Stevie Nicks’ 1975 song ‘Rhiannon’, originally intended to be about ‘an old Welsh witch’ is also inspired by the Celtic Moon Goddess Rhiannon. Referred to as the Night Queen, adorned in gold carried by a pale white horse- A goddess of death, dreams and rebirth. Queen of Elysium as well as the gates of Hell.
She first discovered the legend of Rhiannon in the early seventies through a folkloric novel, ‘Triad’ by Mary Leader which she picked up at a friends house ‘it was just a stupid little paperback’ she said. The female in Leader’s story is possessed by a wild woman called Rhiannon, inspiring Nicks to begin writing a song dedicated to this mystical woman.
‘’I read the book, but I was so taken with that name that I thought: ‘I’ve got to write something about this.’ So I sat down at the piano and started this song about a woman that was all involved with these birds and magic.”- Stevie Nicks
The strange thing is that Nicks didn’t realise that the witch Rhiannon was actually a Celtic Goddess until 1978, three years after the release of the Fleetwood Mac single. She realised this after finding the medieval Welsh tales ‘Mabignon’ and ‘Brandwen’, which introduce Rhiannon as this mystic Queen. However, it was evident all along that this song was inspired by some kind of ancient magic, ‘I definitely feel like there’s a presence in me’ she exclaimed in the original music video where she embodied the mystical priestess when performing the song on stage ‘like an exorcism’ recalled Mic Fleetwood.
‘’But my story was definitely written about a celestial being, I didn’t know who Rhiannon was, exactly, but I knew she was not of this world.”- Stevie Nicks
This celestial presence is undeniably present and personified through Nicks’ lyrics, which almost perfectly capture Rhiannon’s ethereal essence as a Goddess of death and of the earth- of dreams and of nature- quite spooky.
‘’Rhiannon rings like a bell through the night
And wouldn’t you love to love her?
Takes to the sky like a bird in flight
And who will be her lover?
All your life you’ve never seen
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 to darkness
She rules her life like a fine skylark
And when the sky is starless’’
Nicks mentions all the things that are vital in Rhiannon’s story, ‘then she is the darkness’ signifies her role as a Goddess of death and of the moon, appearing to mortals only at night. As an earth Goddess, she is also connected to the wind and the stars, the idea of her being ‘taken by the wind’ signifies her fierce power. The comparisons of her to birds and cats allude to her close relationship with animals, especially her mystical birds which we will learn more about, again ruling her life ‘like a fine skylark’ asserts Rhiannon’s power and ability to withstand injustice. The line ‘who will be her lover?’ is also important as she was a sovereign Goddess, any mortal who married her would be granted royal status.
So who exactly was Rhiannon and what is her story?
What we know of Rhiannon today comes mainly from Welsh Folkore, said to be born at the first moonrise, known as the Night Queen and the Divine Queen of the Faeries. The lord Pwell first seen her as a dream figure, an elusive woman adorned in gold atop of a pale white horse, he chased her into the underworld where they got married, her power as a goddess allowed him to attain sovereignty and become King. Soon they had a child, on the night of May-Eve his nursemaids fell asleep and as they awoke they noticed that the child Pryderi was gone. So, they smeared blood on the sleeping Rhiannon’s face and she was later found guilty of infanticide. She was ordered by her husband to spend 7 years at the gates of the kingdom approaching all who entered and carrying them upon her back like a horse, a grave insult as she was indeed a horse goddess before marrying Pwell.
Time passed and a mare owned by another couple gave birth to a foal every May-Eve, and each time the foal disappeared. One night the man Terynon hid and waited to see who or what was killing the foal, only to see a large clawed hand reaching for the animal, swinging at this hand in an attempt to capture this person- but there was nothing there. He then found a swaddled new-born babe, he and his wife kept this child and by the age of three, he had made a special bond with this foal and tamed it. They deduced that this had to be the son of Rhiannon and Pwell and brought him to the gates. As Terynon told the story of the vanishing foals and the appearance of the child Rhiannon was exonerated and returned to rule as Queen, reclaiming her divine powers.
Thus, Rhiannon, reminding us of our own divinity, helps us to identify with rebirth and transformation. She enables us to cast out the role of victim from our lives.
Rhiannon is closely linked with birds and horses, 3 birds and a white horse accompany her when she appears. The Horse is a symbol of the Sun, and the horsewoman is an image of not only of death but of resurrection, she is the lady of the darkness as well as life. The “birds of Rhíannon” are celebrated throughout the Welsh tradition, they have the power to bring the dead back to life and put the living to sleep, those who listened to their sweet song would gladly slip into slumber. Rhiannon’s power and the legend of her birds resonated with Stevie due to the transformational qualities that they possessed.
‘The legend of Rhiannon is about the song of the birds that take away pain and suffering. That’s what music is to me’’- Stevie Nicks
How and when do we pay homage to Rhiannon?
Call on her to reveal truth in dreams, to bless rights of fertility, to remove the role of victim and to gain self-confidence and divination. Work with her to develop patience and prosperity, she guides us to forgive in order to overcome justice. Rhiannon is a feminine symbol of ‘Solid, unwavering beauty and strength, like Mother Earth below our feet.”
In Britain, on September 18 people gather at the Berkshire Hillsides to scour the chalk of the Uffington White Horse, a galloping white horse which rests on the grass, created from pale clay. This ancient ritual has kept the image of the horse and the Legend of Rhiannon alive and vibrant.
Ideally, Rhiannon would be worshipped at night under a waning Moon high in the sky, within a grove of trees, upon an Altar made from forest materials. The altar should be created from wood or stone, adorned with images of horses, birds, golden objects, white candles and a pure white flowers In the real world, we can create an Altar to Her made of wood or stone, adorned with images of horses, birds, golden or white candles, and a bouquet of pure white wildflowers such as Yarrow.
Symbols and Associations that can connect us with Rhiannon
The main symbols of Rhiannon are the Moon, horses, birds, gates and the wind. She can be associated with the lucky number 7 and horseshoes. Also, pure white flowers and earthy scents such as sage, cedar, pine, rosemary and lavender. These can be used dried, in oil form or in physical form. The colours white, gold, silver, dark green, black and brown are also associated with Rhiannon. It has been said that she enjoyed soft music, such as harp music to honour her Celtic heritage.
Monday is said to be the best day to pay homage to the Goddess. Other key dates being The White Horse Festival (September 18), May-Eve (April 30), The Ivy Moon (September 30- October 27), The willow moon (April 15-May 12) and the Feast of Rhiannon on March 1.
Crystals associated with her are Moonstone, Smoky Quartz, Rose Quartz, Garnet and Bloodstone.
So, some questions to ask yourself whether honouring Rhiannon or just reflecting on her story. Am I the ruler of my own fate? Am I being true to myself? What obstacles are stopping me from following my path? Or What must I overcome to see the path ahead?
The next time you hear Stevie Nicks’ haunting lyrics take a moment to remember the story of Rhiannon and harness her divine energy, consider what questions you must ask yourself in order to follow your destined path.
