Her skirt was of the grass-green silk,
True Thomas he took of his hat,
'O no, O no, True Thomas,' she says,
'But ye maun go wi me now, Thomas,
She turned about her milk-white steed,
For forty days and forty nights
O they rade on, and further on,
'O no, O no, True Thomas', she says,
'But I have a loaf here in my lap,
When he had eaten and drunk his fill,
'O see not ye yon narrow road,
'and see nt ye that braid braid road,
'and see not ye that bonny road,
'But Thomas, ye maun hold your tongue,
He has gotten a coat of the even cloth,
Thomas lived for seven years in Elfland before he returned to earth to write poetry and make true prophecies. Some say that eventually he went back and still lives on as an advisor in the faerie court.
--- Faeries --- Brian Froud and Alan Lee
Thomas the Rhymer, a XIIIth century poet, experienced the enchantment of Faerie. One day, as he lay down on Huntlie bank, no less a person than the Queen of Elfland, dressed in green, rode past on a horse whose mane was plaited with countless silver faerie bells.
He was trapped by a kiss and taken on the back of the horse across deserts and rivers of blood to a green garden in Elfland.
An apple gave him the gift of prophecy and a tongue that could not lie.
And he beheld a ladie gay,
A ladie that was brisk and bold,
Come riding oer the fernie brae.
Her mantel of the velvet fine,
At ilka tett of her horse's mane
Hung fifty silver balls and nine.
And bowed him low down till his knee:
'All hail, thou mighty Queen of Heaven!
For your peer on earth I never did see.'
'That name does not belong to me;
I am but the queen of fair Elfland,
And I'm come here for to visit thee.
True Thomas, ye maun go wi me,
For ye maun serve me seven years,
Thro weel or wae as may chance to be.'
And took True Thomas up behind,
And aye whenever her bridle rang,
The steed flew swifter in the wind.
He wade thro red blude to the knee,
And he saw neither sun nor moon,
But heard the roaring of the sea.
Until they came to a garden green:
'Light down,light down, ye ladie free,
Some of that fruit let me pull to thee.'
'That fruit maun not be touched by thee,
For a' the plagues that are in hell
Light on the fruit of this countrie.
Likewise a bottle of claret wine,
And now ere we go farther on,
We'll rest a while, and ye may dine'.
'Lay down your head upon my knee'.
The lady sayd, 'ere we climb yon hill,
And I will show you fairlies three.
So thick beset wi thorns and briers?
That is the path of righteousness,
Tho after it but few enquires.
That lies across yon lillie leven?
That is the path of wickedness,
Tho some call it the road to heaven.
Which winds about the fernie brae?
That is the road to fair Elfland,
Whe(re) you and I this night maun gae.
Whatever you may hear or see,
For gin ae word you should chance to speak,
You will neer get back to your ain countrie'.
And a pair of shoes of velvet green,
And till seven years were past and gone
True Thomas on earth was never seen.
FRANCIS JAMES CHILD
But others never return from the land of Faerie. Among these there are handsome lads lured away to become the lovers of faerie princesses, and the young boys who are given ork to do or those who are trained as extra soldiers for faerie battles.
