THE DRUIDS PRIESTS AND WISE PEOPLE
II PART
Victor Manuel Guzmán Villena
Year 5767
Is about a semilegendary king whose existence was counted for the first time by Nenius, a historian of century IX.
The first history was increased by Godofredo de Monmouth, that described Arthur' youth and his relations with the magical Merlin. Later will be the Norman poet Wace, who will finish equipping the myth of Arthur of his definitive episodes and more famous creating the Round Table in the Roman of Brut.
He told the legend of Uther, king of what is known now like Great Britain, decided a day to sign Tha Peace with one of his more fierce enemies: the Duke of Cornwall. For that he invited the Duke and to his lady wife to his castle. When Uther knew the duchess Ingraine was totally enamored with her.
When she realized this situation, the duchess asks to her husband to retire immediately of the castle and return to their house. The Duke of Cornwall retired of the castle and reinitiated the war. The love of Uther for the duchess was so great that he became ill and asked for Merlin aid, the magician of the court.
He said to him the unique thing that he had was “Love Illness” and he could help him with one condition: the son whom he will have with Ingraine would give to him (to Merlin), to educate him and to prepare him to fulfill his destiny, that was not other than to be the greatest monarch of England.
This conversation animated Uther to go with his troops, in search of his love. The Duke found out his intentions and went to his encounter. In the Cornwall fight he dies and the messengers of Uther convince to Ingraine so that she becomes his wife. In the end, she acceded and soon they married.
When the heir was born, Merlin went to see Uther and this one gave him since he had promised. The creature was given to Sir Héctor, a nobleman of the court, that did not have knowledge of the real blood of the boy. The infant was baptized with the name of Arthur.
When Arthur counted on two years his father, Uther, died. It reigned entered then a stage of almost uncontrollable anarchy that lasted per years. A good day Merlin reunited with the archbishop of Canterbury said to him and to the noblemen of the court that would be Christ through a miracle that would indicate the legitimate successor of Uther.
The miracle was not wait long, and in the cemetery next to the church it appeared a sword fitted in a stone. In the leaf of the sword he was enrolled: “"Whoever draws this sword shall be the King of Britain”. Before this miracle all the noblemen tried to remove the sword, without no result. It was decided that, after the traditional match of every year, the attending Knights could prove luck with the miraculous sword.
In one of those matches (years after the death of Uther), participated Sir Héctor and Sir Kay; his son. Arthur did not participate because he was still a boy of 15 years, at the beginning of the competition, Sir Kay realized that did not have his sword, then asked to his stepbrother to look for it at his house.
Arthur went running to look for it but he could not enter his house, because it was closed, then remembered of the sword that was in the cemetery and was in his looks for it. It took the sword by his grip and removed it with total facility. When giving it to Sir Kay, this one right away realized that was the sword of the cemetery, so he showed to his father. Sir Héctor was full of stupefaction and he took his children to the cemetery. There he said to Arthur that returned the sword in its place, Arthur did it. Then, it urged him to removed it again. When seeing its adoptive son to so easily remove to the sword kneel down like Sir Kay. Arthur was astonished of this and Sir Héctor, with moved voice, explained to him that from that moment he would be the king of all Britain.
Then they went whit the archbishop and told him the great event. The archbishop reunited all the knights around the sword and let them to proved their luck. Arthur was left for the end he returned it and remove the sword from the stone easily, this time in front of a great number of people.Thus it was official proclaimed as king of all Britain and the sword were placed solemnly in a greater altar of the cathedral of Canterbury.
Shortly after its appointment, Arthur left one day to take a walk by a forest near the palace. In a solitary way he saw villians that were harassing a old poor man, when they saw Arthur approach left running. The king had not realized that the old defenseless one was not other that the magician of the court, the great Merlin. This one, far from to be thankful for his arrival to save him, said to Arthur I was waiting for you and I am going to save your life.
The young monarch did not understand him and continued walking along with the magician. Minutes later they met a horseman in the middle of the way, that with arrogant air said to them: “nobody happens this way without before fighting with me”. Arthur accepted the challenge and, although he fought with ferocity, the horseman was much more skilful. As much he was almost killed if it is not by the aid of Merlin that, thanks to his magical powers, induced sleep to the horseman. After this Merlin explained to him that the name of that arrogant knigt was Pellinore and would be the father of Percival and Lamorak of Wales. Percival would be the one who would look for the holy Grail.
