TheHolly King andOak King arepersonifications of the winter and summer in variousneopagan traditions. The two kings engage in endless "battle" reflecting theseasonal cycles of the year: not only solar light and dark, but alsocrop renewal and growth. During warm days ofMidsummer the Oak King is at the height of his strength; the Holly King regains power at the Autumn equinox, then his strength peaks duringMidwinter, at which point the Oak King is reborn, regaining power at the Spring equinox, and perpetuating the succession.
Robert Graves inThe White Goddess identifies otherlegends andarchetypes of paired hero-figures as the basis of the Holly/Oak King myth,[1][2] including:
Similar comparisons had been previously suggested bySir James George Frazer inThe Golden Bough in Chapter XXVIII, "The Killing of the Tree Spirit" in the section "The Battle of Summer and Winter".[2][3][4][5] Frazer drew parallels between the folk-customs associated withMay Day or the changing seasons inScandinavian,Bavarian andNative American cultures, amongst others, in support of this theory.[3] However the Divine King of Frazer was split into the kings of winter and summer in Graves' work.[2][4]
Stewart andJanet Farrar characterize the Oak King ruling the waxing year and the Holly King ruling the waning year, and apply the interpretation toWiccan seasonal rituals.[6] According to Joanne Pearson, the Holly King is represented byholly and otherevergreens, and personifies the dark half of theWheel of the Year.[7] The Holly King is also seen by some Neopagans as prehistoric forebear of theFather Christmas legend.[8]
The battle of light with dark is commonly played out in traditional folk dance andmummers plays across Britain such asCalan Mai in Wales,Mazey Day in Cornwall, andJack in the Green traditions in England that typically include a ritual battle in some form.
Some adherents ofModern Paganism consider the two counterparts as dual aspects of theHorned God waging for the favour of theGoddess.[9][10]
.svg)