Thomas the Rhymer & The Eildon Tree

There are those in Scotland born with the second sight while others gain their gift in later life. None are as famous as Thomas the Rhymer.

Little did Thomas know, as he lay down to rest under the Eildon Tree near Melrose, his very normal life was about to change forever. The young man woke to find himself in the shadow of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, sitting atop a majestic white horse.

Immediately Thomas jumped to his feet, swept off his hat and bowed low declaring that she must be none other than the Queen of Heaven. The woman replied with a smile that she was in fact Queen of the Fairies and had been looking for him. She asked Thomas for a kiss and as he readily complied, he became trapped by her spell.

The Queen informed Thomas that he was compelled to follow her to the Fairy Kingdom where he would serve for seven years. He climbed up behind her on the horse and together they rode off far from Melrose until they reached a mysterious crossroads. One path was neatly built and lined with flowers, but this was the road to hell. The second was a rough track, overgrown with thorns and leading to heaven.

The path they were to take was thick with ferns and greener than Thomas could have imagined. The Queen warned her companion that when they reached the Fairy Kingdom, he could not speak a single word otherwise he would never be able to return. Astounded by the day’s events, Thomas could only nod in agreement.

They travelled through the foliage until they came to a bountiful garden. Thomas was handed a strange fruit he had never seen before and commanded to eat it. Thomas was unsure if it was a payment or a punishment, but the fruit would grant him a tongue that could never lie.

They entered the Fairy Realm and Thomas was given a set of green clothes and shoes. He settled in for seven long years of silent servitude, but it seemed as if only a few days had passed when the Queen released him from his bond. Time passed differently here, and he was free to return to the Eildon Tree where they had first met. Before he left, the Queen stared deeply into Thomas’ eyes and told him they would meet again.

On his return, it became apparent that not only could Thomas not lie, but the fruit had given him the power of prophecy. Anything he said would come to pass and Thomas quickly became famous across Scotland for his rhyming predictions. By the time he was an old man, Thomas the Rhymer was a living legend.

Then one day a servant ran to Thomas with news that a pure white deer had been seen near the Eildon Tree. Thomas knew that this was a sign from the fairies and without another word he walked outside, never to be seen again.

The Eildon Tree is long gone but the spot where it grew is not lost. If the Queen of the Fairies returns looking for a new servant, then you might just find her by The Rhymer’s Stone.