Arthur did not give much importance to what the magician said, he was worried about his sword, that it was lost in the fight. Merlin assured to him that there was one sword best for him. Then they went to a near lake where, of a mysterious way, it was a straight arm that grasped a sword. “There it is your sword”, said Merlin. Arthur did not know how to get the sword and then he saw a raft with a young person dressed in whiter. Merlin said “she is the lady of the lake, you must convince her that she gives the sword to you”.
The lady approached them and the King requested the sword, she said to him that would occur if he granted a wish to her. Arthur accepted and the lady said to him: “Taking my boat and sails to where is the arm, it will give the sword you. As far as my desire, I will request it later from you”. When Arthur took finally the sword noticed that in the leaf he could read an inscription that said: “Excalibur”, more down said: “Take me”. And across of the leaf it said: “throw me far”. This sword would be the protagonist of innumerable victorious battles and great heroic acts.
King Arthur began his first years of government pacifaing the country, and creating a better state of life. Soon he was respected by his subjects and feared for his enemies. When he already had age to marry commented to him to Merlin that in a visit that he had done to the kingdom of Cameliard he had seen the daughter of the king and he did not stop thinking about her. Immediately he asked the magician to reunited a commission of representatives of the British kingdom to go where king Legradance to request the hand of Guenevere, his daughter. The king of Cameliard was enchanted with the proposal and besides granting the hand of the princess he sent a great gift to him , a round table that had given to him by Uther. In this table they fitted up to one hundred fifty seated knights.
When Arthur listened to the news brought to him by Marline, was glad and commanded to Sir Lancelot (his better horseman) to receive to Guenevere and to take her to the Palace. When Sir Lancelot saw the future queen for the first time fell in love and it happened the same as well to her. But they were conscious of the situation in that they were and preferred not to do anything on the matter.
The table was placed in a great hall in the palace. Arthur decided the better knights would sit down and to be able to sit down in it they would have to make a special oath of fidelity to the kingdom of Camelot, the church and the noblest customs. No knights who was member of this Order could make acts illegal, dishonest and much less criminal.
When they met for the first time before the table and they get ready to sit down a great lightning followed by to a strong thunderclap surprised them all. Merlin was in the round table hall, he said in very solemn tone: “Gentlemen now is the moment that each one pays tribute to the king”. One by one passing to the front of Arthur doing to him a reverence like submission act, fidelity and respect. As they were passing, the name of each knights appeared engraving in gold on the chairs. Once seated in their respective positions, they realized that exceeded by three chairs. Soon Merlin explained to them:
“Two of these three positions will be for the two better gentlemen of every year, and the other chair will be only for the worthiest man of the world. If anybody does not reunite merits to sit down in this chair and bear to sit down, dies in the act”. It was thus, in the future several Knights alternated the right to sit down in both seat of honor, but no one dared to sit down in the prohibited position. Not even Lancelot, considered the braver and worthy one of all the knights, dared thinking about the possibility of sitting down there.
Years later a great wise person appeared to the palace. Arthur welcome him. The anciant when saw the called vacant position: “the dangerous position”, said: “The spirit of Merlin visited me and he said to me in that chair will be seat the worthiest and purer gentleman of the kingdom, the one that will be able to bring the Holly Grail. This Knight has not been born yet”. All knights reunited were surprised by the revelation and Arthur was surprised much more when he knew of the death of the magician.
Holly Grail was the chalice where Joseph of Arimathea had deposited the blood of Jesus Christ. Was assumed that it had magical properties and that the being who managed to see it could be witness of a transcendental experience, spiritually speaking. Happened that a good day (twenty years of to have formed the Order of the round table) appeared Elaine at the palace, daughter of the Knight Pelle, with the son whom she had given to Lancelot.
When appearing the boy in the hall, the prohibited chair was object of a miracle: in the seat appeared engraving in letters of gold “this chair has to be occupied”. Sir Lancelot saw the message and knew that Galahad, his son, was the best prospectus to sit down in that chair. Time later, Galahad asked his father for the permission to comprise with the Order, Lancelot granted it. When Sir Galahad was 15 years old he entered the hall with the great table accompanied by anancient one. The old one pointed the prohibited seat to him and all the knights observed as the name of Galahad formed magically in the support of the chair.
