|
|
RHIANNON,
Rhiannon is the Welsh moon goddess and goddess of the dawn who is identical with Rigantona, meaning "Great Queen." A mother and fertility goddess, she later became the goddess Nimue, or Vivien, who was the Lady of the Lake in Arthurian myth. She was a shapeshifter and often appeared as a white horse. As a mare-headed goddesss, she carried the dead to the
underworld, where she also reigned. She was always accompanied by birds to welcome the seasons, and three birds in particular who could either kill the living or restore the dead back to life. She is a muse of poets, the source of all inspiration, and sweet singing sirens were called "the birds of Rhiannon.
" Rhiannon can still be a muse to us today, taking us into the path
where inspiration leads
|
|
|
Song by Stevie Nicks original version (1975)
Lyrics - Original Version
Rhiannon rings like a bell thru the night
And wouldn't you love to love her
She rules her life like a bird in flight
And who will be her lover...
All your life you've never seen
A woman--taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven
Will you ever win...
She is like a cat in the dark
And then she is the darkness
She rules her life like a fine skylark--
And when the sky is starless--
All your life you've never seen--
A woman--taken by the wind
Would you stay if she promised you heaven
Will you ever win...
Dreams unwind.
Love's a state of mind.
Will you take me with you to the sky...
Rhiannon...."
|
Rhiannon's symbol is the horse, her element water and her colour green, and she is the Goddess to whom one can pray for justice and an airing of the truth. Those who have borne life's ills and injustices with patience, but who are nearing the end of their tether, may turn to Her for solace and strength.
|
|
|
|
Rhiannon
And the Birds of Rhiannon
Sang to them from the Otherworld
Bringing them joy...
- The Mabinogion
The Goddess Rhiannon, "Great Queen", is the other face of the Mother. She Who is the White Mare, the Queen of the Otherworld, whose Birds could soothe the souls of the most troubled of mortals. She is the Nurturing Mother, devoted to Her children, Who gently guides us that we may learn the lessons before us.
Rhiannon appears in two Branches of the Mabinogion, Pwyll, Prince of Dyfed and Manawyddan, Son of Llyr. As told in these stories, She understands hardship and pain, separation and loss. But always, although She had been wronged, Her love was unfaltering, and Her honor unwavering. Known also as Epona to the Gauls, and Macha to the Irish, this much beloved Goddess is the Great Queen Mother of the Celts. |
A little story........
Rhiannon's story is one of love and magic. Rhiannon was a queen in the "Bright World" which is far above our own. She fell in love with a mortal man and gave up her powers and her world to marry him. The only power she was left with was her power of insight, enabling her to see into the future. Rhiannon had three magical birds, one emerald green, one golden, and one snow white. The three birds could sing the dead to life and the living to sleep. The birds would only come in time of great need to help heal and end suffering.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It is difficult to put into words the magic the song can evoke. The story of Rhiannon is an interesting one. Rhiannon is the maker of birds, the goddess of steeds, and the protector of horses. Her music has the effect of a pain pill. A person wakes up and hears the birds singing her song and the danger has passed. Stevie has said that she always thinks of that when she sings the song. Stevie wrote her song without prior knowledge of legend. She was pleasantly surprised to realize that the Rhiannon of her song bore a striking resemblance to the actual story. You cannot catch Rhiannon, no matter how close she appears to be wandering. Only when you cry out to her does she respond. Rhiannon left her magical world to marry a mortal king and lost her powers. She did not lose knowledge of them, she knew what would happen and could do nothing about it, which was difficult. As punishment for a crime she did not commit, Rhiannon was forced to carry people around on her back, thus she was called the Mare-Goddess. Stevie often introduced the song by saying, simply, "This is a story about a Welsh witch." And so it is.......
Rhiannon rings like a bell thru the night
And wouldn't you love to love her
She rules her life like a bird in flight (or Takes to the sky like a bird in flight)
And who will be her lover...
And who will be her lover...
