Gothic Faery Tales

For the Darker Side of Faery Tales

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Salome: the Seventh Queen: 10: The Mysterious Lake

by Aline deWinter

>

<?

“Oh, gatekeeper, open the gate! Open the gate so I may enter!” Salome cried.
<?

“Oh, no, Mistress!” cried Aaliyah. “Let us go back!”
<?

The Third gate opened, and the Gatekeeper, clad in robes of copper flame, reached forth and pulled off the Princess’s sparkling necklace.
<?

Salome cried out, for the necklace was fine and precious to her.
<?

“Oh Gatekeeper, why do you take my necklace?”
>?

“ Thus are the rules of the Mistress of the Abyss. Now you may enter.”
<?

Salome reeled. All the garden spun around her as she heard the voice of Aaliyah whisper, “…where they see no light…residing only in darkness…is it so?”
<?

“Shhh! Aaliyha! You tempt fate,” Etana whispered sharply.

>
Darkness reached out and pulled them through the gate like a hand, bringing them onto a thread of white road. It wound through deep twilight over a low hill and then down to an oasis with a lake that opened up like a dull, watching eye. And on that lake, black swans floated, their sooty reflections like shadows cast upon the smooth surface of the water.
<

The trees took notice of Salome and shivered, releasing flocks of black birds. Excited by the sight of so much water, for her desert home held nothing like this — not even the great gardens of the Herodium with all its wealth could supply such a wonder, Salome knelt down to plunge her hands into the lake.  It was as if she touched glass! The surface was solid, yet it was not ice, but rather a clear, hard, glass-like surface beneath which she saw large shapes moving slowly through the gloom.
<?

Salome turned to her serving maids who stood limp and apprehensive on the slope of the hill. The musicians watched her expectantly, waiting for her to direct them, as if they had lost all delight in playing on their own.
>?

“I shall dance upon this lake,” said the Princess, extending her delicate foot out to touch the water. “Yes, it will support me. I shall dance upon this lake,” she sighed.
>?

“Oh, no, Princess!” cried Aaliyah in alarm. “Surly you do not want to risk that! This is but an illusion. Surly you shall drown. No one can walk upon water, Princess, though she be the greatest dancer in the world.”
>?

“Yes, you must stop, Mistress Salome!  Perhaps we should turn back. Your wits are becoming confused,” cried Etana, “Stop!”
>?

“Do you doubt me?” said Salome. “I shall dance upon this lake. See how it bears me up so that I may walk over to those swans and dance among them. Music please! This will be a dance to defy the Gods of Death. Give me the head of Jokannaan. I want him to see how I dance upon the lake.”
>?

The music shrieked and wailed as if the whole of the world cried out in anguish while Salome took the glistening head from Aaliyah and turned with it toward the lake. She stepped upon it and it bore her up while , spinning, she gazed into the eyes of her beloved.
>?

“Dance with me Jokannaan. Dance with me on this lake of glass. See how our twin selves move below us; our reflected selves, our doubles are below us dancing in the mirror world of death, Jokannaan.  When the dance is over, you shall soon come back to life, and so shall I who have been as dead these many days.”
<?

Salome moved further onto the lake, sliding as she would across a shining floor. It was so smooth, her steps flew as if her heels bore wings. She watched her reflected shadow below, saw the vision of her self holding the severed head close to her heart, and in her delirium did not shrink away. Rather she grew ferocious in her dance so that the black swans scattered and dove at her before falling into a wide circle around her as if to hem her in.
>?

Slowly, as she danced, lost in the mirror world of her dark passion, Salome heard soft and distant voices rise up from under the lake, chanting in a slanting minor key.
>?

“Oh, they will drag me under; those voices overwhelm me like the sea, Jokannaan. Perhaps we shall fall into this mirror world forever, to dance with our feet upon the sky and our heads below the water….like these reflections here….unless I tear myself away and end this frenzy of love that holds me to you, for the blood that fell from you has entered into my heart, making us one, of one blood, cloven together like the sides of a healing wound. The sky grows deep and purple, Jokannaan, like the bruise that spread over my soul when I murdered you!”
>?

