It is my hope that you'll find them to be both educational and entertaining as I offer the first Behind the Ballad: "Edward"
~ Bec Harpold

Behind the Ballad of "Edward" aka "The Two Brothers"
Or The Origin of The Sacred Oak Grove
within the Celtic Religion

The basic understanding of the earth as a living being, in which humans and many other beings from plants to animals and invisible deities was held in common by all of the ancient cultures. Certain aspects, however, may be recognized as belonging to the Celts.

Natural features of the land, i.e.: the forests, natural wellsprings, rock formations, etc. were often the foundation for localized myths and beliefs. Many of the names of Celtic deities merely reflect their regional location, but this is also a key to their power, for the name, place and power were three strands woven together.

The massive forests that covered the earth at one time held special significance for the ancient cultures, and was a dominant feature within the Celtic religion. It's difficult for modern people to grasp the power and vitality generated by the primeval forests that once covered Europe.

The association of the Druids with stone circles is a popular misconception, as the megalithic religious monuments predate the appearance of the Celts or Druids. Druids were an aristocratic priesthood, generally divided into three orders, Judges, Prophets and Poets. A Druidic decision or judgment was the ultimate form of Celtic law, defined by tradition, orally preserved precedents, and poetic inspiration.

A description of Druids, given by Pliny, associates them, and by default, the Celts, with tree worship:

"Nothing is more sacred to the druids than the mistletoe and the tree on which it grows, especially if it be an oak. They seek the oak tree for their sacred groves, and no ceremony is complete without its branches. Whatever grows on the tree is sent from heaven, a sign that the tree has been chosen by the god."

Natural groves were especially sacred, and this reverence for groves and trees persisted in Ireland until a very late date, and is preserved in folklore today. This reverence for trees is also the basis of the rune like symbols that were used by the Celts, and especially by the Druid Priesthood, known as the Ogham (pronounced Oh'm). Many mistake the Runes of the Elder Futhark to be of Celtic origin when actually they belong to the Viking nations and not the Celts.

The Ogham is the language of the trees, with each of the 22 sacred trees representing a letter in the Celtic alphabet and also representing a meaning in the Celtic tree oracle. In the olden days, ancient Bards and Druids would string together leaves from the sacred trees making up words and sentences and then hang them in a clearing in the forest as messages to others. These clearings were referred to as Libraries, and the strings of leaves were known as books. Hence the term still used today as the Leaves of a Book.

These sacred trees, called bile, either of oak or ash, were sacrosanct in Ireland, and to cut one down was a terrible crime. We find this Celtic law preserved in oral tradition today in a ballad entitled "The Two Brothers", and recorded under the title "Edward" by Steeleye Span. It tells the story of one brother who kills another in retribution for "cutting down a little hazel bush that might have grown into a tree." I've presented both the lyrics to "Edward" as well as "The Two Brothers" ballad versions for comparison purposes.

Steele eye Span recorded "Edward" for their album Back In Line. A live recording from The Forum, London on September 2, 1995 was released on the CD The Journey and is also included in the compilation album Portfolio.

Lyrics
What's that blood upon your sword, Edward?
'T is the blood of my grey mare

Your grey mare's blood was never that red, Edward
You're telling lies, telling lies

What's that blood upon your sword, Edward?
'T is the blood of my greyhound

Greyhound's blood was never that red, Edward
You're telling lies, telling lies

What's that blood upon your sword, Edward?
'T is the blood of my great hawk

Great hawk's blood was never that red, Edward
You're telling lies

Chorus
And the sun will never shine, Edward
And the moon has lost his light
And the sun will never shine, Edward
You're telling lies, telling lies

What's that blood upon your sword, Edward?
It is the blood of my brother

Why did you kill your own brother, Edward?
You're telling lies, telling lies

Chorus

What will you do, where will you go, Edward?
What will you do, how will you live?

I'll sail away, I'll sail away, Mother
And you'll never see more of me

What of your wife, what of your son, Edward?
And what will you leave to your mother dear?

The curse of Hell to burn her with, Mother
But telling lies, telling lies,
Chorus

"The Two Brothers"
(Traditional ballad widespread in Britain and North America)
How come the blood on the point of your sword
My son come and tell to me?
Oh it is the blood of a little song bird
That sat in yonder tree tree tree
That sat in yonder tree

But a little bird's blood it was never so red
My son come and tell to me?
Oh it is the blood of my own greyhound
That would not run for me me me
That would not run for me
But a greyhound's blood it was never so rare
My son come and tell to me?
Oh it is the blood of my gray mare
That would not ride for me me me
That would not ride for me
But a gray mare's blood it was never so clear
My son come and tell to me?
Oh it is the blood of my own brother dear
That rode away with me me me
That rode away with me
And what did you two fall out about
My son come and tell to me?
Oh it was that he plucked up a little hazel* bush
That should of grown to a tree tree tree
That should of grown to a tree
And what will you do when your father come to know
My son come and tell to me?
Oh I'll set foot in a bottomless boat
And sail and sail across the sea
And sail across the sea
And when will you be coming back again
My son come and tell to me?
When Moon and Sun dance in yonder hill
And that will never be be be
And that will never be

Such ballads contain many relics from Celtic tradition, and the "two brothers" theme occurs again in the Grail legends, those of Merlin, and other medieval tales that retain and partly retell Celtic mythology.

Sacred trees grew over sacred springs or wells; this was a physical manifestation of a magical and universal concept. The physical tree and well were sacred sources of power, for they connected the Underworld, the Land, and the Overworld of sky and stars together. They also represented a vision of unity, the World Tree reaching into the stars. This concept, also shown as three worlds or levels typify the axis mundi in medieval and Renaissance texts, reaching through moon, sun and stars.

Trees are still decorated with offerings today in parts of Ireland, Scotland and Brittany, ostensibly dedicated to Christian saints who have taken over the guardianship of certain sanctified healing wells and springs. The trees around such holy water sources are hung with strips of coloured cloth, prayers or similar modest tokens in a tradition of offering and supplication that can be traced back to the pre-Christian Celtic era.

*Magickal properties associated with the Hazel Tree: Manifestation, spirit contact, protection and fertility

Resources:
Celtic Gods and Goddesses by R. J. Stewart
"Edward" from the "Portfolio" album by Steel Eye Span
"Celtic Myth & Magick" by Edain McCoy

Other books or topics that you may find of interest:
Druidic Traditions

"Book of Druidry" by Douglas Monroe
"The 21 Lessons of Merlin" by Douglas Monroe

Dryad Tradition

A feminist tradition of female Druidesses who were given their name by the tree faeries of the Celtic lands, who are also known as Dryads. Faery lore plays a strong role in their practices, and the majority of their other teachings are Druidic with a modern feminist slant.

Celtic Tradition

"Celtic Magic" by D. J. Conway

Music is "Edward" performed by SteelEye Span on several of their CD's

© Bec Harpold-2003 - Behind the Ballad are feature articles for www.TheHealingHealers.com. Permission to reproduce this article on the internet on personal, non-commercial, web pages is granted, provided content is not altered, and all credits are presented in their entirety. Permission for publishing in hard copy, or usage in newsletters must be obtained from the author. Email her at creative@creative-women.com