The Passage to the New World

THE PASSAGE: PUBLISHED

THE PASSING OF THE ELVES: MANUSCRIPT

The Northern seas are cold and cruel grey; Across them sailed the fair tall Elven folk. Southward, the seas are blue, serene and warm; From that soft mist, with many a merry joke; Sweet Spirits came. From West, at close of day, Beneath sails brilliant as a peacock's fan, Djinni arrived. From sunrise and through storm, Across the Eastern ocean, last came-Man. Not so awfully long ago, as the stars, who created time, tell it, the Fair People withdrew from the Old World (which they called the Middle Kingdom), migrating across the Ocean Sea to dwell in the hills and forests of the New Found Land. The first to set foot on its shore (if he said so himself, in the saga he often sang) was Ruddy Alf, a copper-haired Sea-Troll of Nortland. It was he, he bragged, who left Scandia to brave alone the teeth of the Hell-hounds at sheer cliff's lip of the flat Earth's edge; he the hero who pressed a single print from his reindeer-hide boots on the beach there, and he who came back to harp on it. Next, or simultaneously, or (to hear his kin and clan tell of it) years and years before, was Brandan, a Leprechaun from Kerry, who zigzagged all the way from the tip of the Dingle to the Brave New World in a sealskin canoe, with naught but poteen for provender. But most of the Fair People deemed the exploits of Alf and Brandan to be mere myth (even Legends, it seems, look down on legends) and attributed the Discovery of the New Found Land to the Italian fairy Colon Savanelli, an intrepidly nautical Folleto out of Genoa. Savanelli had been commissioned by the Queen of the Iberian Hadas (that is, the Spanish Fays) to Seek the fabulous Spice Islands. Once found, she Hoped that they would become a foster homeland for her subjects, and indeed, for all the Fair People of the Middle Kingdom whose Era, she feared, was Coming to its end. And it was. Their brilliant Art, their shining Beauty, their Power and their Glory were flickering and fading, like firefly lights against the dawn; for the Time of Man had begun. Man, the unbelieving and unbelievable. Man, Who hates and fears himself and thus despises every living thing. Man, the hewer of trees and spoiler of Streams; whose fields and roads and walls are of a Straight, unnatural geometry; who taught the very Beasts to be dumb; fierce, clever, heavy-treading Man, who with his weapons of forged iron had Lately murdered, just for sport, what was believed to Be the last, and irreplaceable, Dragon. Word of Savanelli’s success and of the Spanish Exodus ran like fox fire across the dying Middle Kingdom. Somewhere in the West were golden beaches, Deep green woods, still pools, dark caves, bottomLess rivers, topless mountains—a Fairyland! The French were the first to follow. (The tall, Proud Hadas of Spain had already departed However reluctantly-with their diminutive domestic relatives, the Duendes.) From France came the Sturdy seafaring Korreds of Brittany; the nomadic, Shape-shifting Lutins of Normandy, Domes Blanches and Domes Verles, coquettish maidens From the river valleys of the Aquitaine, Loups Garoux from the forests. All these found refuge From the onslaught of Man upon the chill and rocky Northern coast of the New Found Land across the Sea. Forsaking the sun-tanned Riviera, water Dracs, Playful-as- porpoises, and the languid, amorous Fadas found contentment upon the hot southern Shores of the New World, amidst pink, long-legged Birds and high, swaying palms. In England, the erstwhile high-honored court of The Fairy Queen was now much diminished. Her Majesty, Mab Herself, and many of Her subjects, Pixies, Hobgoblins, and Boggarts alike, had shrunk To tiny size. Robin had been exiled to Sherwood. Right gladly did all that company hear the news of a Haven in the West, and right swiftly they embarked Therefor. The venerable Dutch merchant empire of the Lowland Alven was also in its autumn. Their sailor Servants, the Klabautennannikins, made ready their Broad-bottomed boats, and away they sailed, to Settle peaceably, at length, among rolling hills by a Wide river richly lined with cliffs and trees. Clear, Running creeks they found there, and wildcats in Abundance, wherefore they named their new home “Kaaterskill” (Wildcat Creek). From Eire (that most distressful country), the conquered and humbled native gentry, the Sidhe, set Forth to follow in Brandan’s path, accompanied on Board by such of their lower- class countrymen as the shoe-making Leprechauns and the endlessly Joking, drunk, and disorderly Fir Darrigs. Observed a Mortal Irish observer:* “The fairies … are retiring one by one from the Habitations of man, to the distant islands where the Wild waves of the Atla ntic raise their foaming crests…” Lost to the Scottish Highlands then an’ evermair Was the Seelie Court: the Fair Folk known as Trows, Fachans, Brownies, an’ People o ‘ Peace. As the tale Is told, “Only two children marked their passing, as the wee creatures rode their shaggy ponies down to The sea. The mortal lad called out to the last rider, ‘What are ye, little mannie? And where are ye goIng?’ ‘Not of the race of Adam,’ said the creature, Turning for a moment in his saddle: ‘the People o’Peace shall never more be seen in Scotland. ‘ “**

