‘As ye came from the holy land
Of Walsinghame,
Met you not with my true love
By the way as ye came?’
‘How should I know your true love,
That have met many a one
As I came from the holy land,
That have come, that have gone?’
‘She is neither white nor brown,
But as the heavens fair;
There is none hath her divine form
In the earth, in the air.’
‘Such a one did I meet, good sir,
Such an angelic face,
Who like a nymph, like a queen, did appear
In her gait, in her grace.’
She hath left me here alone,
All alone, as unknown,
Who sometime did me lead with herself‚
And me loved as her own.’
‘What’s the cause that she leaves you alone
And a new way doth take,
That sometime did you love as her own,
And her joy did you make?’
‘I have loved her all my youth,
But now am old, as you see:
Love likes not the falling fruit,
Nor the withered tree.’
*
It will be noticed that the Elizabethan poet who makes this pilgrimage to Mary the Egyptian at Walsinghame, the mediaeval patron saint of lovers, has loved one woman all his life, and is now old. Why is she not old, too? Because he is describing the Goddess, not the individual woman. The same is true of Wyatt’s:
They flee from me who sometime did me seek
With naked foot stalking within my chamber…
It is not ‘She flees from me’, but ‘They flee from me’: namely the women who were in turn illumined for Wyatt by the lunar ray that commanded his love – beginning with Anne Boleyn, later Henry VIII’s unfortunate queen.
I hesitate to delve into Mr Jarrell’s emotional biography as a means of discovering how far he regards romantic falling-in-love as a grotesque pathological event. But I cannot think the act unmanly, or discreditable, far less grotesque. Nor am I a prophet of the Goddess. A prophet is, by definition, one who speaks in the name of a deity, like Moses or John the Baptist, or Mohammed, with: ‘Thus saith the Lord!’ No man can decently speak in a woman’s name. The Pythian Priestess at Delphi did not give clever, ambiguous, political answers to her visitants (instead of genuine oracles) until Apollo captured the Goddess Gaia’s oracular stool and installed his own docile nominees. To acknowledge the Goddess’s power is a very different matter from saying in a ringing baritone: ‘Thus saith the Goddess!’ A simple loving declaration: ‘There is none greater in the universe than the Triple Goddess!’ has been made by every Muse-poet in the English language (and by countless others, down the centuries, in various European, African and Asian idioms); though the Goddess is sometimes, of course, given such cautiously abstract titles as ‘Nature’, ‘Truth’, ‘Beauty’, or ‘Poetry’. Myself I think it most unlikely that this grotesque habit will end for a few centuries yet.
*
You think perhaps that I am holding out on you by not trying to account for the hauntings? But surely it is enough to record what there is no logical means of evaluating? When a simple citizen, who is neither very good, very wicked, nor very anything else, is struck dead by lightning while running for shelter to the Subway, and is the only victim of the storm, what do people call that? They call it an act of God: meaning that it was a blind accident. Well, in that case, what should you call a more-than-coincidence of the sort I have described?
This brings me to my fourth disclosure. I offered The White Goddess in turn to the only publishers I knew who claimed to be personally concerned with poetry and mythology.
The first regretted that he could not recommend this unusual book to his partners, because of the expense. He died of heart failure within the month.
The second wrote very discourteously, to the effect that he could not make either head or tail of the book, and could not believe it would interest anyone. He died too, soon afterwards.
But the third, who was T. S. Eliot, wrote that it must be published at all costs. So he did publish it, and not only got his money back, but pretty soon was rewarded with the Order of Merit, the Nobel Prize for Literature, and a smash hit on Broadway.
Very well, call these coincidences. But I beg you not to laugh yet! Wait! I beg you not to laugh, unless you can explain just why the second publisher should have dressed himself up in a woman’s panties and bra one afternoon, and hanged himself from a tree in his garden. (Unfortunately, the brief report in Time did not specify the sort of tree.)
Was that a blind act of God, or was it a calculated act of Goddess? I leave the answer to you; all I know is that it seemed to me natural enough in its horrid way.
I must end this talk which, I hope, answers more questions than it raises, by driving home my main point. A poem which is moon-magical enough to walk off the page – if you know what I mean – and to keep on walking, and to get under people’s skins and into their eyes and throats and hearts and marrows: that is more-than-coincidence at its most miraculous. And Solar Apollo, for all his new thinking-machines and rhyming dictionaries and analytic courses in poetry-writing, can’t begin to imitate it.
