The REAL Rhiannon

[singertobe]

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

Hey singertobe,
I don't think these really shed any light on different Rhiannon pronunciations but they are Welsh Rhiannon songs that you may be interested in hearing;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dJo84QtaD8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wckHKz02Ho


Also, this is Welsh comedian Rhod Gilbert on learning the Welsh language;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvSc...vScUgHcA8Y#t=5

Also, Ali G (Sacha Baron Cohen) learning Welsh;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WnFW5mgPbk

Ah yes I believe I've heard some of these before. I'm very into Celtic culture.

[singertobe]

Oh my gosh you guys the Mabinogian promotes rape! I'm not kidding! WTH?!!!!

[FuzzyPlum]

Originally Posted by singertobe

Oh my gosh you guys the Mabinogian promotes rape! I'm not kidding! WTH?!!!!

I wouldn't be surprised. The stories are many hundreds of years old. I think it would be fair to say attitudes to women were slightly different back then. Far from being the sanitized, modern romantic interpretations I think the stories were originally quite bizarre, mean and vicious at times.

[singertobe]

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

I wouldn't be surprised. The stories are many hundreds of years old. I think it would be fair to say attitudes to women were slightly different back then. Far from being the sanitized, modern romantic interpretations I think the stories were originally quite bizarre, mean and vicious at times.

Oh yeah I knew before reading it there was gone be some bizarre and twisted stuff. I've already read all the Grimm's stories so I know things were pretty dark back then. But rape? I most DEFINITELY wasn't expecting that. Stevie would be so disappointed.

Actually do you think she's gotten a chance to read it after all these years?

[SisterNightroad]

Originally Posted by singertobe

Oh yeah I knew before reading it there was gone be some bizarre and twisted stuff. I've already read all the Grimm's stories so I know things were pretty dark back then. But rape? I most DEFINITELY wasn't expecting that. Stevie would be so disappointed.

Actually do you think she's gotten a chance to read it after all these years?

She did read it at least partially:

I read a book called Triad. It was just a stupid little paperback that I found somewhere at somebody's house laying on the couch. It was all about this girl named Rhiannon. I was so taken with the name that I thought, "I've got to write something about this." And I sat down at the piano, and I started writing this song about a woman that was all involved with these birds and magic. Come to find out years after I've written the song that in fact Rhiannon was the goddess of steeds, maker of birds. Her three birds sang music, and when something was happening in war, you would see this horse come in and it was Rhiannon. This is all in the Welsh translation of The Mabinogion, their book of mythology. When she came, you'd kind of black out then wake up and the danger would be gone, and you'd see the three birds flying off, and you'd hear this little song. So there was, in fact, a song of Rhiannon. I had no idea about any of this. Then somebody sent me a set of four books written by a lady named Evangeline Walton, who is now dead. She spent her whole life translating The Mabinogian and the story of Rhiannon. She lived in Tuscon. I went there in 1977, after "Rhiannon" had been a huge hit. Her house was totally Rhiannon. She spent her whole life on the story of Rhiannon. She never married - she in essence had almost become Rhiannon, and it was trippy. She had heard about the song. She told me about her life and how she had been entranced by the name, just like I had. It's so interesting, because her last book was 1974, and that's right when I wrote "Rhiannon." So it's like her work ended and my work began. - Performing Songwriter magazine, 2003

[singertobe]

Originally Posted by SisterNightroad

She did read it at least partially:

I read a book called Triad. It was just a stupid little paperback that I found somewhere at somebody's house laying on the couch. It was all about this girl named Rhiannon. I was so taken with the name that I thought, "I've got to write something about this." And I sat down at the piano, and I started writing this song about a woman that was all involved with these birds and magic. Come to find out years after I've written the song that in fact Rhiannon was the goddess of steeds, maker of birds. Her three birds sang music, and when something was happening in war, you would see this horse come in and it was Rhiannon. This is all in the Welsh translation of The Mabinogion, their book of mythology. When she came, you'd kind of black out then wake up and the danger would be gone, and you'd see the three birds flying off, and you'd hear this little song. So there was, in fact, a song of Rhiannon. I had no idea about any of this. Then somebody sent me a set of four books written by a lady named Evangeline Walton, who is now dead. She spent her whole life translating The Mabinogian and the story of Rhiannon. She lived in Tuscon. I went there in 1977, after "Rhiannon" had been a huge hit. Her house was totally Rhiannon. She spent her whole life on the story of Rhiannon. She never married - she in essence had almost become Rhiannon, and it was trippy. She had heard about the song. She told me about her life and how she had been entranced by the name, just like I had. It's so interesting, because her last book was 1974, and that's right when I wrote "Rhiannon." So it's like her work ended and my work began. - Performing Songwriter magazine, 2003

Huh? I haven't read anything about her riding into war. In fact she seems to be a very minor character in the Mabinogian...

[singertobe]

Now halfway through the Mabinogian and I am VERY disappointed. Its SSOOOOOO BORING!!!!!!!!