Rhiannon – The Mabinogi

Nearly everyone knows the song “Rhiannon” by Fleetwood Mac, right? If you don’t, you can check it out on Youtube. It’s a really good song off a really good album, but how many of you know anything about the mythical woman of this name that the song was actually based on? If you clicked here thinking that this blog would be about that song, then be patient because I will talk about it a little later but first let’s get a little background.

Rhiannon is one of the most famous characters from the Mabinogi. The Mabinogi, that medieval collection of Welsh Celtic myths and legends, has long been a source of inspiration for artists. In a previous blog, I wrote about the story of Blodeuwedd and how that story inspired the book “The Owl Service” and the old TV series that was based on it. (Link here if you haven’t already read that post. ) So, here’s the background for Rhiannon.

According to the tales, Rhiannon rode on a white horse and was always accompanied by three magical birds whose song could both wake the dead and lull the living to sleep, hence her connection to music. She came from the Otherworld (Annwn) to marry Pwyll, prince of Dyfed, whose heart she captures when she encourages him to follow her on her magical white horse. But, no matter how hard he rides he cannot catch her until he calls out to her to wait. Then she stops and admonishes him for not calling out sooner. As with other Mabinogi heroines, however, her story is far from a happy one. On her wedding day, an unknown guest arrives and requests a boon of the bridegroom. Thoughtlessly, Pwyll (probably so happy to be married to such a beautiful woman) grants it without thinking. The guest, who is really Gwawl, Rhiannon’s unwanted lover, wants her back and now he can have her as Pwyll is honour-bound to uphold his oath. Rhiannon, far more intelligent than her rather dumb husband, finds a way to avoid going back to Gwawl. (If you want to read about that or even more about the Mabinogion, I suggest this link to Lady Charlotte Guest’s translation.

After several happy years together, Pwyll needs an heir but Rhiannon seems to be barren. After refusing to take another wife, Rhiannon eventually gives birth to a son, but unfortunately this son is mysteriously stolen and Rhiannon gets blamed. Pwyll, once again despite objections from his courtiers, doesn’t kill her off but rather punishes her to stand outside his castle at the mounting post and carry visitors on her back from the entrance to the hall while telling them her story. Few take up her offer to be treated like a horse and after many years the son turns up and is re-united with his real parents. 

There is some speculation that the story of Rhiannon could be a case of euhemerism, that there actually was in ancient times a real queen or queens whose story has become exaggerated and mythologised through numerous re-tellings, or that perhaps her character was based on some earlier Celtic horse goddess such as Epona.

But, to go back to Rhiannon’s birds, these three birds had the power to “wake the dead or lull the living to sleep” with their beautiful singing. So, apart from the name Rhiannon and the singing, what has this got to do with the Fleetwood Mac song? Well, in 1974, Stevie Nicks accidentally came across the book “Triad” by Mary Leader. It’s a story about a girl who becomes possessed with the spirit of Rhiannon from the Mabinogi. Nicks was so enchanted (I use this word deliberately) by the story that she felt compelled to write the song, which, when Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975, eventually became their signature song. Latest news is that Nicks is now working on bringing “Rhiannon” to the screen and is working on a mini-series which will also include more songs she has written and never previously released related to the stories of the Mabinogi.

But, leaving aside this very famous song, I recently came across another very pleasant song called “The Birds of Rhiannon” by a person who calls himself Damh the Bard. I think you can tell by his name that he has a great connection to folk music, and, according to his web page he classes himself as a pagan folk musician. He has many songs based on the Mabinogi myths and legends which you can check out from this link or from Youtube. Also on Youtube, there is this Channel 4 (1984) documentary about the making of a live production of the Mabinogi which also shows the story of Rhiannon and Pwyll. The quality of the video is not good but the production must have been wonderful to watch live. You can get a good idea of this from the video.

Linguistic Phun: Euhemerism – A belief attributing the origins of the gods to the deification of heroes after their deaths. A theory postulated by the 4th century BC Greek writer Euhemerus, who believed that the Greek gods’ origins could be attributed to the deification of actual heroes.