Rhiannon is a mystical and hypnotic character, and the silent night is her setting. She commands attention, like a ringing bell, because she is special, as does Stevie. As one person noted, Stevie's voice resembles the reverberations of a bell. In literature, a bell is often used to beckon. People beckon Rhiannon when they need her to help them. The song itself "takes flight" with the opening chords. Stevie may want to be able to live freely, like Rhiannon, who "Rules her life like a bird in flight." Birds are heavenly creatures, so this is an excellent analogy, as Rhiannon is one also. When she asks "And who will be her lover, " it could be a reference to her relationship with Lindsey Buckingham, which was already stormy. Rhiannon is unnattainable, like a bird in flight. "Wouldn't you love to love her." Rhiannon is unattainable. She is the one with the power. Rhiannon does the choosing. Will anyone be the lucky one she chooses to be with?
And he says, "Rhiannon, don't go."
And he says, "Rhiannon, stay."
And he says, "I still cry out for you. Don't leave me, don't leave me."
These lines are often added at the end of the piano intro. They refer to the people that call out for Rhiannon to end their pain. She helps them and then they want her to stay. She can't, of course. The people think that they will still need her. She may well also refer here to Lindsey. Maybe she has threatened to leave him, and he is begging her to stay.
All your life you've never seen
A woman - taken by the wind (or taken by the sky)
Would you stay if she promised you heaven
Will you ever win... (or would you even try)
This shows Rhiannon's uniqueness. No one like her has ever been seen and likely does not exist. She is on the wind like the bird in flight that she is. You can't get to Rhiannon or keep her. She is like the wind, she cannot be captured. She is in the sky where goddesses belong. She is there one moment and gone the next. Of course you would stay if she promised heaven, but then you remember you can never win her. Why would you even try when you know she will vanish? This may also refer to Stevie's relationship with Lindsey. If she promises him paradise, will he try to make things work?
She is like a cat in the dark
And then she is the darkness
She rules her life like a fine skylark-
And when the sky is starless-
This shows just how mystical she is. She can blend into her surroundings like a cat in a dark, and she moves stealthily like one, as well. Cats are associated with witches, and Rhiannon is a witch of sorts. Cats are independent, like Rhiannon, and you never know what they are thinking. The next moment she flies away like a skylark. When the sky is starless, that is when Rhiannon is most strongly present.
Once in a million years a lady like her rises
Oh no, Rhiannon, you cry, but she's gone
Your life knows no answer, your life knows no answer
Stevie often adds these lines in here, which differs from the original studio recording. It is just stressing again that Rhiannon is special, one in a million. When you cry out to her, she comes, but then she must go. You cannot understand why it must be this way. She is desired by many, but kept by no one. Stevie could also be telling Lindsey that one of these days, she is going to be gone. He'll want her back, but she won't come back.
The 2nd verse repeats here again, reinforcing the message.
Dreams unwind.
Love's a state of mind.
You wake up from your dream and Rhiannon is gone. You realize what has happened and wonder if it was all a dream. Is love really a feeling? Or, is it just a way of thinking?
Stevie often continues on......
Your dreams unwind and still it's hard to find, I know.
Your dreams unwind and still it's a state of mind, I know.
Take me like the wind child
Take me with the sky
Take me now
Take me like the wind, baby
Take me with the sky
All the same
All the same
All the same, Rhiannon
All the same
Baby, all the same
And he still cries out for her,
"Don't leave me now."
This may now be Stevie crying out to Rhiannon to show her how to be like her. She wants to live free like a bird too. The man who has cried out to Rhiannon throughout the song does not give up. Perhaps he never will give up. He is just a "silly dreamer" as Stevie occasionally says during this part of the song. He will never attain Rhiannon. What she does is always the same.
Rhiannon is always the same.
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Cool Fact
Asteroid 16912 Rhiannon is an Amor asteroid, orbiting in the inner solar system just beyond the orbit of Earth. It has a period(year) of 2 years, 62 days. It was discovered on March 2, 1998, at Caussols, Alpes-Maritimes, France, by the ODAS(OCA-OCR Asteroid Survey) team: Alain Maury, Dominique Albanese, Gerhard Hahn, Martin Hoffman, Hans Scholl, Christophe Bellingeri, Harald Michaelis, Stefano Mottola, Magnus Lundstrom, and Detlef DeNiem. Officially, they all share the credit for Rhiannon's discovery even though only the first four members named actually made the discovery observation, because ODAS was a collective endeavor.
|
|
|
