Scotland's Fairies: Prince Finnian & The 1st Christmas Tree

Hello,

My name is Rachel and my country is Scotland.

A country steeped in fairy faith.

A place of mythical valleys,

Fairy glens and fairy pools and lochs and ancient Caledonian pine forests.

In this story you will hear about how the fairies were instrumental in bringing the first Christmas tree to Scotland.

Now once upon a time lived a Scottish Queen known as Queen Elspeth of Strathmore.

She was known not only for her unparalleled beauty but also for her deep love of gardening and nature.

It was not at all unusual to see her out in the castle gardens,

Tending to the colourful flowers that adorned every corner of the castle grounds.

She grew flowers to attract the pollinators and the air was always filled with a sweet fragrance.

She would also ride her horse brave through the lush meadows,

Her curly red hair flying freely behind as she visited the local farmers and shared her ecological knowledge to help her and her husband's kingdom prosper.

For the Queen did not just desire a picturesque view from her castle window,

She wanted a kingdom where both people and animals could thrive together.

A place where every child went to bed with a nourished tummy and where the flora and fauna flourished too.

She invited her subjects to join in the joy of nurturing life.

However,

Not everything was joyous and abundant for the Queen and King as it took them many years to have the child that they longed for.

Eventually though,

They were blessed with a little baby boy known as Prince Finian with a tuft of vibrant red hair that seemed to catch the sunlight like a flame and a smattering of freckles across his little butted nose.

Finian was a sight to behold.

His presence radiated the same warmth as his mother's and his sparkling green eyes held a glint of mischief as he explored the world.

First tucked to a shawl on his mother's back and then toddling around beside her.

His rosy cheeks mirrored the hues of the flowers that adorned the castle gardens and whether chasing butterflies in the meadow or giggling in the arms of his parents,

The little prince's red-headed charm brought joy to the kingdom.

The little prince shared his mother's love of nature and he grew strong and radiant as the blooms which prospered under his gear.

He would tenderly touch the leaves,

Whisper to the birds and bees,

Marvel at the delicate balance of the ecosystem that he was part of.

He was so loved by the king and queen that they longed to give him a sibling in spite of their past troubles.

The queen's joy finding out she was pregnant again was only slightly tainted by the fact that it had made her very unwell and the queen's physician had ordered her on bed rest and never to leave her bedchamber until the next heir to the kingdom was born.

As she lay in bed looking out of the castle windows at the tops of trees and hints of sky she longed to immerse herself in nature.

Her little son knew this and he would come to her bed every day regaling her with the stories of the trees he had climbed,

The woodpeckers he had spotted and magical groves he had found in the heart of the royal forest.

He would bring her blooms to smell and it brought life into the stuffy bedchambers.

Soon it was nearing Christmas and the little prince was at a loss of what to get his dear mother.

As it was winter life had retreated from the gardens and meadows and despite the holly with its bright red berries there was not much else to pick to give to her.

For centuries the holly tree has been known as a symbol of luck and thought to have magical powers.

So as he was out walking one day he decided to stand beside it and make a Christmas wish.

He whispered to the holly tree that he wished for his mother to be well again,

For her to be able to walk between the trees with him smelling the fresh pines and feeling happy and free in nature.

After he had finished speaking to the holly tree a little orange chested robin flew out from within its dense foliage stopping for a brief moment on the edge of a branch almost if to acknowledge him good day.

Before taking off again through the trees on Christmas Eve the grand hall of the ancient castle was buzzing with preparations for Christmas.

It was adorned with candles and evergreen wreaths decorated with red velvet ribbons.

Fireplaces crackled in every room the aroma of Christmas spice and burning logs filled the air.

The castle kitchen was a bustling hub of activity as the cooks prepared festive pies and an array of delectable desserts.

Outside in the snowy castle courtyard carol singers filled the air with festive cheer and towering snowmen with crowns of holly stood guard adding a touch of whimsy to the castle.

However the little prince only wanted his mother and he fell asleep beside her as she gently stroked his hair and sang in tune with the carol singers outside their window.

He dreamed of walking through the pine trees with his mother as their frost touched needles sparkled in the silvery glow of the moon and fairies danced beneath the celestial canopy.

In the little prince's dream the fairy's gossamer wings shimmered like jewels catching the moonlight and reflecting colors of pink and blue and green.

As his dream continued suddenly a glowing light played with the edges of the dream and almost gently kissed his eyelids stirring his senses with whispered promises and Christmas wishes.

As he began to stir from his slumber his mother's bedchamber unveiled the most magical of surprises.

Standing at the end of the queen's bed was the most enormous fir tree with glossy dark green needles adorned with tiny lanterns and sparkling icicles.

Near the top of the tree perched a little robin looking at him with the same bright eyes as the one he had seen days earlier in the holly tree and at the very top of the tree hovered a fairy just like those in his dream.

She looked to be about the size of an adult's hand with a flowing golden gown that matched her shining blonde hair and an elaborate crown of glittering jewels.

She looked to be smiling down at the little prince and his sleeping mother and the prince felt an overwhelming desire to talk to her but before he opened his mouth he heard her voice fill his thoughts.

Hello Prince Finian,

She said.

My name is Queen Lalandra and I am queen of the fairies.

I know how kind-hearted you are and how you endeavor to help all creatures great and small.

However my robin friend told me that the one person you hope to help most of all is your beautiful and kind mother.

Although I'm afraid we cannot make her well we know that she will be fit and healthy very soon.

In fact by springtime she will be back outside with you and a new baby sister to marvel at the spring buds and baby animals.

So instead we have brought her this tree to give her hope of the happy times to come.

Farewell little prince and a very merry Christmas.

Within the blink of an eye the fairy queen and little robin were gone and Finian was left to marvel at the beautiful tree that stood before him.

He gently roused his mother and she squealed with glee at the sight of its towering beauty.

The fairy queen was indeed correct about the joy that springtime would bring and Finian had never been happier to help outside with his mother as she removed the winter debris and created a welcoming environment for the seeds and plants with princess Lyra snug and sleeping in the shawl on her back and the gift from the fairies became a new tradition in the castle.

Every year they brought in a huge tree to be adorned with lights and of course a fabric fairy decorated the top.

Visitors to the castle so admired the tree that they also adopted this tradition and so it remains today.

Now I hope you enjoyed this story of how Scotland came to have its very first Christmas tree topped off with a beautiful fairy and I hope you can imagine sitting beside a cozy fire watching the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree and being reminded of all that's joyous and beautiful in the world.