As if overcome by the song that grew louder and deeper with each passing moment, the musicians dropped their instruments and stood as stones on the silent hill. Aaliyah and Etana fell helpless on the ground. Soon, the only sound accompanying the Princess in her dancing was a terrible, echoing cry.

<?

To be continued…
photo: Mysterious Lake by Sara.K

Painting: Salome by Bussiere

Oscar Wilde’s infamous play, Salome, French painter, Gustave Moreau’s opulent art, Aubrey Beardsley’s perverse line drawings, Richard Strauss’s opera, Alla Nazimova’s silent classic, a love of the macabre, and a lifelong fascination with this ancient tale of teenage obsession, mixed together in a subconscious mind already steeped in the fall of Roman Catholicism to inspire this story. It was started in the Spring of 2008, and since then, the first half has been serialized on my Winterspells blog. That project was abandoned when I realized it had to be moved to a more appropriate venue. Not quite a Faery Tale, though very like one, Salome: The Seventh Queen is definitely Gothic.

This time, I will make it to the very surprising end. I hope you like twist endings, and especially enjoy, as I do, a few flights of thoroughly decadent purple prose.

It begins with the question: What if Herod had allowed Salome to live, and she decided her love was powerful enough to bring Jokanaan back to life?

Salome: Well I know that thou wouldst have loved me, and the mystery of Love is greater than the mystery of Death.

-Oscar Wilde

Salome: The Seventh Queen: Part One: Delerium

by Aline deWinter

Only seeds of darkness could have borne such a hybrid daughter with her golden skin and golden hair and golden eyes, her brows and lashes dusky as the sun at midnight, and her lips like a slash of blood. So like her mother, Herodias, the Black Narcissus, with skin of serpent belly white, and coils of hair so black it shone purple in the lamplight, whose eyes were like the abyss where hungry demons dwell. More like her father, Herod, whom her uncle, also called Herod, the Tetrarch of Judea, had murdered to steal Herodias to his wife. Somewhat, yet, like her father, Herod, who so loved gold and jewels that his crown and breastplate had melted into his body, burnishing his cinnamon skin to bronze and gilding his eyes and plating his black hair with veins of gold. Both mother and uncle had lips of carmine that constantly spilled over with the blood they had supped from their enemies.

<
Despite her parents influence, Salome, being young, was as sweet and fresh as a bright waterfall in the desert, and as frightened as a gazelle surrounded by hyenas. When Herod had begged her to dance, and her mother, Herodias, had insinuated that, having roused the Tetrarch to boiling lust she should ask for the Prophet’s head in return for her dancing, Salome gave in. But the beauty of the Prophet disturbed her deeply, inciting within her strange feelings and longings that  wracked her supple, virgin body with exquisite tortures, so that she danced as one possessed by something far older than his God.

<
Herod was entranced. His ardor spilled over in frenzied applause.

<
Bowing deeply before her Uncle’s baffling leer, Salome demanded her Mother’s boon: the death of the Prophet, Jokannaan.

<
The bribery and pleading of lustful Herod, frightened of his sins, could not dissuade her. The swirling vortexes of Herodias’s eyes  could bear no resistance in their hunger for revenge. Lust and Pride clashing in her soul like rocks against a battering sea, unable to command her own desires, Salome demanded the head of Jokannaan. Axe held high, the executioner went down into the well where Jokannaan lay prisoned. Suddenly screams rose into the air with a fountain of blood.

<
Sobbing, Salome carried the severed head, its eyes closed as if in deep contemplation, on a silver charger to lay it at feet of her mother. She cried, not only because the object of her first love, so beautiful, so pure, had been torn from her so suddenly, but because his head was shining, and there was a subtle silvery vibration as of far away bells ringing, and the voices of angels singing.

<
“You have done well, my daughter.” Herodias leaned towards her, breathing out the smell of tuberose as she sighed with satisfaction. “You shall have whatever you want of me. Only ask, and I will give it to you.”

<
Her father, Herod stood up and glared down at his two women with a face crossed by lightning and blood colored clouds.

