RHC Fortnightly Quotemail
Compiled & Edited by Rob Chappell (@RHCLambengolmo
on X)
Vol. XXIX, No. 15: Late June 2025
Co-Editor: Sophie Fairgate
Editorial Associate: Wendy Applegate
Art Director: Verena Keegan (Designer of the Masthead
Above)
Editor’s
Note
Midsummer Day is
traditionally celebrated in Europe and North America on June 24, which is
halfway around the year from Christmas Eve. Midsummer has historically been
celebrated with bonfires, feasting, dancing, and singing under the stars – and
the Elves – the Fair Folk or faeries – were also believed to be very active at
this time of year, sometimes joining mortals in their Midsummer revels.
This edition of
Quotemail features poems about the Fair Folk that are both celebratory and
reflective, reminding us that there is a vast gulf between us mortals and our
invisible neighbors, who are not subject to death like we are. Nonetheless,
through dreaming, shaping, singing, and making, we can bridge that gap and
appreciate the infinite creativity of the Divine, who is making all things
well.
Midsummer Night,
the longest day of the year when the summer solstice is celebrated, holds a
special significance in the mystical traditions of the Elves. This ancient
festival, full of symbolism and ritual, is marked by a midnight feast of great
abundance and joy. The Elves believe that on this night, the boundary between
the mortal world and the Otherworld thins, and they welcome the fairies, elves,
nymphs, and other supernatural beings to join in the celebrations.
Sophie shows off her faery princess costume from a few Halloweens ago!
(Digital image processed by the Editor.)
"Midnight Revels: A Poem about the Elves' Midnight
Festivities"
By Zenaida Sterling, Staff Writer
Beneath the moonlit
night, the Elves take flight,
To a secret glade where
the stars do brightly shine.
There they dance and
feast with joyful delight,
Their laughter rings
through the forest, loud and fine.
The stars cast a glow
upon their merry spree,
As they celebrate the
beauty of the night.
The night air is crisp,
the moon shines bright,
As the Elves feast and
dance, all dressed in starlight.
The trees in the glade
whisper and sway,
Their leaves reflecting
the Elves' joyous display.
The Elves in their dance
move like shimmering sparks,
The stars in the sky are
their guide, like the heart of a sparrow.
The sound of their
laughter is like a lullaby,
As they dance into the
night, they are full of joy and might.
The feast is grand, with
food and drink a-plenty,
The woodland creatures
are all invited to come and eat.
The flowers in the glade
bloom brighter in the night,
As they bask in the joy
and light of the Elves' delight.
As the night turns to day
and the stars start to fade,
The Elves dance on, their
joy cannot be swayed.
The memories of the
night's festivities will stay,
As they return to their
homes, to rest and play.
“On a Midsummer Eve”
By Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)
I idly cut a parsley
stalk,
And blew therein towards
the moon;
I had not thought what
ghosts would walk
With shivering footsteps
to my tune.
I went, and knelt, and
scooped my hand
As if to drink, into the
brook,
And a faint figure seemed
to stand
Above me, with the bygone
look.
I lipped rough rhymes of
chance, not choice,
I thought not what my
words might be;
There came into my ear a
voice
That turned a tenderer
verse for me.
“A June Night”
By Emma Lazarus (1849-1887)
Ten o'clock: the broken
Moon
Hangs not yet a half hour
high,
Yellow as a shield of
brass,
In the dewy air of June,
Poised between the
vaulted sky
And the ocean's liquid
glass.
Earth lies in the shadow
still;
Low black bushes, trees,
and lawn
Night's ambrosial dews
absorb;
Through the foliage
creeps a thrill,
Whispering of yon
spectral dawn
And the hidden climbing
orb.
Higher, higher, gathering
light,
Veiling with a golden
gauze
All the trembling
atmosphere,
See, the rayless disk
grows white!
Hark, the glittering
billows pause!
Faint, far sounds possess
the ear.
Elves on such a night as
this
Spin their rings upon the
grass;
On the beach the
water-fay
Greets her lover with a
kiss;
Through the air swift
spirits pass,
Laugh, caress, and float
away.
Shut thy lids and thou
shalt see
Angel faces wreathed with
light,
Mystic forms long
vanished hence.
Ah, too fine, too rare,
they be
For the grosser mortal
sight,
And they foil our waking
sense.
Yet we feel them floating
near,
Know that we are not
alone,
Though our open eyes
behold
Nothing save the Moon's
bright sphere,
In the vacant heavens
shown,
And the ocean's path of
gold.
“The Stolen Child”
By William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)
Where dips the rocky
highland
Of Sleuth Wood in the
lake,
There lies a leafy island
Where flapping herons
wake
The drowsy water rats;
There we've hid our faery
vats,
Full of berries
And of reddest stolen
cherries.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the
wild
With a faery, hand in
hand,
For the world's more full
of weeping
Than you can understand.
