Poetry and Art, Sandy denny and Micolaycak

Tam Lin is an old Scottish ballad about a young man who is the captive of the faeries, and the young woman who rescues him. The main character, depending on your viewpoint, is either the young woman, who becomes pregnant by her enchanted lover and must rescue him before the faeries can sacrifice him, or the young man who had been living with the faeries and wishes to escape to live in in the human world. The story deals with transformations, courage, and the relationship between the faeries and the mortals.

In the past, fairie tales were not just for children. This is a modern day habit, and in doing so they are often sanitised and dumbed down, stripped of their darkness and their moral ambiguity. Not so with Tam Lin, this is an adult fairie tale.

These two illustrations are listed on the internet as Tam Lin illustrations by Mikolaycak.

I forbid you maidens all that wear gold in your hair
To travel to Carter Hall for young Tam Lin is there

None that go by Carter Hall but they leave him a pledge
Either their mantles of green or else their maidenhead"

Janet tied her kirtle green a bit above her knee
And she's gone to Carter Hall as fast as go can she

She'd not pulled a double rose, a rose but only two
When up there came young Tam Lin says "Lady, pull no more"

"And why come you to Carter Hall without command from me?"
"I'll come and go", young Janet said, "and ask no leave of thee"

Janet tied her kirtle green a bit above her knee
And she's gone to her father as fast as go can she

Well, up then spoke her father dear and he spoke meek and mild
"Oh, and alas, Janet," he said, "I think you go with child"

"Well, if that be so," Janet said, "myself shall bear the blame
There's not a knight in all your hall shall get the baby's name

For if my love were an earthly knight as he is an elfin grey
I'd not change my own true love for any knight you have"

Janet tied her kirtle green a bit above her knee
And she's gone to Carter Hall as fast as go can she

"Oh, tell to me, Tam Lin," she said, "why came you here to dwell?"
"The Queen of Faeries caught me when from my horse I fell

And at the end of seven years she pays a tithe to hell
I so fair and full of flesh and feared it be myself

But tonight is Hallowe'en and the faery folk ride
Those that would their true love win at Miles Cross they must buy

So first let past the horses black and then let past the brown
Quickly run to the white steed and pull the rider down

For I'll ride on the white steed, the nearest to the town
For I was an earthly knight, they give me that renown

Oh, they will turn me in your arms to a newt or a snake
But hold me tight and fear not, I am your baby's father

And they will turn me in your arms into a lion bold
But hold me tight and fear not and you will love your child

And they will turn me in your arms into a naked knight
But cloak me in your mantle and keep me out of sight"

In the middle of the night she heard the bridle ring
She heeded what he did say and young Tam Lin did win

Then up spoke the Faery Queen
, an angry queen was she
Woe betide her ?ill-fought? face, an ill death may she die

"Oh, had I known, Tam Lin," she said, "what this knight I did see
I have looked him in the eyes and turned him to a tree

Tam Lin 

delete reply nemo4sun wrote on Aug 7, '10 wow! that brings back memories :)

delete reply dianahopeless wrote on Aug 7, '10 I think a lot of fairy tales were not meant for children. This one was great. And I had never heard it before. Love how it was sung.!

delete reply greenwytch wrote on Aug 7, '10 very good song choice, thank you!

delete reply brendainmad wrote on Aug 7, '10 Love this music.

delete reply greenwytch wrote on Aug 7, '10 i will be back to listen...going out to lunch now. ; D

Art, Easter, Ostara, Eostre

Taken from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%92ostre

Eostre

Old English Ēostre (also Ēastre) and Old High German Ôstarâ are the names of a  Germanic goddess whose Anglo-Saxon month, Ēostur-monath, has given its name to the Christian festival of Easter. Eostre is attested only by Bede, in his 8th century work De temporum ratione, where he states that Ēostur-monath was the equivalent to the month of April, and that feasts held in her honor during Ēostur-monath had died out by the time of his writing, replaced by the "Paschal month."This goddess is responsible for the easter bunny and easter eggs, both related to spring, fertility and the changing seasons.
Above; Ostara (1884) by Johannes Gehrts. The goddess flies through the heavens surrounded by Roman-inspired putti, beams of light, and animals. Germanic people look up at the goddess from the realm below.
Above; Eástre (1909) by Jacques Reich. Directly derived from Gehrts' image (above), with the Germanic worshipers replaced by a picturesque landscape.
Taken from
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_William_Waterhouse

John William Waterhouse

John William Waterhouse (6 April 1849 — 10 February 1917) was an English Pre-Raphaelite painter  who is most famous for his paintings of female characters from Greek and Arthurian mythology. He paintings were also full of images of spring and celtic symbolism.