<
“She shall have nothing,” he said. “She is lucky I do not have her thrown into the pit, and order her head brought to me on a charger. Or perhaps…I shall send poison to her room so that, after she dies, her body may still be pleasing to me…”

<
Salome started to her feet and looked at her mother with pleading eyes. “But it was she who ordered me to do it!” she cried. She held the charger up before her mother until, trembling, she could hold it no more, and laid it down gently. She covered her face with her jeweled hands. “Oh, Jokannaan…what have I done to you?”

<
“Enough!” Herodias cried. “You have done well, exceedingly well, my daughter. Let us leave here. I will have a servant girl taste your food for you. You will not suffer poison even if every serving girl in the kingdom has to die.”

<
Salome said nothing. She just gazed at the Prophet’s head and her heart ached with sorrow and sudden love.

<
Herodias leaned down and whispered in Salome’s ear. “Tell me what you want, my daughter. Tell it to me and I shall grant it you.”

<
“I want Jokannaan to be brought back to life.”

<
Herodias leaned back in her throne with disgust. “Impossible,” she snapped.

<
“Impossible!” thundered Herod from on high.

<
“Ask for something else,” Herodias said.

<
Salome looked up at her mother and then at her father, who was not really her father and so looked at her as at any woman he might bed.

<

“I wish to keep this head. To have him embalmed with the spices of Egypt and encased in a casket of gold. I wish to keep the head of Jokannaan as a sacred relic,” Salome said, avoiding Herod’s hungry stare.

<
Herodias leaned closer and breathed over Salome’s face with her tuberose breath. “I am not as pleased as once I was, but you shall have this boon. Just keep it out of my sight. I will not have it in my house.”

<
Herod smiled a slow rattling smile at Salome. “You have chosen well, Salome. I shall build a temple on the highest hill of Judea to house it in, and you shall have priestesses to tend it, and a fire burning always before it. Perhaps it shall undo the evil that your mother’s wrath has brought upon us.”

<
Salome stood up with bowed head, for she could not remove her eyes from the Prophet’s dreaming face, nor keep her lips from blooming scarlet.
“Thank you Tetrarch.”

<

Standing Salome caught her mother’s eye briefly, and looked away. The tuberose tinted air went around her like a noose, knotted with the Queen’s displeasure.

To be continued…

The nice lady over at Patsy’s Words of Wisdom, http://patsyblacksawyer.blogspot.com/

gave little old Gothic Faery Tales a prize!

This means a lot to me. Writing these strange stories is one of my profound passions, but online, you don’t always know if people even like them. But you continue to share hoping that, somewhere out there are some fans! That maybe your bit of entertainment made their day more interesting, mysterious, or enthralling.

Politicus.US gave this award to Patsy. Patsy writes a personal blog with down to earth humor and great quotes. She reads a lot and shares her insights. It’s a very fun and interesting blog.

This award originated at Will Oaks Studio a, wonderful blog that I visit regularly.

The rules of the award state that you must post it on your blog together with the name of the person who granted you this award and a link to his/her blog. Pass the award on to 15 other blogs you have recently discovered and think are great! Remember to contact the bloggers you’ve awarded to let them know they have been chosen. The following are my choices for blogs that I have been following for quite a while. Please visit them too. I have good taste.

I am breaking them into three posts of five blogs each because I tend to go over the top

Here are the next five blogs to get the Best Blog award:

History Undressed

If you love history, fashion, the history of fashion, Historical Romance in full fancy dress then you will LOVE this blog.

As a novelist, I am often immersed in period research. Blogs about architecture and clothing from past times can really absorb my attention especially if they are as well done as this is. I hope you stop by History Undressed. There are a few different writers on this  blog, and it has won prizes before.

Http://www.historyundressed.blogspot.com

Sexy Witch

Red Witch is the prolific author of Sexy Witch blog. This blog not only rescues witches from the hag-like reputation put on them from the Middle Ages onwards, but shows so many images of beautiful, cute, interesting, young, sexy witches that we are redeemed. It is an homage to woman’s power. She finds so many cool retro things, postcards, party favors, paintings, etchings…this is a really fun blog to visit.

Sexy Witch is the poster child for censorship. In looking for an image for this post, I found many empty boxes with red spots in them and her blogspot blog was thought naughty enough to need a warning. I won’t go into it… Sexy Witch thrives non the less.

