Thomas the Rhymer and Queen of Elfland beneath the Eildon Tree.
The Eildon Tree was a sacred hawthorne in the hills of Ercildoun, where Thomas was said to hail from. And the hawthorn is also sometimes known as the fairy bush, for the fey folk are said to inhabit its branches and are its guardians. Sprigs of hawthorn and its flowers were gathered to serve as protection from evil.
A hundred years I slept beneath a thorn,
Until the tree was root and branches of my thought,
Until white petals blossomed in my crown.
--- Kathleen Raine "The Traveler"
* * *
On a completely different topic, a whimsical little book I did some fun illustrations for earlier this year will be coming out in July The Hotel Under the Sand by Kage Baker.
* From the publisher's blog, Tachyon Books, with some previews of the ink drawings I did for the interior.
truly, i can't believe how fast you work. beautiful serene colors !
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads-up on The Hotel Under the Sand... sounds like a great summer read for my nine-year-old.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, amazon.com doesn't have you listed as the illustrator. Which is a crime, in my opinion... ;)