Waterhouse was one of the final Pre-Raphaelite artists, being most productive in the latter decades of the 19th century and early decades of the 20th, long after the era of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.
Because of this, he has been referred to as "the modern Pre-Raphaelite", and incorporated techniques borrowed from the French Impressionists into his work.And to finish, music that feels like spring, Jethrotull and Bouree , then and now; 

 

delete reply asolotraveler wrote on Apr 4, '10 interesting, informative and stimulating

delete reply philsgal7759 wrote on Apr 4, '10 lovely

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Apr 4, '10 hedgewitch9 said Hey what a great post! I have posted one too, do come over and compare notes :D Thanks Emma... on my way :-) mine was inspired by my granddaughter informing me that easter eggs are empty to symbolise the empty tomb of christ....... hmmmmm....... I don't think so said I

delete reply hedgewitch9 wrote on Apr 4, '10 Hey what a great post! I have posted one too, do come over and compare notes :D I love your addition of art, gorgeous pics, and I love Jethro Tull, so you have really impressed me with this blog! Thanks Loretta :)) http://hedgewitch9.multiply.com/journal/item/346/Eostre_and_a_Blessing

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Apr 3, '10 gileson said Wonderful cornucopia of sights and sounds. Thanks for sharing. ''cornucopia''...............niiiiice word, thanks :-)

delete reply brendainmad wrote on Apr 3, '10 Then and now they're both great renditions of marvellous music. I imagine a lot of us don't know the origin of the Easter bunny. I love those soft colours in Waterhouse's paintings.

delete reply mitchylr wrote on Apr 3, '10 Really interesting stuff. I wasn't aware of the history of Eostre. Great music by Jethro Tull!!

delete reply gileson wrote on Apr 3, '10 Wonderful cornucopia of sights and sounds. Thanks for sharing.

delete reply veryfrank wrote on Apr 3, '10 Wonderful background information, learned some things today. Also very much like the art work.

delete reply nemo4sun wrote on Apr 3, '10 perfect :)

delete reply greenwytch wrote on Apr 3, '10 always such a delight to read and see what you share with us, Loretta. eye candy for mind and spirit. thank you. have a marvelous holiday!

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Apr 3, '10 HAPPY EASTER :-)

Poetry and Art, Gareth Davies and Jen Delyth

Midweek Mythology;

The Story of Rhiannon,

Celtic Welsh Goddess. 

In Welsh mythology Rhiannon is the horse goddess, she was a daughter of Hefeydd the Old. She was married to Pwyll, and later to Manawydan.

Pwyll first met Rhiannon when he saw her as a beautiful woman dressed in gold and riding a white horse. Pwyll sent his horsemen after her, but she was too fast and rode away from them. She was actually riding no faster than Pwyll and his knights; she simply created an illusion for the benefit of Pwyll. After three days, he recalled his horseman and gave chase to her himself. When he caught up with her and spoke, Rhiannon told him she did not want her arranged marriage and would rather marry him.

She made a deal with Pwyll and; after a year from that day, he won her from Gwawl (her intended husband). He followed Rhiannon's instructions and tricked Gwawl into climbing into a magic bag that Rhiannon had given him for the purpose. Once his opponent was in the box he made an agreement to free him providing he could have Rhiannon.

Rhiannon gave birth to a son after three years; but on the night of the birth, the child disappeared while in the care of six of Rhiannon's ladies-in-waiting. The ladies in waiting  feared they would be blamed and put to death, to avoid any blame, they smeared blood from a puppy on the sleeping Rhiannon. Then they lay the puppy bones around her bed. Pwyll's counselors insisted on a punishment for Rhiannon for her supposed crime. She was forced into to remain in the court of Arberth for seven years, and to sit every day near a stable block by the  gate telling her story to all who passed. To add to her misery  she was told to carry guests to the court on her back.


BUT;…The child appeared outside a stable of Teyrnon, whose mares had just given birth but whose new born foals had disappeared in the same way as Rhiannons baby has disappeared . Teyrnon had been watching his stables when he saw an unknown  beast coming to take the foal. Teyrnon stopped the beast by cutting off its arm at the elbow and then found the lost child outside the stable. He and his wife adopted the child and nurtured him through out childhood. The child grew to adulthood within only seven years and when fully grown was given the foal which had led Teyrnon to the stable. Teyrnon understood this was a very special child and realized who he was,  he returned the young man to his rightful parents and, on his return, the young man was named Pryderi by his original parents.


