Nickolas O'Dan, and Children of the Wildlands
In the days when we were returning to the woods after the Great Remembering, there was a man named Nickolas O'Dan. He lived in the glen down by the meadow near the edge of the Blackened Forest. His home was cool gray stone with a living grass roof. Surrounding it was a grove of holly trees. Here he lived with his wife, Anna Skadi O'Dan, and their heard of wild elk, which they watch over.
When Nick was in the cities, everything was disposable, but now that he was of the woods things were made to last. He loved children, having been a teacher before they moved to the woods, and upon coming to the woods, he expanded his hobby as a wood carver into his trade, and loved making gifts for others. Winter's cold months were coming, and Nickolas was thinking of how he could make it brighter for the children of the wildlands.
As he pondered these things, Anna brought him a broken toy one of the woodland families. It was a plastic creature, a toy fox, brought with them when they left the world before behind. It was the child's treasure, and the father wished a wooden fox as a gift for Christmastide to replace the broken one. That was the insperation Nickolas needed: wooden woodland creature of the children of the wildlands! That is what Nick would create for the children of the wildands.
So Nickolas set about creating creatures the children would see in the woodlands. Slowly he carved wolves and coyotes, golden eagles and red-tailed hawks, mountain lions and bears, rabbits and raccoons, badgers and foxes, bats and squirrels, deer and elk, beavers and otters, woodchucks and opossums, and too many other animals,birds, and fish to name. Then he gathered them up in sets in bags made out of rabbit fur. Nickolas pulled out his deep red hooded capote and tied it with belt made of jute rope. He pulled out his largest pack basket, and lined it with the green trade wool blanket he had when first returning to the wildlands and placed the gifts within. Thus, it was time to set out.
Amongst the herd was one white elk, named Elhar, whose mother had died at it's birth and was bottle feed. While Elhar, still lived with the herd, he was friendly to humans, and would allow Nickolas to ride upon him. While normally Nick would not have considered this, tonight was special, for it was the eve of the coming of the Holy Child, and a night for surprises. Nickolas walked up to Elhar, and to his surprise, the great white elk bowed to him, as if to say he understood the mission. Neither wished to tame the other, but out of mutual respect for each other the set out into the night to spread joy to the children of the wildlands.
The night was crisp and cold, and the full moon shone bright above them making the fresh layers of snow sparkle like diamonds in the forest. The great oaks, birch, dogwoods, and black walnuts branches were ghost of their summer selves, while the holly, pines, and a few cypress were warming the scene with their perpetual green. So it was Nickolas astride Elhar rode house to house over the hills and hollers.
Now the homes he would come to were as different as the people dwelling within them. Some were dwellings, patterned after the the stone and wood homes the Vikings of old, others were similar to wigwams of the local People, others still were rustic log cabins, others thatched round houses such as the Celts would have made, but all were products of the land around them and the hands of the people who dwelt there in. Many homes he tied the bags to the door with a sprig of holly tucked in the rope. Each house he paused and said a blessing over the dwelling and those who dwelt within.
The night was nigh over, and Nick had one bag left, an extra he had made in case he came upon a new family in the forest, and as he was about to leave he saw it. There was a small cabin, ruffly hewn, and newly built. It appeared to have been constructed and finished just in time to shelter from the winter's cold. What's more, he could see in the snow foot prints, and one lonely wooden doll sat in rags upon the porch. He tied the bag of wood animals to the door, then picked up the wooden doll. He pulled out a little blue capote Anna had made, most likely knowing what he would find, and to his surprise there was a little skin winter clothing set as well. Nickolas quickly dressed the doll, and tied back her yarn hair. He slipped on the mini capote, and slipped her onto the handle of the bag of animals. Then he placed the holly on the bag. He smiled, now the little girl and her doll would have wild friends to play with.
At last, the nights gifts were delivered, and he and Elhar returned to their meadow at the edge of the Blackened Forest. To Elhar, Nickolas gave carrot, and slipped off the simple rope he had about his neck, to keep Nick from having slipped off. Elhar bowed in thanks, and returned to the herd as if nothing had ever transpired. Now Nickolas went into his own dwelling to find hot ginger bread and mulled cider waiting for him, now handed to him by Anna. They both took their wooden mugs, and walked outside to watch the rising sun of dawn, for at last twas Christmas morn!
Each year since, gifts have appeared on the doors of homes throughout the wildlands. Some say tis Nikolas O'Dan and Elhar bring the gifts and magic aids him to do it all in one night, others say it is other woodsman now following Nickolas' example, but all agree winters dark nights are forever brightened by the gifts left, expecting nothing in return, save for the joy of the children of the wildlands. So to all might we see, be it Nickolas O'Dan, woodsman of our own community, or Santa Clause of old, tis not who it is that spreads the joy, but the spirit of the season which we remember, and the joy of seeing all blessed and encoraged on their journeys in these days of Remembering.
