Old Mother Summer

Once upon a time...

There was an old woman who lived in the woods. She was very old and very powerful in the magics of nature.

There were many legends about her. She can shrink or grow to any size to match those around her. She rides a cart made of flowers, pulled by horseflies on gusts of the four winds. She attends the birth and death of every fae, acting as midwife to the soul as it moves into and out of this incarnation. And she can overrule Atropos and sever or repair a life thread.

Old Mother Summer is the eldest of the Banríona, the Queens of the Seelie Court. She goes by many names in many cultures, but her favorite persona is that of Mab or Meave, the fairy queen of ireland and midwifery.

Not much is known about the Old Mothers of Winter and Summer, but what is known strikes fear into fae hearts. Old Mother Summer may be the single most powerful Seelie fae alive. To even meet her is to face the most primal powers of life and growth. Most mortals think this means she is nurturing, but life can be a torment and cancer grows unchecked.

History

With as long-lived as fae are, the fact that Old Mother Summer is the single oldest fae in the Seelie Court is impressive. No one remembers whether the current holder of this title is the original, or the original Queen of the Summer Court. But it doesn't much matter.

Old Mother Summer has lived in isolation in a place that is neither here (in the mortal realm) nor there (in the Fae Lands). Some say she lives with Old Mother Winter, but none who might know for sure will speak about their experience meeting the Midwife.

Cultural Significance

Philosophers of fae culture believe that Old Mother Summer's primary goal is to act as a check to the rest of the Seelie Court. However, both she and Old Mother Winter work together as a check to all fae, including, and perhaps especially, each other.

Though none of the fae have been found to actually be worshipping the Old Mothers, the reverence to the Crones is akin to the religious devotion to gods. The Old Mothers, however, have made it clear over the centuries that they do not approve of anyone worshipping them. They will tolerate devotions similar to ancestor shrines, which some argue is practically the same. They just won't make that argument to the Old Mothers.

Notable Holders

The only person to hold this rank in living or written memory is Mab.

Form of Address

Old Mother

Alternative Naming

Mab, Meave, Mother Nature, The Crone, The Hermitess, Midwife of the Gods

Current Holders

• Mab

Related Organizations

• Seelie Court