SORCEROR@LL.ARPA (08/14/85)
From: <SORCEROR@LL.ARPA> > From: boyajian%akov68.DEC@decwrl.ARPA (JERRY BOYAJIAN) >> From: romkey@mit-borax (John L. Romkey) >> And Fleetwood Mac's (Stevie Nicks's) song "Rhiannon" is supposed >> to be about a Welsh (Welch?) witch. Anybody know if Stevie's still >> around? > While it's true that the name Rhiannon is a reference from Welsh > myth, the lyrics from "Rhiannon" don't seem to me to be about such. While this song does not use the word witch or drop names from Welsh myth, the lyrics do evoke a lot of (neo)Pagan symbolism. The name "Rhiannon" suggests "Rhea", the great Earth/Mother goddess in Greek myth. She is "taken by the wind/sky" which was a symbol of the great male principle in the same culture. Rhiannon's connection with certain trappings of nature is presented as a much firmer bond than her wordly romantic involvements. The song says to me that no lover should expect to dominate the Goddess which is manifest in any woman, nor to have an exclusive relationship with her, or even to comprehend her fully, because the attraction of Goddess and woman derives in part from her separateness and spontaneity. So, with all these (neo)Pagan allusions, I feel that it is quite legitimate to associate this song with a witch. Blessed Be, Karl Heinemann (SORCEROR at LL.ARPA)