Litany of the Jewels

It is the nature (or perhaps we should say PRETERNATURE) of Fairies to love beautiful things: starshine and flowers, of course, and trees; rushing streams, dew-bright morning spider webs, and music. But of all the desires of the Fair People, there is one thing for which Man shares the same passion: Jewels. To the Fairies, gold is pretty enough stuff. It reminds them of sunlight dancing on water and of the turning leaves in autumn. (Catch a Leprechaun, they say, and demand of him his golden treasure: you’ll sleep a hundred years and wake with dead leaves in your pocket-he keeps his word.) Likewise, they cherish silver, for it puts them in mind of moonlight and icicles. But precious stones they value for themselves; perhaps because, like them, gems are earthbom, rare, and beautiful. When it comes to jewelry (and the Fairies are great craftsmen of jewelry)-to rings and pendants, bracelets and necklaces, to broaches and inlaid dagger hilts, coronets and combs-the Fair People can be jealous, greedy, vain, quarrelsome, possessive, treacherous-almost, in a word, human. When the Thirteen Nations of the Fair People came to the New Found Land, twelve tribes brought with them their chief pride and treasure: a gem from the Old World, a remembrance of their history and tradition. The Eivish folk of Scandia provided the uncanny casques in which the jewels were kept. Every Fairy, even the stupidest Goblin among them, knew by heart the Litany of the Jewels:

What are the treasures the Fair Folk bring?

Easily named, and lovingly told:

Fairies of England proudly bear

Garnet, crown-jewel of their Queen.

Brilliant as eyes of Celtic folk,

Cold morning green, their Emerald.

The Hadas of Iberia:

Sapphire, shy as a wild field flower.

Turquoise the Fays of France keep: stone

Rare as a blue midsummer’s day.

Dwarves’ treasure: purple Amethyst,

Imperial star of Germany.

The Opal of the Lowland Gnomes:

A cloud of shining, shifting smoke.

A Topaz is the Russian prize:

The royal sunstone, frozen fire.

Peridot of old Italy:

Antique, and olivine, and rich.

The Ruby out of Araby:

Scarlet of desert sky at dawn.

Africa’s Diamond, earth-born star,

Bright harvest of the midnight rock.

The Nymphs of Hellas cherish sweet

Aquamarine, spring-water clear.

From far Cathay, the dragon’s Pearl:

Chaste, perfect as the silver moon.

Each jewel in its weird-wrought casque,

Gift of the Viking craftsmen Elves.

Wonder and glory thirteen-fold:

These are the treasures the Fair Folk bring.