sacrifice. I ask you for your blessing."
Cernunnos removed his torc, and laid it on the ground in front of the elder's feet. The giving of the blessing was accepted, and the elder placed the torc about his own neck.
Now the fun began. Here came the May Queen, Cernunnos' bride-to-be, and he really, really hoped she'd come bearing the silver Chalice and not show-up with violets and primrose. He was dreading violets and primrose, because violets and primrose represented the act itself, rather than the ceremonial ritual with the Athame and Chalice.
"The leaves are budding across the land on the ash and oak and hawthorn trees. Magic rises around us in the forest and the hedges are filled with laughter and love. Dear lady, we offer you a gift, a gathering of flowers picked by our hands, woven into the circle of endless life. The bright colors of nature herself blend together to honor you, Queen of spring, as we give you honor this day. Spring is here and the land is fertile, ready to offer up gifts in your name. we pay you tribute, our lady, daughter of the Fae, and ask your blessing this Beltane."
The elders waited for the approach of the Queen, a wreath of scented lilac, wisteria, and rosemary. The lilacs were for the beauty of spring, the wisteria vine was for the Queen's welcoming of her King, just as the Mother welcomed the Father, the rosemary for the remembrance of all things the Earth Mother gave to both the people and the Father. Cernunnos knew that prayer by heart as well, and the soft strains of music accompanied the sprinkling of white and pink flower petals for the Queen's path.
Please let this Queen bear the Chalice, he prayed for himself.