Compass of the Winds, a poem by Lord Carville, Ollamh-Draoi
These few verses were inspired by the words of Angus the Culdee in the 'Saltair na Rain' (translated by Whitely Stokes in 1883). In the first section of the manuscript (dated to 985 - 1061 CE) he discusses the various Druidic winds in relation to creation, perhaps a remnant of an older Celtic creation myth with east as the purple wind, south as the white wind, west as the dun/gray wind and north as the black wind.
Dawns' love pierces dark sky blue,
Suns' gold in Eastern purple hue;
The womb of births': illuminating days...
Earth warmed by Royal; flames, fine rays.
Fair hand, the good and right,
Noble Spirit of purest white;
Virtue and honor, bless'd South...
Ever-best, fortune of a sweet mouth.
Haze of West is death devotion,
Dun-gray, brown, dusk-wind ocean;
Consumed, beneath waves, of drowning...
Grave sound of distant mourning.
Hard bitter North looms at left,
Black frost of souls lost, bereft;
Frozen Her of ill renown...
Dark cells never saw the light of dawn.
All Rights Reserved & Copyright January 2009 David John Drew
