The following is a mythic story. It is based on the Wheel of the
Year, and the characters are drawn from Celtic mythos. The story itself was
written by Bert McKenzie to be used as a presentation at the 1998 AIDS
Candlelight Memorial. As many of our ancient myths do, it teaches by example,
that life has a purpose, and that purpose is love.
The Beat of Life goes on.
Danu was a child of the sidhe and beloved of the Gods.
She rejoiced in the changes of the seasons, dancing in the summer sun. But
as autumn came on and the flowers died and trees went to sleep, Danu grew
sad.
The Gods so loved Danu that they said, "Let us give
her a gift to restore her happiness." Soon thereafter Danu grew big, her
belly increasing in size. Then on the longest night of the year she brought
forth a child and named him Lugh, which means "the shining one."
Danu and Lugh were so happy, they danced in the spring
sunshine. Lugh brought his mother flowers and showered her with kisses.
Then one day Lugh was chasing a butterfly through
the fields when he fell down and did not get back up. "What is wrong, my
son?" Danu asked, and Lugh replied, "I am dying."
Danu laid him on a bed of soft autumn leaves and washed
his body with her tears. "Why must you die?" she cried, but Lugh only smiled
at her and closed his eyes. His spirit passed quietly into the
Summerlands.
Danu was inconsolable. She wept for days. And when
there were no more tears to weep, she called out to the Gods. "Why?" she
asked. "Why did you give me this man-child?"
The Gods answered her. "We gave you the child to make
you happy, for you are our favored one."
"Then why?" she cried. "Why did you take him
away?"
"We took him away so that you may learn," came the
answer.
"What can I learn from this pain and sorrow?"
"You can learn of life. For to have joy you must also
have sorrow. And to appreciate life, you must also experience death."
"But his death was so meaningless," Danu sobbed.
"No death is meaningless if a person's life is filled
with love. Just as the wheel of the year turns and you are shrouded in snow,
so too will come the spring. For in death there is always rebirth. Even though
Lugh has passed on to the Summerlands, he still lives on as long as he is
in your heart. His spirit is ever reborn in your memory."
As the winter snows melted and gave way to the spring
rains, Danu took the pain and sorrow and buried it in the fertile earth.
She watered it with her tears and then she sat back and waited. The spring
sun shown down on the spot, and soon a green shoot sprang from the earth.
It grew and grew until it blossomed into a bush of beautiful flowers.
Danu smelled the fragrant blossoms and looked at the
delicate colors, and a smile touched her heart. She knew the bright flowers
would ever remind her of Lugh, and she would smile in delight. At last she
understood the lessons the Gods had given her. She waved her hands over the
bush and the blossoms all took wings, becoming bright colored butterflies.
As they flew off, Danu knew they were dispersing her love and her hope, and
a little of her sorrow, to all the children of the sidhe, so they too could
learn the lessons of life and death, and rebirth, ..... and love. |
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