I've been discussing pine trees over at the FrenchKate blog and the discussion reminded me of a Campfire Pledge. I must have learned this when I was about 9 and I have never forgotten it. I'm pretty sure they must have changed the wording since the 1960s.
As faggots are brought from the forest,
Firmly held by the sinews that bind them,
I will cleave to my Campfire sisters,
Wherever, whenever I find them.
I will strive to be straight like the Pine Tree,
To be pure in my deepest desire,
To be true to the truth that is in me,
And follow the law of Campfire.
Note: I love Google - this is called the Wood-Gatherers Desire and dates to 1914. It must have been changed before I learned it in the late 1950's because I stand by my memory of the pine tree and the first person. Perhaps it's just not used anymore. Also, I find the note by the first line 'here faggot means a bundle of twigs tied together' kind of hilarious. Way to suggest to 9 year olds that there are other meanings not used here.
Here it is the version I found online:
WOOD GATHERER's DESIRE (1914) (spoken)
As fagots are brought from the forest ["Fagot" here means "a bundle of sticks tied together."]
Firmly held by the sinews which bind them,
So cleave to these others, your sisters,
Wherever, whenever you find them.
Be strong as the fagots are sturdy,
Be pure in your deepest desire;
Be true to the truth that is in you;
And--follow the Law of the Fire.
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4 comments:
so glad that you posted this...
I found fragments of the "oath" running through my head for some unknown reason, and needed the rest to be able to let go!
(true to my purest desire)
who would thought that "wherever, whenever I find them" would mean encountering a Campfire sister via internet half a century later to validate some of the inner truths that resonated in the woods, in the fire, in the soul of desire...
greetings from a once-upon-a-time-in-Seattle CFG who has since bounced around the world
-warm regards,
Kathi (limakat) in Peru
coincidentally writing from Norway
It came across my mind too. I had to find the oath I learned in the 60's. I jokingly say "I'm looking for fagots" when building a fire.
Camp Fire, two words.
A campfire is in the fire pit.
I remember it as “I will strive to grow tall like a pine tree”, but the rest matched your version (1960s-1970s)
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