Hello, dearest daydreamer. Welcome to the Isle of Neverwas and the Lost and Found Exchange. 

Today is the fourth day of Yule, and we are continuing our celebration at Castle Nod. It is the day of the Wild Hunt, and the Castle continues to be a hive of activity and celebration. Let’s spend a few heartbeats together and continue our story.

You are in the Great Hall of Castle Nod. The Yule log continues to burn in the fireplace, watched over by the mountain trolls. There are long tables around the outside of the Hall spaced out with high-back chairs between them. The tables are covered with stacks of freshly baked bread rolls, dishes filled with nuts, and bowls of fruit. There are also large boards covered in a wide variety of cheeses, crackers, and jars of chutneys. There is another table covered in fruit cakes, mince pies, currant buns, scones, and biscuits. Big pots of vegetable soup with crispy dumplings are brought up from the kitchen. The island folk have been busy for days preparing for the Feast, and they have brought picnic baskets full of food and drink to the Feast. Nobody goes hungry.

The islanders spend a lot of time in the Great Hall during their visit to the Castle. There is a makeshift stage at one end of the hall. Music is important on the island. On our walk up to Castle Nod, you might have noticed people carrying musical instruments. Fairy folk take their turn to get up on the stage to sing and play music, and the islanders dance and sing along.

Tonight is the night of the Wild Hunt. This is a part of the Yule Norse tradition that Otto the Viking observes closely. As the sun sets, doors and windows are closed, and curtains are drawn against the dark and cold. Fires are lit in all the fireplaces, and islanders light candles, making wishes for each other. Before the heavy oak doors are closed at the entrance of the castle, a barrel filled with apples is placed on the top of the stone steps. An ancient tradition, an offering to the Wild Hunt and Odin’s horses. A ritual King Otto still observes to keep those inside the Castle safe. 

Let’s find a moment of peace and quiet away from the entertainment of the Great Hall and take a walk to the Long Gallery. This is the only place in the Castle where the curtains remain open. Island folk take turns to visit the Long Gallery; this space is cool and quiet. If we wander over to the window, you can see the light of the full moon reflected off the snow. The lights have been switched off in the gardens. The only light in the Long Gallery is the moonlight spilling through the windows. The visitors take turns to watch through the night for the Wild Hunt to pass by. Nobody has ever seen the Wild Hunt, but every morning following the Wild Hunt, as the Castle doors are opened, the barrel of apples is empty. There is evidence of muddy hoof prints left on the gravel and flagstones of the driveway of the castle.

Let’s make our way back downstairs to the library. There are comfy seats and sofas in this room. It isn’t just music and singing that are important; storytelling is important too. Yule is a time for storytellers. The island folk love to sit around and listen to stories told by each other. They take it in turns to sit in the armchair next to the roaring fire and tell stories of long ago. The storyteller is ensconced by the wings of the high-backed leather chair. The little ones will pull their cushions in front of the fire, some will sit cross-legged on the rug, and some will wrap their blankets around their shoulders. The fire casts a warm circle of light over the assembled islanders. Their attention is fixed on the storyteller.

The stories during Yule focus on the time before. It is the stories of the ancestors, the fairy folk, that made this magical island their home. Other stories focus on those individuals who have arrived since and added to the island’s rich heritage. Their stories are of the everyday. Small kindnesses, those often unnoticed acts of bravery. The residents of the Isle of Neverewas celebrate the small things. The tiny moments. It is a talent to weave the threads of stories together. Storytellers will sometimes pick up the threads of another tale from a storyteller. The adults gather around the fire to listen to the stories. Their attention is watching the emotions of the story play across the faces of their children. A reminder of their own childhood.

Let’s find a comfy seat to curl up on. We’ve had a busy day of feasting, let’s listen to the story, it’s okay if you slip into sleep, we have another day of feasting tomorrow. Tomorrow is Christmas Day.

For my daydreamers, mischief-makers, and restless souls. Welcome to the Isle of Neverewas. You are home.