So until we sit at each others fire again, winter's blessings and might you keep growing in the ways of the wildands!
~ Michelle "Lady Fox-feather" Nickles
When Nick was in the cities, everything was disposable, but now that he was of the woods things were made to last. He loved children, having been a teacher before they moved to the woods, and upon coming to the woods, he expanded his hobby as a wood carver into his trade, and loved making gifts for others. Winter's cold months were coming, and Nickolas was thinking of how he could make it brighter for the children of the wildlands.
As he pondered these things, Anna brought him a broken toy one of the woodland families. It was a plastic creature, a toy fox, brought with them when they left the world before behind. It was the child's treasure, and the father wished a wooden fox as a gift for Christmastide to replace the broken one. That was the insperation Nickolas needed: wooden woodland creature of the children of the wildlands! That is what Nick would create for the children of the wildands.
So Nickolas set about creating creatures the children would see in the woodlands. Slowly he carved wolves and coyotes, golden eagles and red-tailed hawks, mountain lions and bears, rabbits and raccoons, badgers and foxes, bats and squirrels, deer and elk, beavers and otters, woodchucks and opossums, and too many other animals,birds, and fish to name. Then he gathered them up in sets in bags made out of rabbit fur. Nickolas pulled out his deep red hooded capote and tied it with belt made of jute rope. He pulled out his largest pack basket, and lined it with the green trade wool blanket he had when first returning to the wildlands and placed the gifts within. Thus, it was time to set out.
Amongst the herd was one white elk, named Elhar, whose mother had died at it's birth and was bottle feed. While Elhar, still lived with the herd, he was friendly to humans, and would allow Nickolas to ride upon him. While normally Nick would not have considered this, tonight was special, for it was the eve of the coming of the Holy Child, and a night for surprises. Nickolas walked up to Elhar, and to his surprise, the great white elk bowed to him, as if to say he understood the mission. Neither wished to tame the other, but out of mutual respect for each other the set out into the night to spread joy to the children of the wildlands.
The night was crisp and cold, and the full moon shone bright above them making the fresh layers of snow sparkle like diamonds in the forest. The great oaks, birch, dogwoods, and black walnuts branches were ghost of their summer selves, while the holly, pines, and a few cypress were warming the scene with their perpetual green. So it was Nickolas astride Elhar rode house to house over the hills and hollers.
Now the homes he would come to were as different as the people dwelling within them. Some were dwellings, patterned after the the stone and wood homes the Vikings of old, others were similar to wigwams of the local People, others still were rustic log cabins, others thatched round houses such as the Celts would have made, but all were products of the land around them and the hands of the people who dwelt there in. Many homes he tied the bags to the door with a sprig of holly tucked in the rope. Each house he paused and said a blessing over the dwelling and those who dwelt within.
The night was nigh over, and Nick had one bag left, an extra he had made in case he came upon a new family in the forest, and as he was about to leave he saw it. There was a small cabin, ruffly hewn, and newly built. It appeared to have been constructed and finished just in time to shelter from the winter's cold. What's more, he could see in the snow foot prints, and one lonely wooden doll sat in rags upon the porch. He tied the bag of wood animals to the door, then picked up the wooden doll. He pulled out a little blue capote Anna had made, most likely knowing what he would find, and to his surprise there was a little skin winter clothing set as well. Nickolas quickly dressed the doll, and tied back her yarn hair. He slipped on the mini capote, and slipped her onto the handle of the bag of animals. Then he placed the holly on the bag. He smiled, now the little girl and her doll would have wild friends to play with.
At last, the nights gifts were delivered, and he and Elhar returned to their meadow at the edge of the Blackened Forest. To Elhar, Nickolas gave carrot, and slipped off the simple rope he had about his neck, to keep Nick from having slipped off. Elhar bowed in thanks, and returned to the herd as if nothing had ever transpired. Now Nickolas went into his own dwelling to find hot ginger bread and mulled cider waiting for him, now handed to him by Anna. They both took their wooden mugs, and walked outside to watch the rising sun of dawn, for at last twas Christmas morn!
Each year since, gifts have appeared on the doors of homes throughout the wildlands. Some say tis Nikolas O'Dan and Elhar bring the gifts and magic aids him to do it all in one night, others say it is other woodsman now following Nickolas' example, but all agree winters dark nights are forever brightened by the gifts left, expecting nothing in return, save for the joy of the children of the wildlands. So to all might we see, be it Nickolas O'Dan, woodsman of our own community, or Santa Clause of old, tis not who it is that spreads the joy, but the spirit of the season which we remember, and the joy of seeing all blessed and encoraged on their journeys in these days of Remembering.
So until we sit at each others fire again, winter's blessings and might you keep growing in the ways of the wildands!
~ Michelle "Lady Fox-feather" Nickles
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