The Stag Lord, The Horned God of the Hunt, The Lord of the Forest, the Dark God. If you recall our lessons, then you will remember that on Samhain the Dark God or Dark Lord is represented by the dying sun. He is nearing the end of his life-cycle and is seen as a protector and a warrior. He is also Death. The End of Life.
He is the Sun God who kisses his Goddess one last time before he is swept away to a new time and place. His Lady lovingly holds him as he prepares to leave. He disappears and is gone when suddenly she sees a white stag standing on the horizon. The stag looks to the sun, and then back at the Lady. He seems to nod his head at her before heading into the horizon with the setting sun.
Called Cernunnos or the Stag King, everything we know about him we only guess from the images of him created by the ancient Celts themselves. They made numerous icons of various gods, and over 60 depict Cernunnos. Yet we only know his name because it is carved on a single icon, made by sailors from the Gallic Parisii tribe.
The images depicting this god are almost always similar in appearance and all of them show his horns, those of a stag. He is generally seen as a mature man with long hair and a beard. He wears a torc, a metal circlet, around his neck. This circlet was a sign of nobility in the olde days. Cernunnos is usually portrayed with animals, especially the stag. He has also been associated with a beast that seems to belong only to him. It is a serpent with the horns of a ram.
The ram-horned serpent is associated with knowledge, death and the otherworld. Cernunnos carries a symbol of this in his left hand, and in his right, he carries another torc,the symbol of having been initiated into nobility.
This appears to have been written with thoughts of this god of the dark world in mind, don't you think? To learn more about 'The Song of Amergin', go here: The Song of Amergin
The Song of Amergin
I am a stag of seven tines,
I am a wide flood on a plain,
I am a wind on the deep waters,
I am a shining tear of the sun,
I am a hawk on a cliff,
I am fair among flowers,
I am a god who sets the head afire with smoke.
I am a battle waging spear,
I am a salmon in the pool,
I am a hill of poetry,
I am a ruthless boar,
I am a threatening noise of the sea,
I am a wave of the sea,
Who but I knows the secrets of the unhewn dolmen ?
I have included 3 versions of the Charge of the Dark God, one written by myself. You are free to use it as long as you include my name as copyright.
Version I: The Charge of the Dark God
I am the fire within your heart - the yearning of your soul.
I am the hunter of knowledge and the seeker of the Holy Quest.
I - who stand in the Darkness of Light, am He whom you have called Death.
I - the consort and mate of She whom we adore, call forth to thee.
Heed My call, beloved ones, come unto Me and learn the secrets of death and
peace.
I am the corn at harvest and the fruit on the trees. I am He who leads you
home.
Scourge and flame, blade and blood - these are mine gifts to thee.
Call unto Me in the forest wild and on hilltop bare and seek Me in the
Darkness Bright.
I - who have been called Pan, Herne, Osiris and Hadespeak to thee in thy
search.
Come dance and sing; come love and smile, for behold: This is my worship.
You are my children and I am thy Father.
On swift night wings, it is I who lay you at the Mother's feet to be reborn
and to return again.
Thou who thinks to know Me, know that I am the untamed wind, the fury of the
storm and passion in your soul. Seek Me with courage, lest you be swept away
in the seeking.
Seek with pride and humility, but see me best with love and strength, for
this is my path, and I love not the weak and fearful.
Hear My call on long winter nights, and we shall stand together guarding Her
Earth as she sleeps.
Version II: The Charge of the Dark God
Copyright by Christopher Hatton
Listen to the words of the Dark God,
Who was of old called Iakchos, Donn,
Anubis, Hades, Setesh, Hoder,
And by many other names:
I am the shadow in the bright day;
I am the reminder of mortality at the height of living.
I am the neverending weil of Night
Where the Star Goddess dances.
I am te Death that must be so that Life may continue,
For Behold, Life is immortal because the living must die.
I am the strength that protects, that limits;
I am the power that says No, and No further, and That Is Enough.
I am the things that cannot be spoken of,
And I am the laughter at the edge of Death.
Come with me into the warm enfolding dark;
Feel my caresses in the hands,
In the Mouth,
In the Body of one you love,
And be transformed.
Gather in the moonless night and speak in unknown toungues;
The Dark Mother and I will listen.
Sing to us and cry out,
And the Power will be yours to wield.
Blow me a kiss when the sky is dark,
And I will smile,
But no kiss returns;
For my kiss is the final one for all mortal flesh.
Version III: The Charge of the Dark God
Copyright by Debi
Heed my voice which will come to you as the thunder on the wind for I am thy Lord of Darkness, The Dark God, the Stag Lord, Whisper my name: Cernunnos.
I am the sleeping dawn, the twilight, the dark of night that covers the Heavens above you and beckons the Star Goddess to shine.
I am the final end that comes so that life may flourish, Behold, I am Immortality; The living die and the Dead are soon reborn.
I can see your inner darkness; the dark side of the soul; The hearts desperate yearning.
Step into the Empire of Darkness, and Come to me boldly and without fear;
For I am he that protects and leads you; I am the echo of the forest; I am the
evening sky and the autumn storm; I am the passion within you.
I am the hunter and the seeker of Enlightenment. I stand in Light's Darkness and am called Shadow, I am He whom you have named Death. I call forth to thee and bid you step forward.
Come with me into the darkness; Fear me not. Feel my love and caresses and you will be transformed. We will fly upon the winds together.
My Beloved Children, I am your destiny, come to Me and learn the secrets of all that's Holy, the secrets of life and death.
Come! Dance for me! Come! Sing for me! With Love in your hearts and a smile for me, Behold! This is the way to worship and best please me.
Call out to me on the moonless night and seek me out with pride and courage for this is my true love. I love not the wailing or frightened. For I am the Dark Warrior, The Protector, and the Giver of Courage,
Send me your love when the sky is darkest, and I will smile, but will not kiss thee;
For my kiss is eternal; It is the Kiss of Death and I do love thee so.