Go to http://www/sexywitch.worpress.com

The Pandorian

If you love fine art, my friend Predrag Pajdic has  a magnificent blog called The Pandorian. An artist and curator of distinction, as well Milan trained high fashion designer and film costumier, Predrag displays his impeccable good taste and knowledge of, not just visual art, but of music , films, and literature  to give you a feast for your eyes and mind. The Pandorian is an art gallery by and for artists. and lovers of all things beautiful and rare.

Go take a look and leave him a comment or two. Tell him Arlene sent you.

http://www.thepandorian.com

A Gothic Cabinet of Curiosities & Mysteries

Another amazing artist, Todd Attenberry, creates wonderfully haunting landscapes of America and Europe for his Gothic Ghost Stories blog. As you can see, we share a similar passion: Gothicism, hauntings, nature, twilight, and eerie gloom.

He has posts on true hauntings, folklore,  ghost stories, etc all accompanied by his many beautiful photos that are processed to look like Old Masters paintings. You have to see the site to really appreciate the richness of what he has on offer. Cabinetmaster, Todd is a real Goth — just check out his Gothic Manifesto and its lucid history of the Gothic movement.

http://www.gothicghoststories.com

Gothic Charm School

Of course, this blog is quite famous, but what a fun way to end part 2 of this little pageant!

One day a Goth, Jillian Venters, decided to address the rude, defensive attitudes of many in the Goth Culture by explaining to them that there was no need to get in anyone’s face to prove how dark and menacing they were. The result was a charming and witty little website called Gothic Charm School. As Lady of the Manners, Miss Venters offers video instruction in etiquette and how to deal with difficult non-Goths.  She is am amazing business woman as well with a book flying off the shelves of Barnes & Noble,  Borders Books and more. I am sure the Manor is well supplied this Christmas so why not pay a visit?

Http://www/gothic-charm-school.com

Enjoy the video and learn some manners!

The nice lady over at Patsy’s Words of Wisdom, http://patsyblacksawyer.blogspot.com/

gave little old Gothic Faery Tales a prize!

This means a lot to me. Writing these strange stories is one of my profound passions, but online, you don’t always know if people even like them. But you continue to share hoping that, somewhere out there are some fans! That maybe your bit of entertainment made their day more interesting, mysterious, or enthralling.

Politicus.US gave this award to Patsy. Patsy writes a personal blog with down to earth humor and great quotes. She reads a lot and shares her insights. It’s a very fun and interesting blog.

This award originated at Will Oaks Studio a, wonderful blog that I visit regularly.

The rules of the award state that you must post it on your blog together with the name of the person who granted you this award and a link to his/her blog. Pass the award on to 15 other blogs you have recently discovered and think are great! Remember to contact the bloggers you’ve awarded to let them know they have been chosen. The following are my choices for blogs that I have been following for quite a while. Please visit them too. I have good taste.

I am breaking them into three posts of five blogs each because I tend to go over the top.

Five of My Fifteen Favorite Blogs:

Occult View

David Dolgacius writes wonderful posts about paranormal events, ghosts, cemeteries, alien abductions — the supernatural laced with science.

He also writes the odd Tarot blog, and may discuss Out of Body Experiences and Astrology. He is a truly wonderful person and I consider him a friend. Go there now!

http://occultview.com/

<

<

Terri Windling’s Endicott Studio

This lady is one of most amazing artists! With Ellen Datlow, she has edited many anthologies of stories based on fairy tales by some very famous authors. I’ve bought most of them. (See  sidebar)

Best Horror is one her annual anthologies along with smaller collections of stories based on themes such Fairies, Green Man, witches, etc.

Terri is also a visual artist, producing delicate, airy, original  illustrations. She seems to live a beautiful life , moving between Arizona and England.

If you want to see some gorgeous art, go to:

http://www.endicott-studio.com/

&

http://www.terriwindling.com

<

<

Supernatural Fairy Tales

Dorlana Vann does on her fabulous blog what I do on this one, but in her very different, contemporary style.

