Poem found on birch bark about a fairy and the Horned Doe

I found this poem in a book made of birch bark while researching the conflict between the Fae and Scarlet Horde. It's about a servant of Lady Yoru. I added some annotations on this copy. Keep it in case we use it for the Observations and Stories section of a future entry or something. I'll continue to do more research, but it is quite a chore reversing the mirror writing often used in Fae books. - M

From a midnight summer's dream of fairest folk,
Heed now this dreadful tale from the houses of oak.
There once was a servant who fell for a prince,
But he was already promised a bride long since.

The servant cried out to the night of her woe,
And her plea was answered by the Horned Doe.¹
It spoke softly to her with words that enticed,
"I can end your great sorrow for a small price."

From her despair the servant began to hope
And unto the Mother of Them All² she coped,
"What payment do you seek in return, great one?
Tell me now and I shall do what must be done!"

Then the Horned Doe said to her what was due,
"Give me your name to rewrite in scarlet hue."
The servant then chose to be both bold and rash,
And thus she betrayed dear Grandmother Yash.³

The Horned Doe took her name with an iron grip,
And shouted a cruel curse from her darkened lips.
The servant bowed her head in newfound devotion
As her name turned sour by her own temptation.

Thus gentle beauty became more like a beast.
Hunger took hold and demanded a grand feast.
Bandersnatch⁴ claws with a roaring voice like flies,
She glared into the night with the darkest eyes.

At last the girl sought to claim her dearest prize;
Flying forth like a jubjub bird⁵ through the skies.
She stormed the royal grounds in her grand pursuit,
But the guards were ready to banish the brute.

A knight upon a jabberwock⁶ struck the final blow,
And sent her all the way back to the Horned Doe.
'Twas the prince under the helm with vorpal⁷ sword.
His kingdom cheered and he did wed his burd.

The servant still hungers, so we must still flee;
Cautioning our kin of She Who Sees Through Trees.
From the tulgey⁸ wood she shall bring about dread
Where birch shadows lengthen and rivers run red.

Among the Scarlet Horde where death is aplenty,
She marches forth with her heart always empty.
Only in death shall come the end of her torment,
And may she rest then in the great Nevermeant.⁹

Footnotes

1. Horned Doe is one of many epithets belonging to Lady Yoru.

2. Another epithet of Lady Yoru.

3. Yash is the mother goddess of the Fae. Therefore, they affectionately refer to her as grandmother. She is the only one they respect above King Oberon and Queen Titania, the first of Fae kind. They attribute the power of their names to Yash. According to Fae eschatology, Yash will call out their names to reclaim paradise from the Almighty. Overall, it's considered a great sin for a fairy to willingly give their name to another power.

4. A type of Fae beast known for their long necks, speed and ferocity. Notably, the human author Lewis Carroll featured the species in his work alongside other aspects of Fae kind. A Fae bestiary will have plenty of information.

5. Another type of Fae beast. Jubjub birds are sometimes used as mounts or cuisine. Lewis Carroll also mentioned them in his work.

6. Fae beast. Extremely dangerous. Elite warrior fairies regularly use them as steeds.

7. Fae term to describe sharp and dangerous objects.

8. Fae term that means dark.

9. Nevermeant is another name for the void beyond Creation.

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"Poem found on birch bark about a fairy and the Horned Doe" by Baronjoe, from the SCP Wiki. Source: https://scpwiki.com/poem-found-on-birch-bark-about-a-fairy-and-the-horned-doe. Licensed under CC BY-SA.

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