A Witch's Creed
A Witch's Creed is a tale of old folklore from Eberaadsel, the story has been told from generation to generation as story tellers travel about. It is often told as a children's tale around the fireplace before bed time.
For others, it serves as an origin story for the Mythical Creature of Voe.
Once upon a time, there was a king called Galmir, he ruled a faraway mighty kingdom, he was the most beautiful, fair and wealthy king there was, most regal of kings. He was known to his people as The good king for all his good-hearted deeds. He had everything he could want in life, wealth, respect, and a clean consciousness. He had everything except love, even with all his wealth and heart he still could not find true love. Then one day when he was out amongst the common folk, he saw in the crowds a woman, she had hair more beautiful than gold, she had eyes as green as emerald, she shone as the sun at the perfect sunset, it was love at first sight. He was so stunned by her that he forgot where he was and what he was doing, he rode his horse straight in to a marked stall and fell, when he came to his senses again she had disappeared into the crowd. He longed to see her again. A search was started, it was to go far and wide to find the lady with hair of gold and eyes of emerald. The search lasted for years, and they searched from the deepest valley to the highest peaks but still none could find her. Galmir couldn't stop thinking about her, he longed to see every day and every night, just one more time.
One winter night his scouts came bursting thru his court with news
"My king my king, there is news from the search,
there is a witch three days and three nights west of here that say she can help you fulfill your greatest wishes"
The very same night Galmir ride out with his entourage, he rode for three full days and three full nights arrived at the witches' hut. In the hut was a lady with hair more beautiful than silver, eyes as blue as sapphire, and a smile sweeter than any honey.
"Welcome, King Galmir" - The witch said.
She had the most beautiful voice Galmir had ever heard.
"You know who i am?" - Galmir said.
"I know a great many things my sire, and i would have known who you are even if you didn't come here with a herd of knights" - The witch said.
"Is it true that you can show me the way to my greatest desire?" - Galmir said.
"yes the gods show me a great deal of things, i can show you your greatest desire and your greatest wish, but it will come at a price" - The witch said.
"I am willing to pay any price to see here again" - Galmir said.
"Very well, the one you seek lives on a secluded farm not far from your home, but your greatest wish isn't of her, it is love, the truest love." - The witch said.
"This is the greatest news i have heard in my life! Thank you dearly" - Galmir said.
The witch chuckled to herself, a soothing calm chuckle
"I can point you to the exact farm but, i want my price first" - The witch said.
"very well name what you want and i shall provide it!" - Galmir said.
"My sire, there is only one thing i wish for, and it is the same as you, i want love, true love. My price is that you marry me instead of her" - The witch said.
Galmir was saddened by this, he could not accept it.
"That is the one thing i cannot give, i can give you anything else between the heavens and earth but that" - Galmir said.
The witch laughed,
"I figured so, she lives on a farm half a days travel west from your gates and then half a days travel to the south, there over a shallow river you will find a farm on a small hill" - The witch said.
"Thank you so much, is there anything i can do for you then?" - Galmir said.
"No, you don't need to pay" - the witch said smiling.
"Just never forget me"
"I will never forget your kind deed!" - Galmir said.
Galmir rides home at great speeds and cares not for anything else, after 3 nights and days he follows the witches' guidance. Half a day west, then half a day to the south, then he comes across the river and on a hill at the other side, he can see her. She was as beautiful as she was the first time all those years ago.
He crosses the river and rides up the hill to find a small well kept farm. When Galmir came closer he says
"Hello my dear, i have searched the farthest parts of the land to find you, may i ask your name?" She looks at him. But as soon as they meet eyes she fell over as if dead, Galmir rushes over to her and find she is alive. He carries her to her bed at the farm, and she wakes, all her light has gone, she could not speak or move her body, and it looked as if all the illness in the world has befallen her. She cannot even tell her own name. Galmir had all his courtly healers and herbalists try all they could to heal her, but to no avail. So He starts another search, they searched from the deepest valleys to the highest mountains for a cure for her, all the while he stayed by her side, told her stories and made her food. At a dark winter night a scout comes busting thru the farm door, "My lord my lord, there is news"
"Have you found a cure for my dearest" Gamir asked
"The witch, the witch has said she can cure any illness but only if the king can give a drop of his blood" the scout said Galmir said to the bed ridden beauty
"Stay strong my dearest, i will be back with a cure" Then they ride out in the snow, they ride for thee days and three nights, faster than he had ever ride before. Then they arrived at the Witches hut.
"welcome back my sire" the witch said as he arrived She was as beautiful as the first time he saw her
"I have never been so glad to see a face before" He said
"That is a lie my king" She chuckled "I have heard you are in search for a cure"
"yes, for my dear love, she is bed ridden with illness, no healer nor herbalist have been able to cure her, how can you help" he asked.
