Sons And Daughters (of Robin Hood)

Antlered Crown and Standing Stone

(Damh the Bard)

A rousing anthem dedicated to the male principle of nature – the Pagan Horned God. Continuing the theme of previous songs such as Green and Grey, Noon of the Soltice and Pipes of Pan. This is a song to honour Cernunnos, Pan, Herne, and the Green Man.

I am the face within the leaves,
I’m the voice within the trees,
I am boy, I am man,
The face of the changing land,
And I have been your constant guide,
From your caves on the mountainside,
We have walked hand in hand.

And everywhere that I have been,
My passing turns the grey to green,
The birds sing to the dawn,
And the land has awoken,
Oh my lady lays with me,
And our love weaves a tapestry,
Eternal threads, unbroken.

(Chorus)
I am lover, I am father,
I am Horned God and King,
I’m the life in all of nature,
That is reborn every Spring.
Call of stag and cry of eagle,
I am Child of Barleycorn,
And I am the antlered crown,
And standing stone.

I am the oats the corn and grain,
A bearded man with a crooked cane,
Cut me down, I must die,
For the land to be born again.
But don’t you cry and don’t you grieve,
For soon the Wild Hunt I will lead,
On the night of Samhain.

The air is cold, the sky is grey,
Where am I this Winter’s day,
Bones of trees, fallen leaves,
The time of the Winter Queen,
But through the wind and snow and rain,
Know that a part of me remains,
Holly stands, evergreen.

Antlered Crown And Standing Stone from Antlered Crown And Standing Stone

Land, Sky and Sea
(Damh the Bard)

The ancient Celtic peoples seemed to have revered three elements instead of the usual four found in the Western Magical tradition – these being Land, Sky and Sea. I’m sure that fire would have featured somewhere because we know that they also revered the Sun. But here’s a song that speaks of the Wild Places, and my connection to them.

You are the rock, and you are the stone,
Rivers your blood, mountains your bone.
You are the Source, of all I’ll ever know,
Forever my Mother, forever my home.

(Chorus)
Oh this town is so cold,
Neon magicians they offer the fools their gold.
For there is a place I’d rather be,
In your wild places with the Land and the Sky and the Sea

Every step, follows those gone before,
Mystics and Saints, down to the shore,
Echoing waves, and the curlew’s cry,
A call out your name, and hear your reply.

Cynical thoughts, and lies that distort,
All that is true, all that is true,
They disappear, when I feel that you’re near,
When I’m with you, when I’m with you.

Land Sky And Sea from The Cauldron Born

Samhain Eve

(Damh the Bard)

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.

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.

Bridge 1:
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.

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.

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.

Bridge 2:
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.

Samhain Eve from Hills they are Hollow

Taken from the album 'Gypsy Punks - Underdog World Strike'. 

Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike

Think Locally, Fuck Globally

Verse:
You flying high the echoes of its cry.
Oh, oceans my eyes go more blue...
It's a clear sky of peace and sunlight...

Chorus:
Fly over the fields and the green hills even beyond them

The Echoes Of Its Cry - White Seagul

A song inspired by the old woodcuts that show Witches dancing with a horned figure from the times of the Witch hunts and the ‘Hammer of the Witches‘, the Inquisition (nobody ever expected them, apparently), Images that can still cut to the heart of some who see them, particularly those who still believe in a Dennis Whealtey-esque occult fraternity.

It’s all rubbish of course – propaganda to feed paranoia and build superstition for a power-hungry church. A topic I tried to address with my song Green and Grey.

But the Sabbat for modern Witches and Wiccans is a real thing. So I wanted to write a song that held within it that ecstasy of the union with Nature, the wildness of Dionysus, the drums beneath the moon, the roaring fire, the chanting, dancing – If you’ve been there, you know.

But you can keep your Devil, I’ll dance with Pan!!

VERSE 1

The day is done I turn my gaze towards the setting sun,

I taste the incense on the air, I hear the sound of drums,

The chill of the evening descends.

All day long I’ve been working hard for the man,

But now’s the time to ditch this skin and be who I am,

Some people just don’t understand,

You can keep your Devil I’ll dance with Pan!

Chorus:

For I will fly free,

On the wings of ecstasy,

And I will dance free,

To the music of Faerie.

Imbolc, Beltane,

Lughnasadh and Samhain,

Equinox and Solstice,

On hilltops in forests tonight,

To the Sabbat I will ride.

VERSE 2

I will dance with the Fearie Queen beneath the silver moon,

I will taste the honey mead and chant the Witch’s Rune,

My heart with the pulse of the land.

Witness now the union of chalice and of blade,

Of life and death and life again the union is made,

By power of land and of sea,

By power of will, so mote it be!

VERSE 3

The night is done the sun will rise on a brand new day,

And I along with millions go out to earn our pay,

People see just what they want to see.

But I have danced with the Faerie Queen, shared the mead of the sun.

I have worn the Oaken Crown before the Horned One,

And I’ll know it’s time to return,

When I see those Pagan fires burn!

Sabbat from Sabbat

The Well

Inkubus Sukkubus - Wytches (Chant)

Hymn To Herne

Hecate

Damh the Bard – is a modern-day Bard whose spirituality and love of folk tradition is expressed
through his music, storytelling and poetry. Drawing on the Bardic tradition, his performances are both entertaining and educational, speaking directly to the heart, and never without a good splash of humour.

With seven outstanding albums, and singing and speaking engagements all over the world, Damh has become one of the most popular contemporary pagan musicians – a musical storyteller who works within the world of myth: where the Faerie really do dance on Midsummer’s Eve, where the trees talk, and the Hollow Hills take you into the realms of Annwn, where the Goddess rides her horse, guiding you to magic, and the Horned God of old calls to you from the shadows of the Greenwood.

Along with his musical concerts, Damh has also given talks, run workshops and participated in panel discussions at conferences and camps in the UK, Europe, Australia, Canada and the USA, with his favourite topics including Druidry, Awen and the creative quest, magick, treelore, and Arthurian lore.

Damh is the current Pendragon of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, and hosts their monthly podcast, DruidCast.

Samhain Eve from Hills they are Hollow

Damh the Bard

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