the Castle of Maidens

The Castle of Maidens

therein lives a Great Queen
attended by twelve fair maidens

Only thirteen knights are permitted
to enter the Castle at each Full Moon

Each must pass through the Hedge of Mist
and venture the Enchanted Games.

the Victor is Diademed
by the Queen herself
her Chosen One,
and in her chamber,
after the glorious feast
becomes her Companion of the Couch,
gifted her Generous Thighs.

and the twelve knights
defeated in the challenge
disport themselves each
with a Maiden of the Queen
and thus all are content.

and thus is the seed sown
for the next generation
of heroes

(the Great Queen is Luned,
and I have heard it said
that Gawain much resorted there.)

But if the Full Moon
brings such revels,
the Dark of the Moon
shines a darker light.

then Morgana is Queen,
Queen of Air and Darkness.

then the hero
having fathered the child,
has fulfilled his purpose.
and goes to serve a more grisly cause.

He suffers the night adventure,
the dark druids come at midnight
an unchancy time
They take him as he sleeps,
and strap his legs to the shafts of a cart.

In savage procession they pass
through the town,
jeered and pelted with offal
before they take his manhood
with the dark sickle knife.

He takes upon himself
the sins of all.
Here is the Scapegoat,
here is the one who dies for you.
Here is the Great Sacrifice.

His blood will feed
the Daughters of the Dark Earth.