Nexus - 0606 - New Times Magazine-pages

Page Content (OCR)

represented by, say, a boar or a horse. These totems were really work of poles. In later times, they were called Tepes (pronounced no more than the early predecessors of heraldry, whereby families "tepesh")—from which derived the American Indian tepee—and became identified by the animals, plants, shells and other devices they were reckoned to be Portals to the Netherworld, the sacred on their banners. domain of ancestral souls. Historically, the Wallans became very influential, founding It is from this mound-dwelling practice that the tribal name of great kingly dynasties in Ireland, Wales and England. The great the Cassi Kings evolved, for a Cassi was a Place of Wood. They Cadwallan of Wales was of this Druidic race, as was King were the seats of the Portal Guardians: the Oupires, the Ring Casswallan, the intrepid son of Beli Mawr—the greatest of all the Lords of the Sidhé, who, as we saw earlier, were later dubbed sovereign Wood Lords in about 100 BC. "vampires". Other totems, of course, were the various god and goddess rep- resentations, and it is especially relevant that one of these still ne of history's best known Grail Fairies was Princess holds a prime British national position today, having persisted Oise daughter of the Pictish King, Elinas of Alba—a though the centuries from the early culture of the Wood Lords. descendant of the 2nd-century King Vere of Caledonia, The original Wallans were apparent in Mesopotamia around Lord of the Dragon. In the year 733, Melusine (maintaining the 3,800 years ago, in about 1800 BC. They were called the family heritage) married Rainfroi de Vere, Prince of Anjou, and Yulannu, which meant, quite simply, Wood among their offspring was Count Maelo, the Lords. Indeed, it was from their culture that the commander of Emperor Charlemagne's army. original Yule tradition derived, subsequently From Maelo's own marriage to Charlemagne's making its way across Europe to Scandinavia. sister sprang the Vere Counts of Guisnes who, The venerated Goddess of the Yulannu was as previously mentioned, were the reputed Elf Barat An-na (Great Mother of the Fire-stone). Of all the monarchs Kings and became England's Great The Sumerians called her Antu. She was the Chamberlains and Earls of Oxford. wife of the god Anu, and the mother of Enki. who ever sat upon In the Arthurian and Magdalene traditions of n ater “Diy she was identified the alt o the throne of mn fine of th oly Grutl): Melecine ws in esus (Diana of the Nine Fires). The cult o: oodline of the Holy Grail), Melusine was a Barat An-na spread across Syria into the England, the Tudor "fountain fey"—an enchantress of the Phoenician aingdom, where they began 0 por- Queen, Elizabeth l, Underwood. ra fountain “ Verrigres cn Forez ray her on their coins. In these representa- was called Lusina (meaning "Light- tions, she sat by the seashore with a torch was by far the most bringer"), from which derived the name of of fire, and at her side was a round shield in tune with the Royal House of Lusignan—the bearing the cross of the Rosi-crucis. ancient cultures Crusader Kings of Jerusalem. The Fount of and wood lore. Along with the Wallan Druids, the cul- Melusine was said to be located deep with- ture of Barat An-na was brought to the in a thicket wood in Anjou, and Melusine British islands, where her name became was often depicted as a mermaid—as she is compacted to Bratanna. And in those still beguilingly portrayed in an old paint- islands, her image persisted to the extent ing at Count Dracula's Bran Castle in that she became the great tribal goddess—a Romania. goddess who, despite all the emergent cen- In the 12th-century, Melusine's descen- turies of Christianity, has prevailed to this dant, Robert de Vere, 3rd Earl of Oxford very day. Her image on the coins has bare- and legal pretender to the Earldom of ly altered, except that her flaming torch became a lighthouse, and = Huntingdon, was appointed as King Richard I's Steward of the the Rosi-crucis cross of her shield was amended to become the forest lands of Fitzooth. As Lord of the Greenwood and titular Union Jack. But, after all this time, she is still the Mother Herne of the Wild Hunt, he was a popular people's champion of Goddess of the land, the Lady of the Fire-stone: Britannia. the Sidhé heritage—as a result of which he was outlawed for tak- Earlier, I mentioned the mighty King Casswallan who reigned ing up arms against King John. It was he who, subsequently in Britain at about the time of King Herod the Great. By virtue of styled Robin Fitzooth, became the prototype for the popular tales being the son of the great Beli Mawr, he was not only a Wood of Robin Hood. Lord but was also a Ring Lord of the Cassi; hence, he was Cassi- Of all the monarchs who ever sat upon the throne of England, Wallan or Casswallan. the Tudor Queen, Elizabeth I, was by far the most in tune with The Cassi tribes were also from Mesopotamia, prior to which —_ ancient cultures and wood lore. She was even called the Faerie (having previously settled in the northern Zargos Mountains along Queene and, before being formally crowned, she was installed by with the Yulannu) they were Carpathian princes of the Sidhé. the people as their Queen of the Greenwood. This was an ancient They were, in fact, of the Tuatha Dé Danann Fairy strain. They ritual of the Shining Ones—the Elven Race of the Albi-gens. The reigned in regional Mesopotamia from the 18th century BC and, ceremony was conducted in the mist of early dawn in the depths from about 1600 BC, they governed all Babylonia for another 500 of Windsor Forest and, to facilitate the installation, the customary years. Robin Hood legacy of the House of Vere was brought into play. This particular race developed one of the oldest Ring cultures in At that time, the Queen's Lord Chamberlain was Edward de history and, in ancient Ireland, they were the sacred race of the Vere of Loxley, 17th Earl of Oxford, and it was his office to god-men: the Vere-Bolg. The greatest of their Ring shrines still invest Elizabeth by first deposing the Caille Daouine. This was exists, known as Newgrange today—originally a sacred royal seat the traditional King of the Forest (whose name had given rise to identified as a Rath. These shrines ("fairy rings") were called the Scotland's Pictish realm of Caledonia)—the mighty Stag of the Creachaire (temple-tombs), and they housed the Raths which Seven Tines, upon whose back Lord Vere rode into the ceremoni- were turf-covered mound dwellings constructed upon a frame- al clearing. work of poles. In later times, they were called Tepes (pronounced "tepesh")—from which derived the American Indian tepee—and they were reckoned to be Portals to the Netherworld, the sacred domain of ancestral souls. It is from this mound-dwelling practice that the tribal name of the Cassi Kings evolved, for a Cassi was a Place of Wood. They were the seats of the Portal Guardians: the Oupires, the Ring Lords of the Sidhé, who, as we saw earlier, were later dubbed "vampires". who ever sat upon _ the throne of ; England, the Tudor Queen, Elizabeth I, was by far the most in tune with years. This particular race developed one of the oldest Ring cultures in history and, in ancient Ireland, they were the sacred race of the god-men: the Vere-Bolg. The greatest of their Ring shrines still exists, known as Newgrange today—originally a sacred royal seat identified as a Rath. These shrines ("fairy rings") were called the Creachaire (temple-tombs), and they housed the Raths which were turf-covered mound dwellings constructed upon a frame- 44 = NEXUS Of all the monarchs ancient cultures and wood lore. OCTOBER — NOVEMBER 1999