the serious side of rhiannon
The name Rhiannon comes from Celtic mythology, where it symbolized an
elusive, changeable, magical woman. In Celtic mythology, the female is a far
more complex character than in modern times. She changes from old hag to
beautiful siren to warrior princess to fierce protective mother to sexual
adventuress like you and I change our clothes. In Celtic mythology, the woman
held and readily wielded a great deal of power over her mates, lovers, and
husbands, as well as over the natural world. There was not a dichotomy between
the maternal and the warlike. The women were strong and fierce, as warriors and
as mothers, both in story and in reality. One such warrior was Grace O’Malley,
the pirate captain and clan ruler. Another was Boadecia, the warrior queen, who
cut a river of blood through the Roman army in return for their barbarism to
herself, her husband, and her children.
In ancient Celtic folklore, Rhiannon was a magical woman who could
change from a beautiful warrior to a lover at will. She sacrificed everything
for her children, and just when it seemed she would perish in chains,
downtrodden and destitute, she thundered away on a mythical white horse and
escaped her fate. She was a creature of whim, of fantasy, of indomitable will.
The figure of Rhiannon on her white horse eluded her enemies, poets, scholars,
and modern man. The concept of the modern woman as a sexual plaything and
marketable product who is thrown away when her fertility, decorative value, and
productivity wanes would have been anathema to Rhiannon. True to her story and
herself, she is an elusive figure, having been a donkey, a slave, a scorned and
imprisoned thing, and also a lover, a desirable beauty, a queen, and a devoted
wife and mother. Yet, she is never quite what she seems. One wonders why she
endured what she did, and yet, in the end, she conquered all, not by the
undeniable fierceness of her nature, but by being her changeable, quixotic
self.
In Carol Pearson’s psychological study of Jungian types, she classifies
people in five sets; orphan, martyr, wanderer, warrior, and wizard. Our Rhiannon
would definitely classify as a warrior. She is combative, courageous, radical,
and subversive, one hundred percent Celtic warrior woman. Yet, she has aspects
of the wizard, a powerful personality, who can seemingly, as if by magic, draw
to herself everything she requires. She also has considerable charm, intuitive
visions, and a strongly spiritual side, brought out by her love of nature and
her kinship with the natural world.
Our own Rhiannon has played many parts in her lifetime, and she dons
and casts away each elusive self like a cloak. Who is the real Rhiannon? Perhaps
only she knows for sure, but whichever role she plays, Rhiannon will always
delight us with her wit, resilience and tenacity, surprise us with her cunning,
celebrate our humanity with her foibles, and envelop us with her fierce
love.
elusive, changeable, magical woman. In Celtic mythology, the female is a far
more complex character than in modern times. She changes from old hag to
beautiful siren to warrior princess to fierce protective mother to sexual
adventuress like you and I change our clothes. In Celtic mythology, the woman
held and readily wielded a great deal of power over her mates, lovers, and
husbands, as well as over the natural world. There was not a dichotomy between
the maternal and the warlike. The women were strong and fierce, as warriors and
as mothers, both in story and in reality. One such warrior was Grace O’Malley,
the pirate captain and clan ruler. Another was Boadecia, the warrior queen, who
cut a river of blood through the Roman army in return for their barbarism to
herself, her husband, and her children.
In ancient Celtic folklore, Rhiannon was a magical woman who could
change from a beautiful warrior to a lover at will. She sacrificed everything
for her children, and just when it seemed she would perish in chains,
downtrodden and destitute, she thundered away on a mythical white horse and
escaped her fate. She was a creature of whim, of fantasy, of indomitable will.
The figure of Rhiannon on her white horse eluded her enemies, poets, scholars,
and modern man. The concept of the modern woman as a sexual plaything and
marketable product who is thrown away when her fertility, decorative value, and
productivity wanes would have been anathema to Rhiannon. True to her story and
herself, she is an elusive figure, having been a donkey, a slave, a scorned and
imprisoned thing, and also a lover, a desirable beauty, a queen, and a devoted
wife and mother. Yet, she is never quite what she seems. One wonders why she
endured what she did, and yet, in the end, she conquered all, not by the
undeniable fierceness of her nature, but by being her changeable, quixotic
self.
In Carol Pearson’s psychological study of Jungian types, she classifies
people in five sets; orphan, martyr, wanderer, warrior, and wizard. Our Rhiannon
would definitely classify as a warrior. She is combative, courageous, radical,
and subversive, one hundred percent Celtic warrior woman. Yet, she has aspects
of the wizard, a powerful personality, who can seemingly, as if by magic, draw
to herself everything she requires. She also has considerable charm, intuitive
visions, and a strongly spiritual side, brought out by her love of nature and
her kinship with the natural world.
Our own Rhiannon has played many parts in her lifetime, and she dons
and casts away each elusive self like a cloak. Who is the real Rhiannon? Perhaps
only she knows for sure, but whichever role she plays, Rhiannon will always
delight us with her wit, resilience and tenacity, surprise us with her cunning,
celebrate our humanity with her foibles, and envelop us with her fierce
love.