The Feast of St. Silabreh, by The Herbalists

The Feast of St. Silabreh

by The Herbalists

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Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of The Feast of St. Silabreh, Forest Floor Diptych, Subterranean Garden/Subtle Garden, Split, Swamp of Drowned Masters, Balancing on Kcor-Ridge Mountain, Encounter On Sinking Island, and An Unexpected Forest Shrine. , and , .

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1.	The Feast of St. Silabreh 03:02	buy track
2.	Whisper the Questions... 05:19	buy track
3.	Floral Communion 03:13	buy track
4.	The Cries of the Martyr 04:18	buy track
5.	Camida Tree Bark 03:19	buy track
6.	"If my Kindness should Strike me Down" 01:27	buy track
7.	...and the Answers will Follow 04:12	buy track
8.	A Clear Broth and a Shared Loaf 04:57	buy track

about

The Feast of St. Silabreh is naive synthesized music reflecting on the metamorphosis of events and figures from the category of history into the forms of tradition and legend, and about the acts of subversion gathered under the definition of syncretism.

St. Silabreh was a plant healer who was known to live in the village of [blank]. It was said that he could find the spirit under every leaf and twig, no small feat for a man who stood near to seven heads tall. Though the tales of his youth describe him with lionlike hair, many of the icons depict him in later life, fully bald above the ears but a thicket of coarse hair embracing his neck and chin. Occasionally a line of hot red could be seen dividing his face, some form of plant dye starting from his forehead and traveling straight down the bridge of his nose.

Given the conviction with which his feast day is observed, not much is known about Silabreh’s martyrdom. From what we can tell, his death, like the feast day, occurred about midway through the spring season. Accounts depict him in front a large pot on a cooking fire, surrounded by a legion of mercenaries. He recognizes their baleful intent, but nevertheless invites them to dine with him. The legends say that, due to his communion with the flora of the area, Silabreh knew what he should not have known - that the mercenaries were dispatched to destroy the neighboring village and take him captive, to be tried as an example. He served a heaping bowl for himself, took a few bites, then proceeded to serve the mercenaries, who could barely conceal their excitement at chancing upon the healer, alone and vulnerable. The accounts say that he uttered something like: “If my kindness should strike me down, then may your hunger consume you.” Then he slumped over in his seat, and began crying in pain. The soldiers ignored his cries and fought each other for a second bowl. Then one by one, they too began to collapse. Only two of the mercenaries escaped with their lives that night, wandering the woods in a state of delirium for nearly a week before they were discovered.

Note: contemporary efforts to understand this hagiography have identified the bark of the Camida tree as a poison that Silabreh would no doubt have been aware of, and possibly introduced into his soup pot before serving himself and the soldiers. It is but one of a few potential scientific explanations for a series of events that will almost certainly never be fully explained.

As a feast day in early spring, the traditional dishes and preparations include many of the most early growing or returning edible plants, none growing heartily enough to make much more than a clear broth with distinct waves of sourness. A sprig of Silabrea, a woody plant growing between footpaths and the forest’s edge, is baked into a huge loaf of bread, and shared among friends. Broth and loaf are usually eaten separately, due to the potential deleterious interactions between some of the identified compounds.

An effigy of St. Silabreh is made from plants cut in autumn, and dried all winter. On the feast day, his likeness is presented in front of the nearby village, where it is consulted as a sort of oracle. Rather than speaking their requests directly to the effigy, the villagers retain a handful of earth in a pouch through the winter; during the season, villagers regularly whisper their questions and requests to the earth, which is spread around the feet of the effigy on the feast day, as warmer weather finally begins to take hold. Villagers report that, without fail, they are granted the answers to their questions in prayer or dreams in the days following the observance.

St. Silabreh was decanonized a few decades ago, in part due to aspects of his hagiography that seem to directly contradict the Teachings, or defy easy categorization along those lines. The authors agree these contradictions should be obvious enough as to not require pointing out. But nevertheless there is something to be learned from his curious life, and his adoption or syncretization into folk legend.

credits

released April 26, 2024

Played live, with no overdubs, using three keyboards. All keyboards, compositions, and story by Adam Matlock. Artwork by Svante Olof.

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The Herbalists

Naive, nostalgic dungeon synth inspired by tabletop RPGs and 16 bit JRPG soundtracks. All music composed by Adam Matlock except split tracks.
Contact: mystaltree@gmail.com

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