The Holly King And The Oak King

Title

The Holly King And The Oak King

Artist

Melissa A Benson

Medium

Painting - Oils And Color Pencil

Description

This is a print of my illustration representing the Wiccan story of the Holly King and Oak King.

I designed this piece like a playing card so that either King could be face up on your wall during his time on the Wheel of the Year, and then flipped over at the Solstice.

Each King rules six months of the year, changing sway at the Summer and Winter Solstices. The Holly King reigns from Midsummer to Yule while the earth gets colder and the earth rests until the longest night of the year. Then there is an epic battle between them. After that, the Oak King reigns from Yule to Midsummer while the earth gets warmer and new life and activity begins, until the longest day of the year.

About the piece:

The Holly King is dressed in cold red colored garb with holly leaves and moon motif decorations. His heavy cape is an icy blue with a furred hood. He has holly leaves instead of hair and beard. He also wears a torque around his neck and holds another in his left hand. His belt is a pine green with a metal spiral which matches the cape clasp. Behind him is an ancient snow covered forest. A wren sits on a bare branch in front of him. A wren and pine cone, two symbols of Winter, are represented in corners circles. A celtic border design flanks the moon at the top and the sides like icicles.

The Oak King is dressed in a sleeveless emerald green jerkin and brown leathers with an acorn and oak leaf motif. His swirling cape is a hot red draped over one shoulder and secured with a Celtic design cloak pin. He has oak leaves instead of hair and beard. He also wears a torque around his neck and holds another in his left hand. His belt is a brown leather with a metal sun design which is repeated in his bracers. A spiral arm band is his only other attire. Behind him is a vibrant dense forest. A robin sits on a leafy branch alongside him. A robin and three acorns, two symbols of Summer, are represented in corners circles. A celtic border design flanks the sun at the top and the sides like intertwined branches. At the ends are sprigs of both oak and holly.

Uploaded

May 27th, 2015

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