Winter was doing her best to cloak the growing light of the sun. She threw a shroud of freezing mist across the sky, to try to gather away all of the light and the warmth, and she almost succeeded. The sun however was determined, and she shone with all of her might, through the cold winter sky of the mountains. Layers of landscape were whispered, almost forgotten, across winters breath. The golden disc of the small winter sun gleamed white hot in her heart, against the cruel cold grip of the Cailleach Bheur.
Black bare branches rattled like the antlers of the hill. The sun rested a little among the arms of the trees, after all her efforts. She was beginning to weaken and sinking slowly back towards the dark curve of the earth. The power was fading from her fast, and winters cold fingers were closing in, drawing the day to an end.
In one last gasp, the sun drew a line of gold across the face of the loch. She smouldered down into mist and water, as they became one with the light. Day was over, and winter held us all again in her cold frozen spell of night. The Cailleach Bheur it seems is not ready to relinquish her crown just yet.
These images were taken on my iPhone, deep in the heart of the Scottish Highlands around 3:30pm on Saturday afternoon.
The Cailleach Bheur is the goddess of Scotlands winter, and of the earth and stones of her mountains.
See another post about the Cailleach Bheur here.
Filed under: Celtic, mythology, nature photo Tagged: Celtic, goddess, landscape, magic, mist, myth, nature, photography, scotland, sun, winter