Sir Galahad took seat in the prohibited chair and all were astonished whit the worthy knight and honors rendered to him. That same day, more early, had appeared in a lake a stone with a sword nailed in it. King Arthur insisted to Lancelot and Gawain so that they tried to remove the sword, but was Sir Galahad could remove it without the smaller difficulty. This sword had belonged to a great knight called Balin.
That day the traditional matches began, in which Galahad demonstrated his great abilities and his bravery. When those days of match finished, all the knights meet again at the round table. They began to discuss of the daily things of the kingdom and when the conversation was avanced they were interrupted by a strong thunderclap in the middle of the hall and next a great ray crossed the center of the table. All remained stupefied when seeing in front of them to lower through a ray the Holly Grail. Cover whit a fine gold fabric.
Once finished the appearance, Sir Gawaine rose and with a voice extremely moved he said: “The vision of Santo Grial has been denied to us and I announce that tomorrow I will leave in its search and will not return to Camelot until I have seen it”. This announcement affected to all them. One by one they went away raising and making the same oath.
King Arthur was constern. With tears in his eyes, he said to his dear nephew that with his decision had destined the Order to quick dissolution. All they would disperse by the world, and very few would return with life. The queen and Lancelot were sad and knew that the Order of the Knight of the Round Table began to dissolve for ever.
Many were the adventures of all the horsemen who were in search of Santo Grial, but were the three horsemen who stood out more by their achievements. These were: Sir Galahad, Sir Percival and Sir Bors. They accidentally were in a crossroad in a forest near the castle of king Pelles, Guardian of the holy relics. They were there for having dinner and spending the night. During dinner it happened an appearance of the Grial with angels around it and ancient person with a signboard in the forehead that said Joshep. This old one gave the communion to the presents, he went to Sir Galahad and he said to him: “You have already seen what you yearned so much for, but when you go to the city of Sarras you will see it far better. The three of you are going towards that city taking with you the Grial and this lance that contains the blood of Jesus Christ. Only one of you will return to Camelot”.
The three of them went away together and took a boat was waiting for them. When they arrived at Sarras, the king of that city felt afraid by the visit of these knights and thought that they could look for problems. He solved to stop them and to send them to a dark mazmorra. The three knights spent a year locked up. During this time the Holy Grail provided to them with foods and drinks. When the king of Sarras died, the town released the knigts and named Galahad their new sovereign. Sir Galahad governed by a year, during which he ordered to make a great altar where was place the Grail and the lance.
After all this interval of time it happened an appearance in front of this altar. In front of the Holly Grail was a old bishop kneel saying. All the presents: noble, priests and the knights, knelt and the bishop celebrated a mas with them. Soon went to Sir Galahad and he said: “Come closer, and you will see what you yearned for so much”. Sir Galahad approached, with hesitation for a few seconds and he turned around towards his friends.
With a gesture he leave them. In his face was reflected the satisfaction to obtain the greatest dream than was possible for him to be had. Later he knelt down next to the bishop and he fell dead to the ground. His soul raised with a group of querubins and the relics disappeared for ever.Sir
Percival and Sir Bors buried Sir Galahad. Percival dedicated since then to a hermit life and would die after a year. It was Sir Bors that returned to Camelot and he told king Arthur and to the queen whatever had occurred. The king understood that after the search of the Grail had been finished, he had not a lot of time left to his kingdom.
The government of king Arthur entered in a frank decay soon. The Order was not as glorious as before. The intrigues within the court began to destabilize the peace of the kingdom. One of these intrigues caused a sad fact and that soon it would unleash the civil war.
The destiny of the queen will be the bonfire, because she was a sinful one. The horsemen took different sides. Some defended to Lancelot, others followed Arthur. The king was confused,he could not restrain the bloody fight. He did not want to believe the treason of Guenevere, but the slaughter that Lancelot had realised not seemed right to him. Sir Lancelot wanted to end the fight, but he had to stop the people of Mordred that tried to burn Guenevere in the bonfire. He saved the queen, but in the fight he had to face Sir Gareth and to Sir Gaheris, brothers of Gawain, and he gave death to them.
In the end he decided to go away to the exile in France. Sir Gawain swore to persecute to the assassin of his brothers until killing him. He was accompany by the same Arthur to obtain his revenge, but it could not satisfy his desires, because Lancelot defeated himself in a duel where almost he is killed. While all this happened, Mordred had informed officially to all the kingdom of the death of king Arthur and it was self-proclaimed his successor.