"I can give the girl eternal life for a steep price" But before the witch could finish her sentence Galmir said
"Name your price, No price is too steep for my dearest"
"So be it" The witch said.
Then the witch started chanting and her hair beautiful as sliver shriveled up to become grey as rock, her sapphire eyes became black as the darkest night. And with her voice as raspy as a crow said laughing
"A witch's creed is never earnest" She stole his soul and sold it to the darkest of gods. And the god of evil saw the noble soul it had been offered, and he took it and trapped his soul in the most hideous unlovable monster he could conjure up.
Galmir woke up where the witch hut had been, alone. He realized he had been tricked, he walked for 9 days and 9 nights back to his kingdom, only to find his very own people chase him away like a hideous wolf, 3 times he tried and 3 times he was chased away,
"Why do they hate me so" he asked him self
"I have only done them good" Then one starry night he say his reflection in a silent lake, and he screamed, it was the most hideous unlovable face he had seen in his life, and he wept as he realized he would never be able to see his dearest ever again, because not even she would be able to love a face like his.
When he arrived at the small farm house he saw from a distance that she had been cured and was well once more, and he thought to himself, as long as she is well i can be glad.
A hundred years pass by, where Galmir dedicates himself to protect the little farm. He is rarely seen but from the few sightings that have been made the people have started calling him the creature of Voe after the forest he has been inhabiting.
Galmir longed to talk to her once more, just to learn her name. One day Galmir was too slow to hide when he came across her in the woods, He weeped and closed his eyes in fear of seeing her flee, but then he felt her touch upon his cheek, and she said
"I would recognize you anywhere i go my love. let me awns er that very first question you asked me. My name is Mariell"
Even past his hideous appearance, she was able to recognize who it was and the two once more fell in love. They would meet every night in the forest near a silent lake, for a hundred years they meet, then one night the witch learned of their happiness, she was so furious that Mariell could love someone so hideous, so unlovable. so she swore that Galmir would never know happiness again and stole Mariell and hid her away for the rest of time, Galmir's heart was crushed, his sadness was depthless, and he searched far and wide, from the deepest valley to the highest mountains for he, but could not find Mariell nor the witch. And to this day it is said that the creature of Voe is searching the woods for his lost love Mariell.
The Tale of A Witch's Creed
Once upon a time, there was a king called Galmir, he ruled a faraway mighty kingdom, he was the most beautiful, fair and wealthy king there was, most regal of kings. He was known to his people as The good king for all his good-hearted deeds. He had everything he could want in life, wealth, respect, and a clean consciousness. He had everything except love, even with all his wealth and heart he still could not find true love. Then one day when he was out amongst the common folk, he saw in the crowds a woman, she had hair more beautiful than gold, she had eyes as green as emerald, she shone as the sun at the perfect sunset, it was love at first sight. He was so stunned by her that he forgot where he was and what he was doing, he rode his horse straight in to a marked stall and fell, when he came to his senses again she had disappeared into the crowd. He longed to see her again. A search was started, it was to go far and wide to find the lady with hair of gold and eyes of emerald. The search lasted for years, and they searched from the deepest valley to the highest peaks but still none could find her. Galmir couldn't stop thinking about her, he longed to see every day and every night, just one more time.
One winter night his scouts came bursting thru his court with news
"My king my king, there is news from the search,
there is a witch three days and three nights west of here that say she can help you fulfill your greatest wishes"
The very same night Galmir ride out with his entourage, he rode for three full days and three full nights arrived at the witches' hut. In the hut was a lady with hair more beautiful than silver, eyes as blue as sapphire, and a smile sweeter than any honey.
"Welcome, King Galmir" - The witch said.
She had the most beautiful voice Galmir had ever heard.
"You know who i am?" - Galmir said.
"I know a great many things my sire, and i would have known who you are even if you didn't come here with a herd of knights" - The witch said.
"Is it true that you can show me the way to my greatest desire?" - Galmir said.
"yes the gods show me a great deal of things, i can show you your greatest desire and your greatest wish, but it will come at a price" - The witch said.
"I am willing to pay any price to see here again" - Galmir said.
"Very well, the one you seek lives on a secluded farm not far from your home, but your greatest wish isn't of her, it is love, the truest love." - The witch said.
"This is the greatest news i have heard in my life! Thank you dearly" - Galmir said.
The witch chuckled to herself, a soothing calm chuckle
"I can point you to the exact farm but, i want my price first" - The witch said.
"very well name what you want and i shall provide it!" - Galmir said.
