Scotland – R.K. Lightfoot

As the night grows long

And the Mither needs rest

A beast that stifles all song

Stirs at the devil’s behest

Captive in the darkest waters

Freed with the tempestuous sea

It will feast upon your daughters

On the island with no trees

Upon Orkney’s fields, it lays.

Steady breath, reeking of plague.

In salty waters, watching its prey.

Leaving corpses, bloody and vague.

A festering frame of flayed flesh

And pulsating yellow veins.

Farmers find no seed to thresh.

Its presence withered all the grain.

A torso stitched to horse back.

Knuckles that drag along the grass.

Bodies left uneaten and stacked

To become one rotting writhing mass

A dead stare from the oversized head.

At orphaned children crying in bed.

– R. K. Lightfoot

The Nuckelavee is a poem about a horse-like demon from Orcadian mythology; the nuckelavee. Orkney is an island off the coast of Scotland that has a rich body of fascinating and horrifying folklore, and the nuckelavee is one aspect of that folklore I felt compelled to write a poem about. In Orkney myth, the nuckelavee is imprisoned by the Mither of the Sea during the summer months. But the Mither tires as the year progresses and she eventually weakens enough that the nuckelavee is able to escape. The Mither’s fatigue is said to be why the autumn and winter months have more violent storms. When the Mither regains her strength she imprisons the nuckelavee again, and brings back the calmer seas of spring and summer. The nuckelavee’s horrifying appearance and it’s association with autumn, made it a perfect subject for the autumn/halloween themed poems I’m uploading this October.

A Douglas! A Douglas! Tender and true

In the name of the king, their swords they drew

Good Sir James, whose loyalty was profuse

To the Scottish King, Robert the Bruce

Leading the charge, Scotland’s enemies extinguished

Dubbed the Black Douglas by the fearful English

Loyal to his king, the pride of Douglas

On the journey to freedom, he remained the compass

A bond so strong, the Bruce entrusted his heart

Unfortunate their descendants tore it apart

Oh Douglas, Oh Douglas, Always Tender and True

But against you the king’s swords drew

On the Scottish throne sat King James, a boy of 10

And boy of 16, William Douglas, became a leader of men

The power of Douglas had grew and grew

Threatened felt the king’s council, the powerful few

‘Invite them to feast’, the Lord Chancellor did suggest

‘Invite them to your home, make them your guests’

The young Earl of Douglas, and his little brother did dine

Dinner with the king, who were they to decline?

A mighty feast the king eagerly ordered prepared

But by dinners end, neither brother would be spared

Before William Douglas, a special dish was placed

A black bulls severed head, whose sight left a bitter taste

Seized by the guards, mayhem captured the hall

‘Stop!’ cried the King. ‘What madness has taken you all?’

Ignored was the King, for he held no true sway

The council was where the guards true loyalties lay

Two brothers were dragged out to Castle Hill

And throughout Scotland swept an awful chill

The child called King made to stand and watch

The child called King powerless and distraught

A Douglas! A Douglas! Two boys tender and true

Oh Douglas, Oh Douglas. Two boys they slew

– R.K. Lightfoot

Douglas is a poem about some of the history of Clan Douglas. Chiefly focused on Sir James Douglas (aka ‘Good Sir James’ and ‘The Black Douglas’) and the infamous Black Dinner of 1440 (Supposedly the inspiration for the Red Wedding in A Song of Ice and Fire) in which some of his descendants were slaughtered. It’s been a fair amount of time since I wrote this poem, so it was nice to revisit it and finally get it posted. I still think the poems a little rough around the edges and in need of some future edits. I’ve left this blog unused for nearly four years now, its been far too long and its good to be back at it again.