The Hills they are Hollow – 2003

I wrote this on the same day as Grimspound, during my visit to Dartmoor. This song was written whilst sitting in the stone circle at Merrivale on Dartmoor and, like the Song of Awen, really sums up my view of Spirit.

Verse 1

As I walk upon this green land,
This land that love,
I see figures of chalk,
Carved into the hillsides above.
Cerne Abbas a man so proud,
And the Long Man opens wide the gates of his world,
And invites you to step inside.

Chorus
And the hills they are hollow and home to the Fey,
Who dance on Midsummer’s Eve,
Some people don’t understand when I say,
These are the things I believe.
These are the tings I believe.

Verse 2

There is an old circle of stones,
That stands on the moor,
Every moss-covered face,
Tells the secrets of ancient lore.
The Tors stand as guardians,
Witnesses to the Rites of Nature’s Gods,
Of Darkness and of Light.

Verse 3

Let’s sing of the mystery,
Of Sacred Land,
See the shapes in the corn,
Made by invisible hands,
Secrets of the Pagan Ways,
Lie all around,
Written upon the Earth,
In rock and Sacred Mound!

I had written three songs about Blodeuwedd, and wanted to write a song dedicated to her darker sister, Arianrhod. She was my guide through my Ovate grade studies with the OBOD, so this is my gift to you, Lady of Changes.

Verse 1

High in the Castle of Glass,
A Silver Wheel turns in the night,
Slender hands guide a thread,
Keeping it true, keeping it tight,
As it spins, fate it begins,
To opens its eyes,
Lady of the Moon, of the Stars,
In the Spiral Castle I hear you sing.

Chorus
Lady of the Silver Wheel,
Lady of the Silver Wheel,
Arianrhod, Lady of Changes you spin the Web of Life.

Verse 2

Gather up every thread,
Weave them together, join them as one,
The spindle begins to turn,
A soul’s new journey has begun
On the Earth, with every birth,
So the web that joins together all life
Is as one, daughter and son,
Animal, human, old and young.

Verse 3

Autumn begins to fall,
And the Moon wanes and seasons grow cold.
We all hear the Raven’s call,
Some while young, others grow old,
Oh she sings, the last chorus begins,
With a voice as gentle as Winter’s Lace,
A new thread through the wheel it is fed,
Woe to those who see her face.

(Traditional – arranged by Damh the Bard)

There were three men came out of the West
Their fortunes for to try
And these three men made a solemn vow
John Barleycorn must die.
They ploughed, they sowed, they harrowed him in
Threw clods all upon his head
And these three men made a solemn vow
John barleycorn was Dead.

They let him stand for a very long time
Till the rains from heaven did fall
Then little Sir John’s sprung up his head
And so amazed them all
They let him stand till the Midsummer Day
Till he grew both pale and wan
Then little Sir John’s grew a great, long beard
And so become a man.

They hire’d men with scythes so sharp
To cut him off at the knee.
They bound him and tied him around the waist
Serving him most barb’rously.
They hire’d men with their sharp pitch-forks
To prick him to the heart
But the drover served him worse than that
For he’s bound him to a cart.

They rolled him around and around the field
Till they came unto a barn
And these three men made a solemn mow
Of poor John Barleycorn
They hire’d men with crab-tree sticks
To strip him skin from bone
But the miller, served him worse than that,
For he’s ground him between two stones.

Here’s Little sir John in the nut-brown bowl
And brandy in the glass
But Little Sir John in the nut-brown bowl’s
Proved the stronger man at last
For the hunts man he can’t hunt the fox
Nor cheerily blow his horn
And the tinker, can’t mend Kettle or pot
Without a little Barleycorn.

Grimspound is a late bronze age/early iron age settlement on Dartmoor. The roundhouses can be seen within the compound. I was having a real problem with writers block – I had loads of tunes, but no lyrics. So one day I took myself and my guitar off to Dartmoor, sat in the largest roundhouse, communed with the Spirit of Place, and this song was the result. I would thoroughly recommend visiting the site, it is breathtakingly awesome.

Verse 1

Deep in the wildland,
Stones placed by a cold hand,
A tribe of the heartland,
A world far away.
The forest surrounds them,
And Spirits have found them,
They drink from the fountain,
On the noon of the day.

Chorus
The wind and the rain,
They still whistper its name,
And the name that they whisper,
Grimspound.

Verse 2

I hear voices singing,
And fires they are burning,
The young they are learning,
From the Elders of the Tribe,
The brands they are lifted,
The names they are gifted,
And the initiated,
Are welcomed inside.