"My sire, there is only one thing i wish for, and it is the same as you, i want love, true love. My price is that you marry me instead of her" - The witch said.
Galmir was saddened by this, he could not accept it.
"That is the one thing i cannot give, i can give you anything else between the heavens and earth but that" - Galmir said.
The witch laughed,
"I figured so, she lives on a farm half a days travel west from your gates and then half a days travel to the south, there over a shallow river you will find a farm on a small hill" - The witch said.
"Thank you so much, is there anything i can do for you then?" - Galmir said.
"No, you don't need to pay" - the witch said smiling.
"Just never forget me"
"I will never forget your kind deed!" - Galmir said.
Galmir rides home at great speeds and cares not for anything else, after 3 nights and days he follows the witches' guidance. Half a day west, then half a day to the south, then he comes across the river and on a hill at the other side, he can see her. She was as beautiful as she was the first time all those years ago.
He crosses the river and rides up the hill to find a small well kept farm. When Galmir came closer he says
"Hello my dear, i have searched the farthest parts of the land to find you, may i ask your name?" She looks at him. But as soon as they meet eyes she fell over as if dead, Galmir rushes over to her and find she is alive. He carries her to her bed at the farm, and she wakes, all her light has gone, she could not speak or move her body, and it looked as if all the illness in the world has befallen her. She cannot even tell her own name. Galmir had all his courtly healers and herbalists try all they could to heal her, but to no avail. So He starts another search, they searched from the deepest valleys to the highest mountains for a cure for her, all the while he stayed by her side, told her stories and made her food. At a dark winter night a scout comes busting thru the farm door, "My lord my lord, there is news"
"Have you found a cure for my dearest" Gamir asked
"The witch, the witch has said she can cure any illness but only if the king can give a drop of his blood" the scout said Galmir said to the bed ridden beauty
"Stay strong my dearest, i will be back with a cure" Then they ride out in the snow, they ride for thee days and three nights, faster than he had ever ride before. Then they arrived at the Witches hut.
"welcome back my sire" the witch said as he arrived She was as beautiful as the first time he saw her
"I have never been so glad to see a face before" He said
"That is a lie my king" She chuckled "I have heard you are in search for a cure"
"yes, for my dear love, she is bed ridden with illness, no healer nor herbalist have been able to cure her, how can you help" he asked.
"I can give the girl eternal life for a steep price" But before the witch could finish her sentence Galmir said
"Name your price, No price is too steep for my dearest"
"So be it" The witch said.
Then the witch started chanting and her hair beautiful as sliver shriveled up to become grey as rock, her sapphire eyes became black as the darkest night. And with her voice as raspy as a crow said laughing
"A witch's creed is never earnest" She stole his soul and sold it to the darkest of gods. And the god of evil saw the noble soul it had been offered, and he took it and trapped his soul in the most hideous unlovable monster he could conjure up.
Galmir woke up where the witch hut had been, alone. He realized he had been tricked, he walked for 9 days and 9 nights back to his kingdom, only to find his very own people chase him away like a hideous wolf, 3 times he tried and 3 times he was chased away,
"Why do they hate me so" he asked him self
"I have only done them good" Then one starry night he say his reflection in a silent lake, and he screamed, it was the most hideous unlovable face he had seen in his life, and he wept as he realized he would never be able to see his dearest ever again, because not even she would be able to love a face like his.
When he arrived at the small farm house he saw from a distance that she had been cured and was well once more, and he thought to himself, as long as she is well i can be glad.
A hundred years pass by, where Galmir dedicates himself to protect the little farm. He is rarely seen but from the few sightings that have been made the people have started calling him the creature of Voe after the forest he has been inhabiting.
Galmir longed to talk to her once more, just to learn her name. One day Galmir was too slow to hide when he came across her in the woods, He weeped and closed his eyes in fear of seeing her flee, but then he felt her touch upon his cheek, and she said
"I would recognize you anywhere i go my love. let me awns er that very first question you asked me. My name is Mariell"
Even past his hideous appearance, she was able to recognize who it was and the two once more fell in love. They would meet every night in the forest near a silent lake, for a hundred years they meet, then one night the witch learned of their happiness, she was so furious that Mariell could love someone so hideous, so unlovable. so she swore that Galmir would never know happiness again and stole Mariell and hid her away for the rest of time, Galmir's heart was crushed, his sadness was depthless, and he searched far and wide, from the deepest valley to the highest mountains for he, but could not find Mariell nor the witch. And to this day it is said that the creature of Voe is searching the woods for his lost love Mariell.
Type
Text, Literary (Novel/Poetry)
Medium
Oral Tradition / Word of Mouth
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