The Willow Maiden

Once upon a time, there was a young fairy with hair of fire and eyes an emerald glow. She holds her hand on her heavily pregnant belly, laying in a bed of Cowslips and Red campions, singing to her unborn children,

(Dúlamán by Celtic Woman)

"A 'níon mhín ó, sin anall na fir shúirí

A mháithairin mhín ó, cuir na roithléan go dtí mé

Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach

Dúlamán na farraige, be'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn

Tá ceann buí óir are an dúlamán gaelach

Tá dhá chluais mhaol are an dúlamán maorach

Bróga breaca dubha are an dúlamán gaelach

Tá bearéad agus triús are an dúlamán maorach

Góide a thug na tíre thú? arsa an dúlamán gaelach

Ag súirí le do níon, arsa an dúlamán maorach

Rachaimid chun Niúir leis an dúlamán gaelach

Ceannóimid bróga daora are an dúlamán maorach

Ó chuir mé scéala chuici, go gceannóinn cíor dí

'Sé'n scéal a chuir sí chugam, go raibh a ceann cíortha

Cha bhfaigheann tú mo 'níon, arsa an dúlamán gaelach

Bheul, fuadóidh mé liom í, arsa an dúlamán maorach

Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach

Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach

Dúlamán na farraige, be'fhearr a bhí, be'fhearr a bhí

Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach

Dúlamán na farraige, be'fhearr a bhí, be'fhearr a bhí

Be'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn" 

Her voice sweet and soft like a freshly bloomed rose. She smiles as her children move in her womb, waiting for her lover to call on her. She stands and walks through her forest of flowers, willows, and shrooms, singing to the plants and her beloved unborn children. The wind in the trees whispering her name 'Blathnaid' through her long hair of fire. Her eyes fill with tears as she feels her children demand to leave their home within her womb. She runs to her bed of flowers and lays down. Her children, leaving her womb, leaving her in tears of pain and love for hours. She lays there listening to her children sleep on her chest. These were the happiest days of her life. By the time her beloved children were nearing the age of two, a young human found the beautiful Blathnaid wanting her, but how could she love another, when she was waiting for her love. This man would come back every day to take Blathnaid away from her Willow bed.

(The Willow Maid by Erutan)

A young man walked through the forest

With his quiver and hunting bow

He heard a young girl singing

And followed the sound below

There he found the maiden

Who lives in the willow

He called to her as she listened

From a ring of toadstools red

'Come with me my maiden

Come from thy willow bed'

She looked at him serenely

And only shook her head.

'See me now, a ray of light in the moondance

See me now, I cannot leave this place

Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest

Don't ask me, to follow where you lead'

A young man walked through the forest

With a flower and coat of green

His love had hair like fire

Her eyes an emerald sheen

She wrapped herself in beauty

So young and so serene

He stood there under the willow

And he gave her the yellow bloom

'Girl my heart you've captured

Oh I would be your groom'

She said she'd wed him never

Not near, nor far, nor soon

'See me now, a ray of light in the moondance

See me now, I cannot leave this place

Hear me now, a strain of song in the forest

Don't ask me, to follow where you lead'

Till finally he came back with an axe.

"I'll take the green-eyed fairy

And she shall be my wife

With her, I'll raise my children

With her, I'll live my life

The maiden wept when she heard him

When he said he'd set her free

He took his axe and used it

To bring down her ancient tree

'Now your willow's fallen

Now you belong to me" 

He stole Blathnaid from her children and her forest. 

"She followed him out the forest and collapsed upon the earth

Her feet had walked but a distance,

From the green land of her birth

She faded into a flower,

That would bloom for one bright eve

He could not take from the forest,

What was never meant to leave?"

Her children crying for their lost mother, but to never see nor hear of her again. Her children were not cursed with the same fate as their parents. A lady of old found the infants and took them for they were not bound to the forest like their mother. The woman of old was too old to take care of the children so she brought them to an orphanage to find a new home,  they were never to see their place of birth again. Luckily they were adopted within a month.  

As they grew older they inherited their mothers love of flowers and animals. It was like they could talk to the animals and flowers. They knew when to feed and water and with what, they knew the animals favorite food and the plant's favorite time to be in the sun and when they needed something. It was sad that they would never know of Blathnaid, their mother, the beautiful fairy of the willow forest, and how much she loved them, but even though they would never see her they will alway remember the song she would sing to them. 

"A 'níon mhín ó, sin anall na fir shúirí

A mháithairin mhín ó, cuir na roithléan go dtí mé

Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach

Dúlamán na farraige, be'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn

Tá ceann buí óir are an dúlamán gaelach

Tá dhá chluais mhaol are an dúlamán maorach

Bróga breaca dubha are an dúlamán gaelach

Tá bearéad agus triús are an dúlamán maorach

Góide a thug na tíre thú? arsa an dúlamán gaelach

Ag súirí le do níon, arsa an dúlamán maorach

Rachaimid chun Niúir leis an dúlamán gaelach

Ceannóimid bróga daora are an dúlamán maorach

Ó chuir mé scéala chuici, go gceannóinn cíor dí

'Sé'n scéal a chuir sí chugam, go raibh a ceann cíortha

Cha bhfaigheann tú mo 'níon, arsa an dúlamán gaelach

Bheul, fuadóidh mé liom í, arsa an dúlamán maorach

Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach

Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach

Dúlamán na farraige, be'fhearr a bhí, be'fhearr a bhí

Dúlamán na binne buí, dúlamán Gaelach

Dúlamán na farraige, be'fhearr a bhí, be'fhearr a bhí

Be'fhearr a bhí in Éirinn" 

They never knew what it meant but, they loved it the same, they would sing it to themselves. She was gone but her memory was living on in the Legend of The Willow Maiden, and in their hearts.