Verse 3

The trees they have fallen,
Ravens’ lamentation,
The ghosts they still wander,
Within these fallen walls,
I feel your eyes on me,
Your spirit will still be,
Here for all to see,
Through the circles of time.

I wrote this song for Cerri, who was with me when I went through a very difficult stage in my life. As I wrote the words, and sang the final song through, I realised once more the importance of faith – faith in love and in friendship, to see us though those difficult times.

Verse 1

Sailing miles on an endless sea,
The shoulders of the ocean carry me.
A sign of land, a haven shore,
My sails catch the wind and I’m home once more.
A tired sailor coming home from war.
I can ride the storm because I know that…

Chorus
She is ever with me, ever with me,
The way that the Sun shines,
She is ever with me, ever with me,
The way that the Sun shines, ever with me.

Verse 2

She was there through the darkest times,
When the sunlight didn’t seem to shine,
Took my hand and she led me through,
The maze I had fallen in to,
And in the centre I stand with you.
I feel alive again, because I know that….

Verse 3

Now I watch the sands of time,
Slip through my fingers as it passes by,
In this life I can call my own,
For I know that I am not alone,
She will find me a lead me home.
And through the passing years I know that…

This song was originally going to be called Herne’s Apprentice, about an apprentice, and his Shaman teacher walking into a forest as the old Shaman prepares to move on. But as I wote the song, it developed into a touching dialogue between Father and Son. A tear jerker, this one…

Verse 1

Take your time,
Cause I can’t walk any faster,
With every step you take you’ll find,
That my time is drawing closer.
And all I’ve said and all I’ve done,
You are my friend, my only Son.

Chorus
And I love you,
You’re my friend, my only Son,
I’m your Father,
Please don’t look away,
For the dark of the night will give way to a bright new day.

Verse 2

Take my hand,
For this journey is almost over,
I can see the Western Lands,
And their hills are clad in clover.
I swear by blood, I swear by bone,
That you will never be alone.

Verse 3

Beside this stream,
With its gentle waters flowing,
I close my eyes to end this dream,
With Spring’s new leaves unfurling,
And when the Lady calls your name,
I’ll hold you in my arms again.

With this song I wanted to capture the animalistic, and wild aspects of the Pagan paths. I was picturing the night of the Winter Solstice, when all over the planet Pagans gather to celebrate the rebirth of the Sun Child, the Mabon. I also wanted to give a feel that he, too, was watching us……

Verse 1

Twisting shapes in the moonlight,
I hear the rhythm of the distant Pagan drums,
Within the hills,
Shadows dance in the sunlight,
I feel the power of the wise and ancient ones,
Now I must go.

Climb
Beyond the world we see,
Where Spirit runs with bull and stallion,
Cross Earth and Sky and Sea,
The Mabon I shall be.

Chorus
By Earth and Water, Air and Fire,
With blood and spirit and desire,
A fire in my head I will wear the antlered crown.

Verse 2

Fires burning at midnight,
Across the world I hear my story being told,
Father and Son.
Chanting voices at midnight,
Are singing songs about the power that I hold,
The newborn Sun.

Climb
Beyond the world we see,
Where Spirit runs with bull and stallion,
Cross Earth and Sky and Sea,
The Mabon I shall be.

Chorus
By Earth and Water, Air and Fire,
With blood and spirit and desire,
A fire in my head I will wear the antlered crown.
And in the forest dance with me,
And in your heart you shall be free,
For I am you, and you shall find,
That you are me.

Verse 3

Shadows cast in the sunlight,
I see my children turn their eyes towards the sky,
Towards the Sun.
Dawn of life in the sulight,
Mithras, Osiris, Dionysis, Herne and Pan,
We all are one.

Modern Halloween can seem a little commercial these days, but there was a time when, for some, this night was filled with fear. Some of the old Celtic tales tell of the way that, at Samhain, the veil between the world is at its thinnest. The Faerie, and the dead walk this earth once more. So let’s bring a bit more of the fear-factor into this sacred night, but not a fear borne of fright, but of awe.

Verse 1

Close the door, keep out the storm,
Far away, far away,
Keep the need-fires burning til dawn,
Oh, leave my soul.
For the cold will come this night,
From far away, far away,
Frost will fall ,and ice will bite,
Oh leave my soul.

Chorus
Oh leave my soul,
Please pass me by when the evening falls,
Oh blessed are we,
The Taker of Souls we shall see.
On Samhain Eve.