King Arthur along with Gawain and a great army went back to recover the power. In the first battle against the forces of Mordred, Sir Gawain fell mortally wounded. Their last words were of repentance by not to have given account in time of the high treason of Mordred and confessed to have moved away king Arthur from Camelot to satiate his revenge. He wrote a short letter to Lancelot where he requested him to returned to England and help the king to defeat to the traitors. After this, he died.
The previous night to the last battle against Mordred, Arthur had a dream where Gawain said to him that he had to wait for Lancelot to face the forces of the traitor. If he did not do this, would die next to Mordred. The king decided then to reach a peace accord with Mordred, to give time to Sir Lancelotfor his arrived. Mordred accepted and they decided a day to make official the signature of the treaty of peace. In this appointment both leaders were accompany by all their army. The climate was tense and a bad movement could trigger the fight. It was the providence the one that caused the misfortune: a serpent bit the leg of a horse and the rider removed his sword to kill it. This was understood by the enemy army as a signal and all were to the battle ferociously. The loss of life was incredible. They were killed more than one hundred thousand soldiers. Of the troops of Arthur Sir Bevidere only survived. Mordred was alone. The king saw before himself his enemy and said: “Come life,come death”. And he went, with Excalibur in his right hand, to kill Mordred. This one died instantaneously, but Arthur fell upon the sword of his adversary and was very severely wounded as well.
Arthur was on the ground and remembered the message that had writing his sword in a side: “Throw me far”. Then he called Sir Bevidere with weak voice and he said to him: “ take my sword to the water and throw it far. Sir Bevidere took the sword but he did not want to get ride of it he hid it and told Arthur that he had done already what he requested. The king asked what had happened when he throw it and Bevidere responded that he only had seen the sword enter the water. He was reprimanded by Arthur and he said to him that he was a lying and he demanded to him that fulfilled his request. Bevidere tried to deceive the king again but this time he got so upset that he had to do it. When sending the sword to the water from its center a mysterious naked arm apperead which took the sword and it sank with her. The knight was deeply surprised and scared by the phenomenon that finished seeing. When counting it to Arthur, this one felt lightening and said: “now, take me near the water”.
When they arrived at the border of the lake, a raft was waiting for them. In the raft were three queens mourning dressed, with their faces covered by a black veil. Sir Bevidere placed his king in the raft and with tears in the eyes he said goodbye to him. The raft furrowed the waters and disappeared of the sight. There was never known the destination of Arturo's body and much less the identity of the queens who were accompanying him in the raft.
Days later, Sir Bevidere found a chapel, in which they had buried a gentleman brought by three mysterious ladies dressed in black. The noble knight supposed that was the body of Arthur and decided to construct a chapel and to dedicatehis life to be a hermit. While all that had happened, Sir Lancelot was heading to support the forces of Arthur. Soon he found Gawain's grave and found out the death of the king. He went to the chapel where devoted his life to the end like a hermit. When the queen died, shortly after his husband, he moved her body to the chapel where he assumed the corpse of king Arthur was lying.
The kingdom of Arthur had arrived at its aim. The anarchy would reign a long time. The court of king Arthur and his knights of the round table would become legend and they would never again so worthy men would coincide again with so pure ideals with the same place and in the same epoch.
Consulted source: The Celtas LegendDruidas lessons
Lesson 1
First an aspiring to Druida must have a noble spirit, a strong honesty, a great responsibility and by on all the things a pure and luminous heart. Those that want to journey the way of the pilgrims of the forest must know that there waits for them an engagement footpath where they will be persons in charge of helping to the evolution of the beings of this planet and of the Universe.
Lesson 2
One night the Druida teacher was walking next to his disciple along the leafy oaks forest. While they advanced the teacher was revealing to his disciple the mysteries and secrets of the night. Suddenly the teacher paused and lifted his sight to the sky. The astonished disciple stayed observing in silence his teacher. Slowly he directed his sight where the teacher had his focused look, in the contemplation state. Then he discerned the moon that was showing dark roundness only illuminated in its outline by a fine light.
