My first encounter with the Horned God, like that of most Westerners, was through the warped eyes of Christianity - A twisted, corrupted version of Himself, made by the Church synonymous with Satan, the horned, goat-headed Baphomet, in a masterstroke that would see all of Europe converted to the Cross, by sword and flame, where necessary.

But of course, the Lord of the Hunt was not these things. Hearkening back to the most ancient of our prehistory, he was Warrior, Father, Sage, representing all things male, be it for good or ill. He was the violent, raging berserker, the gentle father, the passionate lover, the hunter, the warrior. He was both boastful and modest in confidence, young and old. Each Spring he would be reborn to his own union, only to die again in the Winter. And so he represented the eternal cycle of death and rebirth that nature is.

I have since come to identify much more closely with the Goddess in her aspects, for obvious reasons, but for a time, the Horned God was what I aspired to, when I was most desperately trying to be a man, and He still holds a special place in my heart. In his positive role, he represents all to me that a man should be: Calm, confident, courageous yet gentle, a provider to his clan and a protector to those weaker than him, all creatures.

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~Simone.

To date, I've had little experience with Cernunnos, and most of that was at a Beltain ritual a few years ago. I'd felt closer to the Greenman and Herne, but Perkunas is my Patron god (Pele is my Matron). For whatever reason, "fire" deities seem to call to me.

I'd found few Charges of the God/dess that appealed to me, so I looked at several of each and then wrote my own. I think it's safe to say that my Christian and Buddhist influences show in my Charge of the God...

Ummm, putting me in mind of a poem attributed to the poet Taliesin, from Wales/Galloway/Strathclyde in the fifth century. I never memorized it but there is a certain 'chime' with your charges and his poem.

If you haven't you may wish to view it.

Blessed Be,

Nichole

Quote from: Shades O'Grey on April 23, 2008, 10:43:22 AM
To date, I've had little experience with Cernunnos, and most of that was at a Beltain ritual a few years ago. I'd felt closer to the Greenman and Herne, but Perkunas is my Patron god (Pele is my Matron). For whatever reason, "fire" deities seem to call to me.

I'd found few Charges of the God/dess that appealed to me, so I looked at several of each and then wrote my own. I think it's safe to say that my Christian and Buddhist influences show in my Charge of the God...

To me really, the only reason I call Him by Cernunnos and not another of his many names is because that is the name, and Celtic the tradition, that I came to know him under first. But as you point out in your Charge, there are as many manifestations as there are cultures, even two modern incarnations! 

I stumbled upon this nice little introductory site dedicated to The Horned God while looking for a picture to put in my Book. It's at http://www.lugodoc.demon.co.uk/welcome.htm

And thanks for sharing your Charge Shades. Very cool.

Quote from: Nichole on April 23, 2008, 11:21:52 AM
Ummm, putting me in mind of a poem attributed to the poet Taliesin, from Wales/Galloway/Strathclyde in the fifth century. I never memorized it but there is a certain 'chime' with your charges and his poem.

Thank you Nichole. I will most certainly keep an eye out for it.

~Simone.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliesin
http://www.pantheon.org/articles/t/taliesin.html
http://www.maryjones.us/ctexts/llyfrtaliesin.html

You can try those links for background and a translation of the poems, highly Xtianised. Probably medievally.

I believe that his 'charge' was inj Robert Graves,' The White Goddess. Graves' 'translation' was much more magical than the ones in the link above. *smile*

N~

thank you for this thread!