The Northern seas are cold and cruel grey; Across them sailed the stern tall Elven-folk. Southward, the seas are blue, serene and warm; From that soft mist, with many a merry joke, The Dark Ones came. From West, at close of day, Beneath sails brilliant as a peacock's fan, Spirits arrived. From sunrise and through storm Across the Eastern ocean, last came -Man. Not so awfully long ago, as the stars, who created time, tell it, the Fair People withdrew from the Old World, (which they called The Middle Kingdom), migrating across the Ocean Sea to dwell in the hills and forests of the New Found Land. The first to set foot on its shore (if he said so him- self, in the saga he sang of it often) was Ruddy Alf, a copper- haired Sea Troll of Nortland. He it was, he bragged, who braved alone the teeth of the Hel- hounds at sheer cliff's lip of the flat Earth's Edge, he the hero who pressed a single reindeer- hide boot-print on the beach there, and he who came back to harp on it. Next, or simultaneously, or (to hear his kin and clan tell of it) years and years before, was Brandan, a Fir Bolg from Kerry, who zig-zagged all the way West in a seal-skin canoe, with naught but poteen for provender, from the tip of the Dingle to the Brave New World. But most of the Fair People deemed the exploits of Alf and Cluricaune to be mere myth (even Legends, it seems, look down on legends) and attributed the Discovery of the New Found Land to Colon Savanelli, an intrepidly nautical Folleto out of Genoa. Savanelli had been commissioned by the Queen of the Hadas (that is, the Iberian Fays) to seek the fabulous Spice Islands. She hoped that, once found, they would become a foster homeland for her subjects; and, indeed, for all the Fair People of the Middle Kingdom, whose Era, she feared, was coming to its end. And it was. Their brilliant Art, their shining Beauty, their Power and their Glory were flickering and fading, like firefly lights against the dawn; for the Time of Man had begun. Man, the unbelieving and unbelievable. Man, who hates and fears himself, and thus despises every living thing. Man, the hewer of trees and spoiler of streams; whose fields and roads and walls are of a straight, unnatural geometry; who taught the very beasts to be dumb; fierce, clever, stinking heavy-treading Man, who with his weapons of forged iron had lately murdered, just for sport, what was believed to be the last and irreplaceable Dragon. Word of Savanelli's success, and of the Spanish exodus, (together with the tall proud Hadas had departed however reluctantly the diminutive domestic spirits called Duende) ran like fox fire across the dying Middle Kingdom. Somewhere in the West were golden beaches, deep green woods, still pools, dark caves, bottomless rivers, topless mountains -- a Fairyland! The French were first to follow. The sturdy sea- faring Korreds of Brittany; the nomadic, shape-shifting Lutins of Normandy, Dames Blanches and Dames Vertes from the river valleys of the Aquitain, Loups Garoux from the forests all these found refuge from the onslaught of Man, upon the chill and rocky northern coast of the New Found Land. Forsaking the sun-tanned Langue d'Oc, the playful-as-porpoises Dracs and the languid, amorous Fadas found content upon the hot southern shores there, amidst pink long- legged birds and high swaying palms In England, the erstwhile high-honored Court of the Faerie Queene was now much diminished. Mab herself, and many of her subject Pixies, Hob Goblins and Boggarts, had shrunk to tiny size. Robin had been exiled to Sherwood, Oberon and Titania to Arden. Right gladly did all that company hear the news of a Haven in the West, and right swiftly they embarked there for. The venerable merchant-empire of the Lowland Alven was also in its autumn. Now, their sailor- servants, Klabartermannikins, made ready their broad-bottomed boats, and away they sailed, to settle peaceably, at length, among rolling hills by a wide and lordly river. Clear running creeks they found there, and wildcats in abundance, wherefor they named their new home "Kaaterskill". From Eire, (that most distressful country) the conquered and humbled native gentry, the Sidhe, set forth- as well, accompanied on board by such of their lower-class countrymen as the shoe- making Leprauchauns, the endlessly joking Fir Darrigs, and the drunk and disorderly Cluricauns from Cork. Among the few patriotic Fir Bolgs left behind, their going would forever be remembered as 'the flight of the Wild Geese'. Lost to the Highlands then an' evermair was the Seelie Court People o'Peace, Trows, Fachans, Brownies an' a'. Only two bairn marked their passing, as the wee folk rode their shaggy ponies down to the sea, and the mortal lad called out to the last rider, "What are ye, little mannie? and where are ye going?" "Not of the race of Adam, said the creature, turning for a moment in his saddle: "the People of Peace shall never more be seen in Scotland.*