She also does film  reviews, and each month, Chrissa Sandin, offers her reviews of current fantasy fiction.

Dorlana’s supernatural novels are on sale from her blog as well. Death is based on the Tarot card, and Jacklyn’s Ghost is a paranormal romance. Both have been very well received by her many fans.

http://dorlana.blogspot.com/

<

<

The Ink Gypsy

I found Australian writer, Gypsy Thornton on Dorlanas’ blog. She had serialized a Steampunk version of Grimm’s Jorinda and Joringel, titled Cages,  at Supernatural Fairy Tales. It included podcasts by Gypsy herself,  and was extremely enjoyable. Her work is very professional and well produced, Once an animator, she is also and excellent visual designer. Her PDF of  Cages is a work of art.

She has a few writing blogs. Here are two.:

http://www.inkgypsy.com

&

http://www.inkgypsy.blogspot.com

<

<

Monster Brains

This is one the most amazing blogs on the internet.

I found it while looking for pictures of Hell Mouths — true lover of the Gothic that I am.

On this blog an endless sea of the misshapen, enchanted, alien, and bewitched creatures are drawn up from the bottom of the sea…or so it seems.

Aeron Alfrey combines horrifying images from the depths of the subconscious mind with a wide knowledge of art history, religious beliefs, folk lore, and philosophy. It’s the thinking person’s Chamber of Horrors!

http://monsterbrains.blogspot.com/

I thought you might like to own some of Simon Marsden’s wonderful images.

The photography in the books are the best quality. Hie book on Venice has those wonderful maskers, Haunted France is fabulously eerie. The book include text by Simon Marsden chronicling the history of the places, and his own haunted perceptions. Great inspiration for Dark fantasy writing!

Of course is website is http://www.simonmarsden.co.uk

He also has a video of his explorations of a magnificent  Irish castle that I can’t wait to get. You can buy it from his website.

It is time to adventure into the darkest night, to places of sorcery and transformation. In honor of the Old Year passing, I am offering a free copy of my original Gothic Faery Tale found in these pages, a revised version of “Roses, Briars, Blood”. I hope you enjoy it in this new format, where it can read in the right sequence, and if you like, printed off and held in your hands, and shared.

It has come to my attention that the old link was not working. It is fixed now and hopefully, I have given you enough information to be able to find the link quickly and easily.

Just put your name and email address in the box below. After that, you will receive a confirmation email in your inbox. Click that and you will be sent another email with a download link for the book.

I hope you enjoy this version of Grimm’s “Briar Rose”.

I have made it shine like a diamond for you.

*

*******************

*************************

Let Me Give You a Little Prezzie!

Join Gothic Faery Tales

&

Get Your Free PDF of Roses, Briars, Blood!

************************************************

Because you were so brave, and came to this blog despite its dark, foreboding atmosphere (a place you should have run away from the minute you sensed something wicked was afoot) I have decided to give you a little souvenir in honor your great fearlessness.

***********************

I have taken all the posts of Roses, Briars, Blood , improved them with a nice revision, took out any potentially troublesome pictures, and put the podcast links inside — they do work! and made it into a book for you! It looks really awesome and is a labor of love. Please take a little time before you go to sleep tonight, and listen to your own special bedtime story.

*************************

For you Faery Witches out there, you can’t go wrong fertilizing your dreams with tales.

When you wake up you find your day will have a touch of dark magic about it that suits our favorite time of year….

*********

******************************

In the green light of Faery,

Arlene deWinter

The Oral Tradition Lives On!

I am happy to announce that I have finished then podcasts for all eleven parts of  Roses, Briars, Blood.

I am in the process of creating an e-book so the story can be read from beginning to end, as is only proper, And you will be able to download it, hopefully with the podcasts for free!

I have a also got another original story of mine coming on board — the final revision of The Strange Marriage of Lady Crawford.

Also planned is a serialization of Theophile Gaultier’s wonderful vampire faery tale, Clarimonde. I will also do a podcast of this story in one go with sound effects to really scare you!

I hope you enjoy these stories. If you want to contribute, please leave a message on Your Page. The tab can be found on the navigation bar at the top of the blog.

I just had to share this! Enjoy!