A Song of Ice & Fire
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At Each Solstice, two kings engage in battle for dominance over the world & for the favor of the Great Goddess. The Holly King rules until the Winter Solstice & is slain during this day which marks the rebirth of the Oak King (Sun King).
(A đ§”)
At Each Solstice, two kings engage in battle for dominance over the world & for the favor of the Great Goddess. The Holly King rules until the Winter Solstice & is slain during this day which marks the rebirth of the Oak King (Sun King).
The Holly King and Oak King are personifications of the winter and summer in various folklore and mythological traditions. The two kings engage in endless "battle" reflecting the seasonal cycles of the year: not only solar light and dark, but also crop renewal and growth.
During warm days of Midsummer the Oak King is at the height of his strength; the Holly King regains power at the Autumn equinox, then his strength peaks during Midwinter, at which point the Oak King is reborn, regaining power at the Spring equinox, & perpetuating the succession.
The annual Battle & Death of the Holly King symbolizes the old year and the shortened sun at the hands of his son and successor, the robin redbreast Oak King or the Sun King who symbolizes the new year, the new sun and new crops that begin to grow.
Robert Graves in The White Goddess identifies other legends and archetypes of paired hero-figures as variants of the Holly & Oak King myth including:
Lleu Llaw Gyffes & Gronw Pebr
Gwyn & Gwythyr
Lugh & Balor
Balan & Balin
Gawain & the Green Knight
Jesus & John the Baptist
Lleu Llaw Gyffes & Gronw Pebr
Gwyn & Gwythyr
Lugh & Balor
Balan & Balin
Gawain & the Green Knight
Jesus & John the Baptist
Stewart and Janet Farrar characterize the Oak King ruling the waxing year and the Holly King ruling the waning year.
According to Joanne Pearson, the Holly King is represented by holly and other evergreens, and personifies the dark half of the Wheel of the Year. The Holly King is also seen by some Neopagans as prehistoric forebear of the Father Christmas legend.
Some adherents of Modern Paganism consider the two counterparts as dual aspects of the Horned God waging for the favour of the Great Goddess.
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