Following his fathers death Pryderi married Cigfa and become Prince of Dyfed. His Mother, Rhiannon remarried a man called Manawydan and both Rhiannon and her new husband Manawydan were invited to live with her son and daughter-in-law in Dyfed. Soon, Dyfed drought visited the land of Dyfed laying it waste and barren, Rhiannon, Pryderi, Cigfa and Manawydan survived.


Manawydan and Pryderi were out hunting together when they , saw and followed a white boar. The boar led them to a magical golden bowl, when Pryderi and his mother, Rhiannon, touched the  golden bowl they became enchanted.


Manawydan and Cigfa tried to help but were  unable to until they captured a mouse (which was actually a woman, the wife of Llwyd, Rhiannon's enemy). Once this woman/mouse was captured the spell was lifted and Rhiannon and Pryderi were freed. http://www.redoakgrove.org/aboutrog/seasonaldeities.html

The Poem; Rhiannon
By Gareth Davies

She's fire in the afterglow
Rising on the spray
Buried in the undertow
And woven in the waves

She's wind, which echoes old and low
Rippling across the bay
She follows where the voices go
Of whispered words and yesterdays

In language only water knows
She lullaby's the deep
A softly singing sadness falls
For ancient sorrows there asleep

But something stirs the black below
Something moves and slowly wakes
Rhiannon rises as she goes
Mountains tremble at her gates

She travels in a cloak of foam
Water whitens in her wake
And bare beneath her flowing gown
Granite glistens
Oceans break

The Artist;
Jen Delyth, Welsh Celtic Artist.

Artist Jen Delyth creates original Celtic paintings and illustrations which are directly inspired by Celtic folklore. Her work is informed by the folk motifs and symbols of the ancient Celts, but woven through her experience and vision as a woman of the twenty-first century.

She was born in the Welsh borderlands of the Wye valley, and raised in the industrial heartlands of south Wales, in Port Talbot, and Penllergaer a small village. Jen Delyth was surrounded by landscapes that have inspired poets and artists throughout the ages. Her childhood was spent exploring Welsh hills and coastal beaches with her family.

This early connection to the natural world has played an important part  in her development as celtic artist.

As a child she briefly lived in the small village of Colerne, up in the hills around the ancient Roman city of Bath. From her house she could see the chalk carvings of both the Cherhill and the Westbury White Horse figures on the hillside across the valley. There was a natural Spring in the woods at the bottom of her garden that had once been known for its healing properties

http://www.kelticdesigns.com/Pages/Catalog.html

 

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Sep 24, '09 welshdoug said The Mabinogion is well worth a read. thanks Dougie..............and thanks for the link...........you obviously know a great deal more about this than I do

delete reply eggpainter wrote on Sep 24, '09 I like mythology so the story was really fasinating. And as an artist I was blown away by the art work. Thank you for sharing.

delete reply welshdoug wrote on Sep 24, '09 I've read The Mabinogion many times. Rhiannon's legend is one of the mose evocative chapters I've also read some of Gareth Davies' excellent poetry. Great post, and to all non-Celts out there, The Mabinogion is well worth a read. http://www.mabinogion.com/

delete reply bennett1 wrote on Sep 23, '09 This is so staggering. Thank you. I knew of the Roman and Greek mythologies but nothing of Rhiannon. The art work is beautiful.

delete reply ladylimoncello wrote on Sep 23, '09 Beautiful summary of the Mabinogion.

delete reply lauritasita wrote on Sep 23, '09 Loretta, this has got to be your best post. It's just wonderful. I was always curious about who Stevie Nicks was singing about ! I never thought to check it out. Thanks so much for the story and all the beautiful artwork, too !

delete reply caffeinatedjo wrote on Sep 23, '09 That artwork is spectacular! So was the poem. I was not familiar at all with the subject, so thanks for the lesson.

delete reply veryfrank wrote on Sep 23, '09 Jen Delyth's art is fabulous. It is good to know the story of Rhiannon. I had read some cross references to her, when reading about Roman mythology and the worship of Epona. I enjoyed this very much.

delete reply greenwytch wrote on Sep 23, '09 what a gorgeously told story and the artist is amazing! thank you, loretta!

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Sep 23, '09 just realised.... none of the pictures enlarge.................oh dear.... sigh.....

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Sep 23, '09 hedgewitch9 said Not that I have any bias of course... that thought never entered my head lol

delete reply hedgewitch9 wrote on Sep 23, '09 Absolutely fabulous :) Not that I have any bias of course.... Ahem ;) x