Identifier: wondertalesfroms00mack (find matches)
Title: Wonder tales from Scottish myth & legend
Year: 1917 (1910s)
Authors: Mackenzie, Donald Alexander, 1873-1936 Duncan, John, ill
Subjects: Legends -- Scotland Folklore -- Scotland
Publisher: London : Blackie and son
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
ld Beira wouldcrumble into dust. As soon as Beira tasted the magic water, insilence and alone, she began to grow young again.She left the island and, returning to Scotland, fellinto a magic sleep. When, at length, she awoke,in bright sunshine, she rose up as a beautiful girlwith long hair yellow as buds of broom, cheeksred as rowan berries, and blue eyes that sparkledlike the summer sea in sunshine. Then she wentto and fro through Scotland, clad in a robe ofgreen and crowned with a chaplet of bright flowersof many hues. No fairer goddess was to be foundin all the land, save Bride, the peerless Queen ofSummer. As each month went past, however, Beira agedquickly. She reached full womanhood in mid-summer, and when autumn came on her browswrinkled and her beauty began to fade. Whenthe season of winter returned once again, shebecame an old and withered hag, and began toreign as the fierce Queen Beira. Often on stormy nights in early winter shewandered about, singing this sorrowful song:—
Text Appearing After Image:
C87I BEIRA From a draining by John Duncan, A.R.S..1. Beira, Queen of Winter 25 0 life that ebbs like the sea! I am weary and old, I am weary and old—Oh! how can I happy be All alone in the dark and the cold. 1 m the old Beira again, My mantle no longer is green,I think of my beauty with pain And the days when another was queen. My arms are withered and thin, My hair once golden is grey;T is winter—my reign doth begin— Youths summer has faded away. Youths summer and autumn have fled—I am weary and old, I am weary and old. Every flower must fade and fall dead When the winds blow cold, when the winds blow cold. The aged Beira was fearsome to look upon.She had only one eye, but the sight of it was keenand sharp as ice and as swift as the mackerel ofthe ocean. Her complexion was a dull, dark blue,and this is how she sanor about it:— o Why is my face so dark, so dark? So dark, oho! so dark, ohee!Out in all weathers I wander alone In the mire, in the cold, ah me! Her teeth were redwondertalesfroms00mack

Note About Images