The disciple accompanied his teacher in the contemplation. The minutes passed the teacher with the firm view in the sky said: “Observe this wonderful Moon, today is the sixth day of New Moon, she will help us tonight in the impossible thing”. My son always remembers that in this time you will be able to show the deepest wishes that come from your heart”. “Ask with respect for its blessing, and its energy will accompany your wish”. After these words the teacher with gentleness looked at his disciple with the sweetness of the wisdom. The disciple looked thankfully at his teacher, since minutes before contemplating the moon, he was meditating in a matter that had him worried and the teacher reading his thoughts had given him the answer. Both smiled and with the peace of those who possess the light of the love they continued their way for the mysterious footpath of the forest.
Lesson 3
It was a sunny day, my teacher and I were in the forest along with the lake meditating on the marvels of the Universe. Although my thoughts were turning aside towards the face of a maid who had captivated my heart and my constant question was how to captivate her.
My Master kept on contemplating the silence with a peace that only the time and the wisdom can offer. My peace was not the same, little by little the anxiety of solving my enigma began to be stronger than my calmness. Suddenly my teacher fixed the sight in me and with a kind but firm voice he said to me: "Son you must never use the magic with egoistic ends. He remembers that the Real Love is a Freedom not Tie”. “If with magic you try to tie a person to your being remember that the divine force that guides us sooner or later will put the things again in its place and only you will be suffer and punish for your error for the law of cause and effect. “That magic will return and its force will be you misfortune”.
Then I asked him twhat I can do with the love that had waked up in me for that maid. He answered to me: “You cannot tie but you can call from your heart”. If you call for your Real Love from your deep interior she will come to your encounter, if the maiden who captivates you is who must be next to you certainly she will come to you”. “But she does not respond to your call is the best thing follow your footpath and then the right maid sooner or later will appear”. Come son, approach to me and I will say to you an old enchantment that was used by my great teacher Merlin to find his beloved Viviane”. I approached him and my teacher revealed a powerful conjuration to call from the heart to the real Love.
Lesson 4
After having been for a time with my teacher in his home in the forest doing a work of inner development and incorporating some magical knowledge, he decided that it was a good afternoon to walk between the trees and the flowers of the wonderful scenery that surrounded us. I followed my master silently he was very concentrated and at those moments the best thing is observe his movements and not taking him from his conscious meditation as he used to call to those silents states.
Like that we were for long time of the way I devoted myself to enjoy and feel the wonderful spectacle that I had before me, that as there were spring eves, it was possible to appreciate the first sprouts of the plants, as the flowers began to put its shoots out and someone were already showing his first colors. After a time we come to a place where it seemed that the spring had come earlier. It was a circle formed by flowers of all colors, aromas and strange forms that were inviting to smile and breathe an air that was feeling renewed. The Master asked me to walk over the place and to look a little of firewood to do a small bonfire. I did that and after a little bit of having piled up an important firewood quantity I realized that the sun had moved back and little by little it was getting dark. On having observed my Master, I saw him sat in the soil in the middle of the circle of flowers, on having seen me he invited me to sit down along with him.
Now I understand! I said to my Master, that means that everything what we worked in the cabin was preparation for this moment. Exact my young apprentice! , now it is the right moment to ignite the fire of the manifestation, the light of a new cycle that brings joy, prosperity, love and new energies to follow the way of evolution and growth.
But before we must call our guides so that they can help us to harness the energy of the manifestation: “Song to the Earth, the Sky, the Fire, the Air, the Water by its life and its knowledge. To the Creative Father for the light of its essence, to the Goddess its lunar enchantments. To the silfos its smooth whistle, ondinas its transparent candor, the salamanders its enduring brilliance and the genies its prosperous protection. The light for its power to the Masters of the Cosmos. I ask in this Renaissance that shines in the Universe the Light of the union and begins the Era of the United Hands, of True Loves that together walk a footpath of Love. I request a time of Peace, Prosperity, that is Truth in all the beings and shines the light in all the Humanity”. Now, the Master said, with this Energy we ignite this wonderful bonfire and we ask what we want from the heart and from the all ositive that materializes in our lives.
Master - I asked to him that it happens if a day it rains or I am in a place closed far from a forest, I will not be able to make this beautiful ritual. Dear apprentice - he answered to me you can make it that you will replace the fire of the logs by a candle - with the care to always leave it far from a place that can cause some danger and you will put flowers in the four cardinal points in the house, North, South, East and West.
