[Elfsea] not too OT-Tribute to Gleann Abhann

Betsy Marshall betsy at softwareinnovation.com
Wed Nov 9 18:40:02 PST 2005





-----Original Message-----
From: meridian-ty at yahoogroups.com [mailto:meridian-ty at yahoogroups.com]On
Behalf Of Vallawulf Rurikson
Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 2:54 PM
To: meridian-ty at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [TY] Tribute to Gleann Abhann


I'm still digesting everything that happened this weekend and will
write a proper travel report soon. Meanwhile, here is a tribute
which I had hoped to read or present this weekend, which shall be
added to the volume...

TRAVELS WITH VALLAWULF

SECTION XIX - THE KINGDOM OF GLEANN ABHANN

Part I: The Birth of a Kingdom

On the fifth day of November, Anno Societatus XL, being 2005 in the
Common Reckoning, Gleann Abhann took its Ryghtfull Place as the
youngest kingdom in the Knowne Worlde.

But the story beforehand bears telling, as it is fascinating.
(Or, "A funny thing happened on the way to coronation.")

THE LAST DAYS OF THE PRINCIPALITY OF GLEANN ABHANN

WHEN Radu and Broinfinn, Lord and Lady Heir of Gleann Abhann, had
passed several months in said positions as Heirs to these Lands, a
Principality of the Kingdom of Meridies, knowing in Spirit that
Their day to become a Kingdom in Their own ryght was at hand, They
did turn to contemplate such Actions and kindle up to Greater
Bryghtness the Flame of Their Impending Nationhood. At this time,
They were accustomed to go out frequently from Their Manor and
converse with the Populace, who came to visit with Them.

They had one day left Their Manor, to visit with Their Populace and,
when They had finished, They said to them, "We must now go home
again; but do you, as you are inclined to depart, first take food;
and when you have cooked and eaten, go on with the preparations for
Coronation." They then gave thanks to Their Populace and, feeling
blessed in them, went home.

Now when They had readied Themselves, They tryed to go forth with
Their Coronation, but a Massive Storm utterly prevented Them from
proceeding. The Tempest flooded the Barony of Axemoor, causing Their
Excellencies, Merwyyd of Effington and Eleri of Caerleon, Baron and
Baroness of Those Lands, and all Their people, to flee in dismay
from Their Ancestral Holdings. The Barony of Seleone and the Shire
of Dragoun's Wheel were smashed flat by the Four Winds, causing
Their Excellencies, Thaddeus Camberwell and Daphne of Colchester,
Baron and Baroness of Those Lands, and all their people, to flee in
dismay from Their Ancestral Holdings as well. Many other Shires,
Cantons and Colleges were also destroyed or damaged heavily.

The Lord and Lady Heir, along with the people of Gleann Abhann,
watched in dismay as the roughness of the Winds and the Waves
increased, and the rising of the Waters continued unabated, and yet
They could not call to mind what fault They had committed or how
They had offended the Gods. They fled North and East and West, in
all directions but South, in any way to escape the Angry Sea that
flooded their Cities, and scattered upon the Teeth of the Four Winds
that scoured their towns flat, and it seemed as though the Lands
known as Gleann Abhann would cease to exist, lost in the Mysts of
Time, as Atlantis or Mu before Her, and Her People decimated and
caused to wander in the desert for a long period of Tyme, or
absorbed into other Kyngdoms...

After gathering in what shelters They could find, They turned to the
Prince and Princess of Gleann Abhann, the King and Queen of Meridies
and Their Heirs, and to lament to Them of Their Ruin and
Destruction. Their Royal Majesties and Their Royal Highnesses
exhorted the people of Gleann Abhann to be patient and, throughout
the period of waiting, came out to console their Sorrow, and give
them Succor and Encouragement.

"Why do we remain here idle?" asked Lethrenn, Queen of
Meridies. "Let us do the best we can to save ourselves!"

"Yes!" cried Deirdre, Crown Princess of Meridies. "We can survive
this! We can help each other!"

"Yes!" cried Broinnfhionn, Lady Heir of Gleann Abhann. "We have all
that we truly need! Our husbands and wives and children and dogs!
Our lives and our friends and our families! Though our Land is
covered with Water and the Heavens with Clouds, though the currents
of both Wynds and Waves are fully against us, though we are Famished
with Hunger and we have lost Everything, and there is no one to
Relieve us, if our Faith does not Waver, I think we shall not remain
long in these Dire Strayts."

Little did these Formidable Women know at that moment how right They
were!

Then it did happen Most Wonderfully that the Wynds began to cease
and the Waves began to be still and the Waters began to recede.
Seeing that the Sea was finally Calm, after suffering from Cold and
Hunger and Loss of Property, after overcoming Shock and Despayr, the
people of Gleann Abhann began the long and slow trek back into their
Damaged Lands to see what was left, to begin the process of
rebuilding their lives. It seemed that, for now, the Dream of
becoming a Kingdom would have to be put aside.

But it was not to be.

The Dream would not die. Not for the Lord and Lady Heir of Gleann
Abhann.

"We will hold coronation barefoot, in our shifts, in a field if
necessary!" said Broinnfinn.

It would not die for the Loyal Members of the Principality, nor
would it die for the King and Queen of Meridies, Maximilian II &
Lethrenn II, nor for their Royal Heirs, Boru III & Deirdre, nor for
the Officers or Populace of Meridies or Gleann Abhann. Nor, indeed,
would the Dream die for the rest of the Knowne Worlde.

"We will not allow this to happen!" came the cry from all Corners of
the Worlde, from those who had heard of the Trials and Tribulations
being experienced by the people of Gleann Abhann.

And, shortly after the Wynds and Waves stilled, the Knowne Worlde
responded en masse, succoring their brothers and sisters in Gleann
Abhann and Meridies with an overwhelming outpouring of Cheerfull
Wyshes and Welcome Supplies to assist them in the rebuilding of
their Kingdoms and of the day of Coronation for the newest Kingdom.
So much, in fact, that the storehouses of Gleann Abhann were bulging
with largesse.

"We do not have the words to thank you, the Knowne Worlde, for the
overwhelming aid to our populace," said Broinnfhionn, a sentiment
echoed by Her Lord Heir, Officers and Populace time and again as
They spoke and wrote to those assisting Them. (But They did find
them later, as you can read in Theyr letter further on in this
History.)

Thus it was that Gleann Abhann, to their Greyt Delyght, and to the
Greyt Delyght of the rest of the Worlde, reached Kingdom status at
long last. Those there rejoiced because they now saw what care the
Knowne Worlde had for Their Youngest Kingdom, so as to Vindicate Her
from Neglect, to keep Her from Destruction and from Extinction and
from being Forgotten, even by means of the Elements. They rejoiced,
too, that the Knowne Worlde should have had so much regard to
Themselves, as to assist in Their recovery in a most Miraculous Way.

Thus was the Kingdom of Gleann Abhann born from the Elements, forged
from Water and Wynd, Fyre and Earth, and took its Ryghtfull Place as
the Nineteenth Kingdom of the Knowne Worlde!

Written by my hand, this 3rd Day of November, Anno Societatus XL.

Vallawulf Rurikson
VALLAWULF AT AOL.COM
CLANWOLFHAVEN DOT COM

Writing style inspired in part by The Life of St. Cuthbert (c. 634-
687), by St. Bede (673-735).






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