Verse 2

I can hear the Hunter’s hounds
Far away, far away,
I will cast the Circle round,
Oh leave my soul.
Raven-witch I feel your breath,
Far away, far away,
Bringing with you Summer’s death,
Oh leave my soul.

Verse 3

Sunrise, the tolling bell,
Far away, far away,
Breaks the Raven-witches spell,
Oh blessed are we.
The leaves of the Oaken King,
Fade away, fade away,
Feed the seeds that will come in Spring
Oh blessed are we.

Chorus
Oh blessed are we,
Summer will come with the May on the tree,
Oh hail to the Queen,

And under the Sun we shall sing,
To call in the Spring.

I had the tune, and title, of this song for ages, but simply couldn’t find the words! Then I thought about the Celtic Ogham, and words began to be whispered into my ear, as the pen began to flow. It is the complete 20 tree Ogham, in order, sung as a Bardic mnemonic.

Verse 1

I am the Birch of the new beginnings,
The Rowan star with magic guarding,
Alder sight the future showing,
Sweet Willow sees her Moon arising,
Ash the three realms he is touching,
Hawthorn tells us the May is coming,
Mighty Oak with strength is stahding,
The Holly on his chariot riding.

Chorus
Come follow me, come dance with me,
Come with me to the Greenwood Grove such magic there to see.
The Lord of the Wild, with his Faerie kin,
Deep within the Greenwood Grove,
We’ll dance the Magic Ring.

Verse 2

Wise Hazel watches the salmon feeding,
The Faerie Apple seed is falling,
The Vine is ripe intoxicating,
I am the Ivy heed my warning,
Yellow Broom I offer healing,
Blackthorn sharp for death preparing,
The Elder is a life of learning,
Fir the distant future showing.

Verse 3

I am the gorse I am destroying,
Heather from death recreating,
Hear the Aspen’s leaves a-whispering,
That Yew is death and life returning.

Merlin has always been a fascination of mine ever since I was a child. He was with me through my Druid grade studies with the OBOD, and I really wanted to tell his story through song. This is not the Arthurian Merlin, but the Shaman Druid, whose tale lives on in the very rock of Clas Myrdhin, the Island of the Mighty, Merlin’s Isle.

Verse 1

In a tower on the western shore,
A woman cries in pain,
Outside a storm gathers,
As a soul is born again.
The wisdom of all the worlds,
Shines like the Sun from his eyes,
His Father a God of the Earth,
Holds his Mother in his arms as she dies.

Chorus
Merlin am I, Merlin am I,
I know the secrets,
Of the land and the sky,
Land and the sky,
And you’ll hear my voice,
In the eagle’s cry,
Merlin am I.

Verse 2

A tower to the High King,
Comes crashing to the ground,
His Druids know the answer,
A sacrifice is found.
But the child sees deep in the Earth,
Two Dragons are stretching their wings,
Two tribes will fight for to claim this land,
Many die for the folly of Kings.

Spoken

Listen little pig,
Little trembling one,
Under this blanket I find no repose.
Since the battle of Arderydd,
I no longer care,
If the sky falls,
Or the sea overflows.

Verse 3

The forest is calling him,
From a field soaked in blood,
Where hundreds lie dying,
All the people he loved,
Now he runs in the shadows,
And madness, the future reveals,
That the Island of Britain is Merlin’s Isle,
And he lives here still.

This song is an autobiography of my spiritual life, and contains my interaction with the Stag, the Fey, the sea, and Seagull. Come sing with me….

Verse 1

I thought that I’d never see,
All the wonder and mystery,
All around me, around me,
Then I met the Spirit of the Stag,
And I climbed upon his back,
When her found me, he found me.

Bridge
And Now, I can never return,
To the way I once had been,
For I have been to the Land of the Young,
Take my hand, Follow me,
Hear our song….

Chorus
Come with me and I’ll take you away,
To the Land of the Ever Young,
Through the hills to the home of the Fey,
Where the air is warmed by the Sun,
It’s all around just listen,
And I will take you there.
Take you there.

Verse 2

I felt the power of the sea,
Of Manannan’s great City,
All around me, around me,
Then I swam deep among Apple trees,
The tide like the gentle breeze,
All around me, around me.

Verse 3

I raise my feathered wings,
Hear the wind and the song she sings,
All around me, around me,
And I know the freedom of the skies,
Up here where the Seagull flies,
All around me, around me.