Ethelwynn and the Heart of the Forest
The Legend of Ethelwynn and the Forest's Heart
In days of old, when shadows grew long,
And the winds did sing an ancient song,
There lived a maiden, fair and bright,
Ethelwynn, with eyes like the night.
Her village lay near a wood so deep,
Where the trees did murmur and secrets sleep,
A place both feared and full of lore,
Where none had ventured, or dared explore.
For in that forest, legends told,
A heart of magic, fierce and bold,
A beating pulse beneath the ground,
That kept the forest’s spirit bound.
Ethelwynn, with her gentle grace,
Had heard the tales of that secret place,
And in her heart, a longing grew,
To know the truth that none once knew.
Her father, a hunter, stern and wise,
Warned her of danger, with furrowed eyes,
“Stay from the woods, for there is naught,
But darkness and ruin to be sought.”
But Ethelwynn, with a heart so pure,
Could not ignore the call so sure,
And one eve, when the moon was high,
She bade farewell with no goodbye.
Into the forest’s shadowed deep,
Where silent trees their vigil keep,
She walked alone, though fear did creep,
Her heart determined, strong, and steep.
The deeper she went, the darker grew,
But her spirit burned with a fire true,
Until at last, she came upon,
A clearing lit by the silver dawn.
And there before her, in the glade,
A tree stood tall, its roots arrayed,
Its bark was dark, its branches wide,
And from its core, the heart did hide.
She heard it beat, a steady sound,
A pulse that echoed through the ground,
And as she neared, a voice did speak,
Soft and old, yet firm and sleek.
“Why do you seek the forest’s heart?
What drives your soul, what sets you apart?”
Ethelwynn, with courage bright,
Spoke calmly in the pale moonlight:
“I seek not power, nor wealth untold,
But truth, a truth that’s been so cold.
I wish to know what lies beneath,
What keeps this forest in its sheath.”
The tree, it groaned, its roots did sway,
And slowly, it began to say:
“The heart is ancient, full of might,
It holds the balance of dark and light.
For I am both the wild and tame,
The forest’s spirit, none can claim.
But for a soul so pure as thine,
I’ll grant thee peace, and make thee shine.”
With that, the tree did pulse once more,
And from its heart, a light did pour,
A light so bright, it filled the glade,
And all the shadows swiftly swayed.
Ethelwynn felt her heart grow light,
The forest’s magic, bold and bright,
She knew now, with her spirit clear,
That balance held both hope and fear.
She turned to leave, but not alone,
For now the forest called her home,
And as she walked, the winds did sing,
Of Ethelwynn, the forest’s queen.
Her village knew, when she returned,
That in her heart, a fire burned,
For she had learned the forest’s way,
And kept its balance, night and day.
And so the legend, through time, did pass,
Of Ethelwynn, and the forest’s mass,
A tale of love, and strength, and heart,
Of a maiden who played her crucial part.
For in the wilds, both fierce and grand,
The balance of nature takes its stand,
And those who seek with hearts so pure,
Will find the truth that will endure.
#OldEnglishPoem #Ethelwynn #ForestHeart #NatureBalance #MedievalPoetry #LegendaryTale #MagicalForest #AncientMagic #PoetryOfBravery #EpicJourney
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