Loriene Pearson @loriene-pearson - Tumblr Blog

"O grandson of Conn, O Cormac," said Carbre, "what were your habits when you were a lad?" "Not hard to tell," said Cormac. "I was a listener in woods, I was a gazer at stars, I was blind where secrets were concerned, I was silent in a wilderness…

~ Tecosca Cormaic

Tecosca Cormaic, or the Instructions of Cormac Mac Airt, is an Old Irish wisdom text where the legendary high king Cormac provides judgements and advice to his son Carbre on how to be a good man and a wise king. Upon being asked about his conduct as a young man, Cormac recounts, among other things, time spent in the woods and wilds of Ireland, saying "it is through these habits that the young become old and kingly warriors."

This piece is built around my favorite line from the Tecosca, and features far more knotwork than I ever want to draw again (but probaly will). Wanted to illustrate this quote for a while, so I'm very pleased with how it's turned out.