Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon my Darlings. Today’s post is about Tam Lin and Thomas the Rhymer, the famous Faery Ballads of men trapped in Faeryland. I really adore these two Faery Ballads, and I thought that discussing them in the same post was appropriate, given that they both have some common themes, but very different storylines. Tam Lin and Thomas the Rhymer have very different experiences in Faeryland, and react differently to being trapped there! Without further ado, let’s look at each ballad in its own section below.
TAM LIN
~The story of Tam Lin is one of a Faery Knight, in duty to the Queen of Elphame. However, it comes to be revealed that he was not always a denizen of Elphame. Tam Lin had been captured from the human world and was forced to be in service to the Queen of Elphame! This is how he comes to rule over a Forest in Scotland, and that is where the main character Janet meets him. She quite quickly falls in love with him and they begin an affair. Their affair is usually stated to go on for some time, with Janet often stealing away into the Forest to spend time in the arms of her Faery Knight lover! It is when Janet finds out that she is pregnant that the stakes of the story are raised. It is at that point that Tam Lin tells her that if she comes to see the Faery Rade on Samhain, she can get him back from the Queen of Elphame and they can be together, marry, and raise their child. Janet does as she is instructed and is successful in rescuing Tam Lin from the Queen of Elphame. The bravery of Janet, and her willingness to rescue the man she loves, is what gives this story a happy ending!
THOMAS THE RHYMER
~The story of Thomas the Rhymer is very different than that of Tam Lin, as Thomas was taken into Faeryland to be the lover of the Faery Queen. This tale is much more uplifting and positive all the way through than the previous tale. While Thomas may not have chosen to enter Faeryland of his own accord, he is granted much more agency when he is there. He also seems very willing to serve out his time at the Faery Court, without the desire to escape which Tam Lin has. Thomas spends a total of seven years in service at the Faery Court, which is a common occurrence in old Faerylore. At that point, Thomas is allowed to return to his life in the human world. Thomas is also often called True Thomas due to the gift of Prophecy he was given by the Faeries after his time spent in Faeryland! The name Thomas the Rhymer is in reference to his gift of Prophecy coming in the form of Poetry. It was a very common belief that if you spent the night sleeping on a Faery Mound or in a Faery Circle you would either depart a Poet or go mad. Clearly, Thomas was lucky to be given gifts of Prophecy and Poetry instead of madness after his time at the Faery Court! I find that this story is overall a very happy one, without all of the pain we see in Tam Lin. Yet, both tales still end quite happily after the man leaves Faeryland.
~I hope you have enjoyed this short look at these two great Faery Ballads. What is your favorite old Faery Ballad? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is Tam Lin and Janet. I found the image on https://globallovemuseum.net/portfolio-items/tam-lin/.
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Tarot Note: I have a page offering tarot and oracle readings for those interested in these services! I am very happy to be offering these readings to my treasured readers at White Rose of Avalon! Link to page: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/tarot-and-oracle-readings/
Further Reading
- A New Dictionary of Fairies by Morgan Daimler
- Fairies: A Guide to the Celtic Fair Folk by Morgan Daimler
- Travelling the Fairy Path by Morgan Daimler