Where the wave of
moonlight glosses
The dim gray sands with
light,
Far off by furthest
Rosses
We foot it all the night,
Weaving olden dances
Mingling hands and
mingling glances
Till the Moon has taken
flight;
To and fro we leap
And chase the frothy
bubbles,
While the world is full
of troubles
And anxious in its sleep.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the
wild
With a faery, hand in
hand,
For the world's more full
of weeping
Than you can understand.
Where the wandering water
gushes
From the hills above
Glen-Car,
In pools among the rushes
That scarce could bathe a
star,
We seek for slumbering
trout
And whispering in their ears
Give them unquiet dreams;
Leaning softly out
From ferns that drop
their tears
Over the young streams.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the
wild
With a faery, hand in
hand,
For the world's more full
of weeping
Than you can understand.
Away with us he's going,
The solemn-eyed:
He'll hear no more the
lowing
Of the calves on the warm
hillside
Or the kettle on the hob
Sing peace into his
breast,
Or see the brown mice bob
Round and round the
oatmeal chest.
For he comes, the human
child,
To the waters and the
wild
With a faery, hand in
hand,
For the world's more full
of weeping
Than he can understand.
“Fairy Song” (Excerpted from Flower Fables, 1855)
By Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888)
The moonlight fades from
flower and tree,
And the stars dim one by
one;
The tale is told, the
song is sung,
And the Fairy feast is
done.
The night-wind rocks the
sleeping flowers,
And sings to them, soft
and low.
The early birds erelong
will wake:
‘Tis time for the Elves
to go.
O’er the sleeping earth
we silently pass,
Unseen by mortal eye,
And send sweet dreams, as
we lightly float
Through the quiet moonlit
sky;--
For the stars’ soft eyes
alone may see,
And the flowers alone may
know,
The feasts we hold, the
tales we tell:
So ‘tis time for the
Elves to go.
From bird, and blossom,
and bee,
We learn the lessons they
teach;
And seek, by kindly
deeds, to win
A loving friend in each.
And though unseen on
earth we dwell,
Sweet voices whisper low,
And gentle hearts most
joyously greet
The Elves where’er they
go.
When next we meet in the
Fairy dell,
May the silver moon’s
soft light
Shine then on faces gay
as now,
And Elfin hearts as
light.
Now spread each wing, for
the eastern sky
With sunlight soon will
glow.
The morning star shall
light us home:
Farewell! for the Elves
must go.
Titania is the Queen of the Elves in Western European folklore. She is
pictured here wearing a Celtic triquetra pendant. (Image Credit: Digital
artwork created by the Editor.)
The Bardic Gorsedd
An Original Poem by Viviana Rivera, Staff Writer
“The Elves’ Midsummer Revels”
In the darkening dusk of Midsummer Night,
The Elves are dancing in the forest glade.
Their glowing eyes and twinkling lights
Shine with magic and delight!
In the enchanted night of Midsummer Eve,
The air is filled with music and laughter.
The Elves are dancing without a care,
Their hearts full of joy and cheer.
In the silvery light of Midsummer morn,
The Elves have slipped quietly away.
The memory of their dancing lingers on,
Whispering softly as the day begins anew.
Catena Aurea (The Golden
Chain)
By Tamsin Lambengolmo, Staff Writer
The Phaedo, a dialogue written by Plato, in which the character Socrates is awaiting his execution and discussing the immortality of the soul with his friends. The quote comes from one of Socrates’ final speeches to his companions.
“Human life is short and trivial; a shadow that appear and then is
gone.”
– Socrates, as Quoted in Plato’s Phaedo
As mortal beings, humans are given a short and, at times, difficult
path to travel on. The concept of this being a “shadow” that appears and then
vanishes alludes to the ephemeral nature of existence, which is in contrast to
the eternal realm of the Forms. It is important to remember that a life well
lived is more than just a brief sojourn, but a worthy journey nevertheless.
Contemplate this quote from the Lotus Sutra:
“All of the Tathagatas, the same number as the grains of sand in the Ganges, have attained the highest, perfect enlightenment.”
This quote reminds us of the infinite potential for spiritual
growth and enlightenment within each and every being. The Lotus Sutra
teaches that all sentient beings have the capability to achieve enlightenment
and become buddhas themselves. Regardless of background or circumstances, we
all have the capacity to become enlightened and free ourselves from suffering.
Bushido
Wisdom
By Toni
Thorvald, Staff Writer
Here's a quote by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, the author of the Hagakure, a classic text on Bushido:
"The way of the warrior is to be found in death. When it comes to matters of life and death, you must make up your mind to die."
This quote highlights the idea that the warrior's mindset should
always be focused on the possibility of death, and that the acceptance of death
is a key aspect of the warrior path. The warrior must be willing to risk their
life in battle to protect their feudal lord, their family, and their honor.
DEDICATION
This Midsummer edition of
Quotemail is dedicated to all my friends at the Center for Children’s Books at
the University of Illinois. Please visit them @ http://ccb.ischool.illinois.edu to learn more about their programs and publications highlighting the
best new literature for children and young adults.
