Hello Traveler! This is Elsie, your host of Tunes from the Tavern, the fantasy/ bardcore show here on WMWC.
For today’s show we will be looking at different myths that have been transformed into song! Most of these are Greco-Roman, as that is the most popular mythos, however there are a few others mixed in.
First up is Spiral Dance’s “The Goddess and the Weaver” which tells the story of Arachne, the Greek origin myth of spiders. Arachne was a talented weaver and claimed that she was better than the goddess Athena. They held a competition, and Arachne’s tapestry was awe-inspiring, but she depicted the cruelty of the gods, and so Athena cursed her to become The mother of spiders, where she will weave for the rest of her life.
- “The Goddess and the Weaver” Spiral Dance
The next two songs are about the goddess Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty, and pleasure among other things. Neither of the following songs are about a specific myth, more about Aphrodite as a figure.
- “Aphrodite and Pan” Kellianna
- “Alrighty Aphrodite” Peach Pit
For the next two songs, we’ll be taking a trip farther north. Heather Dale’s “The Morrigan” tells the story of the Irish goddess of battle, strife, and fertility. She often takes the form of a crow, and was mainly worshiped in Iron age Ireland.
Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon” is about the Welsh goddess of the same name. She mainly appears in the Mabinogion, a collection of Welsh folklore, in which she rides a white horse and marries King Pwyll.
- “The Morrigan” Heather Dale
- “Rhiannon” Fleetwood Mac
The next two stories are about the goddess Persephone, who is one of the more well known mythological characters that aren’t one of the 12 main deities of Greco-Roman myth. Persephone’s story is a mirror to young girl’s maturation and marriage in Greece. Her original name “Kore” meaning “maiden” or “girl”, she is stolen from her mother Demeter by Hades and is made to stay in the underworld for half of the year, returning to her Mother for the other half, giving us the seasons.
- “Pomegranate Seeds” Julian Moon
- “Persephone” Allison Russell
Cream’s “Tales of Brave Ulysses” tells the story of Ulysses, the Roman Odysseus, during his time during the Odyssey, his ten year journey to return to his kingdom of Ithaca.
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s “Chan’e” is the story of Chang’e, a goddess in Chinese mythology who becomes the moon and is separated from her husband.
- “Tales of Brave Ulysses” Cream
- “Chang’e” King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
The Next two songs are about my favorite figure from Greek Mythology, Cassandra. The daughter of King Priam, the king of Troy before it was destroyed by the Greek Army. Cassandra was cursed to tell the future, but have no one believe her as a result of not wanting to sleep with Apollo, who she was a devotee of. After troy was destroyed, she was taken as a prize by Agamenon and eventually killed alongside him by his wife Clytemnestra.
- “Cassandra” Florence + the Machine
- “Cassandra” ABBA
Utopia’s “Lysistrata” references the comedic play by Aristophanes, where the women of Greece attempt to end the Peloponnesian war by denying all men sex. And it works in the end.
Fly Golden Eagle’s “Psyche’s Dagger” tells the myth of Eros and Psyche, Eros, the son of Aphrodite, falls in love with the mortal Psyche, and marries her, keeping her in his palace under the condition that she never tries to see what he looks like. He would only visit her at night. Psyche is convinced by her sisters to look at him, and that night she lights a candle, seeing the beautiful god, the wax falls on him and he wakes up. To get him back, Psyche must complete quests rivaling Odysseus and Hercules.
- “Lysistrata” Utopia
- “Psyche’s Dagger” Fly Golden Eagle
Well traveler, it’s time to go on your way. Thank you for joining me at WMWC and I’ll see you next week for some fantasy pop.
https://mythicalireland.com/blogs/myths-legends/the-morrigan