Now children, are we sitting comfortably? Well, are you sitting comfortably, because I'm sitting here typing away at this story. Yes? Then I will begin. This story is about a very long time ago, so long ago in the days of yore that it was before the Roman Empire, before the birth of Christ, before science was really invented, although a few ancient Greek philosophers were just about starting to think rationally. That was when the Gods allowed them to do so and if the citizens of their city states ignored them rather than giving them hemlock to drink or throwing stones at them, so they didn't get that far really, as generally rationality led to charges of atheism and impiety. Come to think of it that still happens today in the strange world we live in. Humanists and atheists are constantly under attack from the hordes of faith drunk 'believers' all over the world.
Well, in those days, dear children, people lived in awe of various supernatural forces, nowadays of course we are too sensible to believe in such silly things as vampires, werewolves and witches. The priests and shamens were powerful and didn't have to hunt or work at farming or pottery or smithing or anything that might get their hands dirty as they were intermediaries between the mortal world and the supernatural. They didn't even have to fight in the battles; they just had to try to make sure the Gods were all on their side, rather than the other side, and the shades and ghosts of the departed left the mortals alone.
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The origin of Father Christmas
Historical FictionA girl in my granddaughter's class at primary school was upset to be told that Father Christmas did not really exist and so I wrote this (mostly) authentic historical fable to explain the real origin of this fabulous character. Possibly not for the...
