In some Wiccan traditions, the Oak King and the Holly King are seen as dual aspects of the Horned God. Each of these twin aspects rules for half the year, battles for the favor of the Goddess, and then retires to nurse his wounds for the next six months, until it is time for him to reign once more. The Holly King and Oak King are personifications of the winter and summer in various neopagan traditions. The two kings engage in endless "battle" reflecting the seasonal cycles of the year: not only solar light and dark, but also crop renewal and growth.
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The Oak King reigns during the light half, or throughout Spring and Summer, while the dark half—Autumn and Winter—belongs to the Holly King. As the ruler of the dark half of the year, the Holly King is named for the cheery evergreen tree whose bright green leaves and red berries are a welcome sight in the cold winter months. The Oak King is ruling the waxing year, and the Holly King is leading the waning year, having attributes like holly and other evergreens. During the warm days of Midsummer, the Oak King is mighty, and the Holly King must accept his brother's dominance. He waits patiently to regain power at the Autumn equinox. Symbolizing the changing seasons, the legend of the Oak King and Holly King represented personifications of summer and winter. They were locked in a never-ending battle for seasonal supremacy. Both Kings represented solar lightness, darkness, crop renewal, and growth. The younger brother wore oak leaves as a crown, and was known as the Oak King. The older brother wore holly leaves as a crown, and was known as the Holly King. The brothers each felt they knew the best way to rule the land, and they quarreled over it all the time. The Oak King wanted the land to be bright and hot and sunny for the entire year.
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The Oak king defeats Holly king! This is why this time of year is a celebration of procreation and why the gods were mating along with the humans during this time. This is a time of sex, and the life bringing energies associated with it. In ancient times, people were not allowed to marry until June. Oak King Holly King Sebastian Nothwell 3.95 513 ratings133 reviews Shrike, the Butcher of Blackthorn, is a legendary warrior of the fae realms. When he wins a tournament in the Court of the Silver Wheel, its queen names him her Oak King - a figurehead destined to die in a ritual duel to invoke the change of seasons. Shrike is determined to survive. The Holly King and the Oak King | A Legend of the Winter Solstice Anna Bridgland - Folklore, Mythology & Fairy Tales 12.6K subscribers Subscribe Subscribed 4.6K views 2 years ago An old. The Holly King and Oak King are personifications of the winter and summer in various neopagan traditions. The two kings engage in endless "battle" reflecting the seasonal cycles of the year: not only solar light and dark, but also crop renewal and growth. During warm days of Midsummer the Oak King is at the height of his strength; the Holly King regains power at the Autumn equinox, then his.
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The Oak King, his brother, bore a wreath of oak leaves as a crown. His domain was the light, the warmth, and the plentiful plants. The brothers did not get along. Namely, each of them had their own idea on how to rule the realm, and naturally, the other brother disagreed. The Oak King wanted daylight and heat to rule over the world. Once the Summer Solstice arrives, the Holly King returns to do battle with the now old Oak king, and this time the Holly King defeats the Oak King. Often, these two entities are portrayed in certain ways— the Holly King frequently appears as a woodsy version of Santa Claus.
In one, the Oak King is a figure similar to the Green Man; a summer God of warm smiles and broad green leaves, while the Holly King is a similarly benign and jolly chap dressed in red and with holly tangled in his long white beard (sound familiar?), associated with winter. He even rides a sleigh pulled by deer. The Holly King is often depicted as a figure adorned with holly leaves and berries, symbolizing his connection to the winter season. As the winter solstice passes and the days begin to grow longer.
The Story of The Oak King and The Holly King Spells8
The Holly King is the twin brother of the Oak King and represents the dark half of the Horned God legend. He is Lord of Winterwood, the darker side of the waning year, and rules from Midsummer to Midwinter. When the Holly King takes control, he is in charge of bringing longer nights, colder days, and stops harvests and growth. The Holly King, specifically, represents winter, night, and darkness, while the Oak King is a personification of summer, daytime, and light. An entire book could be written (and more than one likely already has) about all of the possible ways in which the Holly King and Oak King myth could be interpreted. It is a study in the balance of equal.
