Just So Stories

It’s been a big busy year. I’ve posted almost every day and now it’s time for another short break. I have a NY post scheduled with a round-up of the 2024 blog year, but aside from that, normal transmission will resume towards the end of January. I already have some reviews to write up, some new books have arrived to read and other bits to share. I’m planning on reading books that are not for reviews – for a change!! – and have already started – several down already. I wish you all a happy and safe festive season, regardless of how it looks. Here are some favourites for your enjoyment.

This video popped up in FB memories from around 10 years, I had shared it with The Kid – and when her mum saw it – she commented about K setting up a Xmas for the pet mice. Yes, I gave her the tiny tree for just that purpose LOL. It’s a bitter- sweet memory now that her mum is not with us.

The Legend of the Yule King

Long ago, in the depths of winter, when the days were shortest and the nights stretched endlessly, the people of the land would gather to honour the changing of the seasons. It was a time when the frost covered the earth in a sparkling blanket, and the wind howled through the trees, whispering of the old ways. In those days, there lived two mighty kings who ruled over the cycle of the year – the Yule King and the Oak King.

The Yule King, an ancient figure with a crown of holly and ivy, reigned over the darkest days of winter. His face was lined with the years, his beard long and white as the snow, and his cloak seemed woven from the very chill of the north winds. His kingdom was one of frost and stillness, a time when the land rested in slumber beneath the cold earth. The Yule King’s power was immense, for he governed the silence and stillness of winter, making the nights longer and the days shorter. He was a king of endurance, a guardian of the deep sleep that winter brings.

But though the Yule King was wise and revered, his reign could not last forever. For deep within the heart of the forest, a rival king, the Oak King, waited for his time to come. The Oak King was young and full of light, with a crown made of oak leaves and a heart as warm as the sun. His power grew as the days lengthened, for he was the king of spring and summer, the bringer of warmth and life. Every year, as the solstice approached, the Oak King prepared to challenge the Yule King for dominion over the land.

On the night of the winter solstice, when the darkness reached its peak, the two kings would meet in a great battle. The Yule King, with his cold and quiet strength, would face the Oak King, whose warmth and light had begun to stir beneath the earth. The battle was one of great force, each king wielding his power against the other. The Yule King brought the stillness of winter, and the Oak King brought the promise of the sun’s return.

As the night wore on, the Oak King, with his light growing ever stronger, would rise victorious. The Yule King’s power would wane, and the first signs of the sun’s return would be felt, ever so faintly, on the horizon. With his defeat, the Yule King would bow and retreat, retreating into the deep shadows of winter. His time had passed, and it was the Oak King’s turn to rule.

But the Yule King’s reign was not one of pure darkness, for it brought with it a quiet magic. His rule reminded the people of the importance of rest, of patience, and of the quiet strength found in times of hardship. Though his time was brief, his legacy lived on, for it was through winter’s stillness that the first stirrings of spring could grow.

And so, year after year, the battle between the Yule King and the Oak King continued, a dance as old as the land itself. When the Oak King reigned, life would return to the earth, and the world would be filled with light and warmth. But when the Yule King ruled, the people would remember the quiet power of winter, waiting in anticipation for the return of the sun, knowing that in time, the cycle would begin a new.

Watch Santa Claus, the Earliest Movie About Santa in Existence (1898)