INDEX
Aaron 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Abd-Khiba 1
Abel 1, 2, 3, 4
Abimelech 1
Acab 1
Acca 1
Acco 1
Achab 1, 2
Acherusia 1
Achilles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
Achren 1, 2
aconite 1, 2, 3
Actaeon 1, 2, 3, 4
Adam 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Adam and Eve 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Adamos 1
Advent 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Aeaea 1, 2, 3
Aega 1
Aegea 1
Aegeus 1, 2
aegis 1, 2, 3, 4
Aegisthus 1, 2
Aegyptus 1, 2, 3, 4
Aelius Tubero 1, 2
Aeneas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Aeolians 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Aeolus 1
Aesculapius 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
Aeson 1, 2
Afagddu 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Agabus 1
Agag 1, 2
Agamemnon 1, 2, 3
Aganippe 1
agate 1, 2
Agenor 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Agnes 1, 2
Agni 1
Aholibamah 1
Ailell 1
Aine 1
Akaiwasha 1
Akhenaton 1, 2, 3
Alabes 1
Alba Longa 1, 2, 3
Albany 1
Albina 1, 2
Albula 1, 2
Alcyone 1, 2
Alexander Severus 1, 2
Alexander the Great 1, 2, 3, 4
Aleyn 1, 2
All Hallow E’en 1
Allah 1
almond 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Alpha 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
Alpheta 1
Alphito 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Althaea 1, 2, 3
Althaeamenes 1
Alukah 1
Alys 1, 2
Alyscamps 1, 2
Amalek 1
Amalthea 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Amanita muscaria 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Amathaon 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16
Amathaounta 1
Amathites 1, 2
Amathus 1
Amazons 1, 2
amber 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Ambrosia 1, 2
Amen-Ra 1
Amergin 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
amethyst 1, 2
Ammon 1
Amorites 1, 2
A
mphictyon 1, 2
Amphictyonis 1, 2
Amphitrite 1, 2, 3
Amythaon 1, 2
Ana 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Ana-hid 1
Anagke 1
Anaitis 1, 2
Anakim 1, 2
analeptic 1, 2, 3, 4
Anatha Baetyl 1
Anatu 1
Anchises 1, 2, 3, 4
Ancient Mariner 1, 2
Ancient of Days 1, 2, 3, 4
Angurboda 1
Angus of the Brugh 1
Anna Livia Plurabelle 1
Anne, Queen 1, 2
Annis the Blue Hag 1
ant 1, 2, 3, 4
Anteia 1
Antichrist 1
Anu 1, 2, 3
Anubis 1, 2, 3, 4
Aphaea 1
Aphrodite 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Apocalypse 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Apollo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85
Apostles’ Creed 1, 2
apple-tree 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Apuleius 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6n
Arabic poetry 1
Araunah 1
Arawn King of Annwm 1, 2, 3
arbutus 1, 2
Arcas 1
Areopagitica 1n
Argeia 1
Argo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Argos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
Argus Panoptes 1, 2
Ariadne 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Arianrhod 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
Arianrod 1
Aristaeus 1
Ark of the Covenant 1, 2
Arka 1, 2
Arkite heresy 1
Aroania 1, 2
arrow-heads 1, 2
Arthur 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
Ascalon 1, 2
Asclepiads 1
ash-tree 1, 2, 3, 4
Asher 1, 2
Ashima Baetyl 1
Ashtaroth 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Aslog 1
Asmodeus 1
ass clippings 1
ass-god 1, 2, 3
Assumption 1, 2, 3
Astarte 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Astraeus 1, 2
Atabyria 1
Atabyrius 1, 2, 3, 4
Atergatis 1
Athaneatids 1
Athene 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
Atlas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Atrebates 1, 2, 3
Atreus 1
Atropos 1
Attacoti 1
augury 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Augustan Age 1
Augustus 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Auriga 1
Aurignacians 1
Aurochs 1
Aurora 1
Autumn equinox 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Avalon 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Avebury 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Avernus 1
Aviricius 1
Awen 1, 2
Awenyddion 1, 2
Azazel 1, 2
Baal Gad 1
Baal Zephon 1
Baalith 1, 2, 3
Babel 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Babylon 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Badb 1
Bagiushu 1
baitule 1, 2, 3, 4
Balaam 1, 2
Balder 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Balearic Islands 1
Balin and Balan 1
Ballads 1, 2n, 3, 4
Balor 1, 2
balsam-tree 1
Ban of Benwyk 1
Banbha 1, 2, 3, 4
Banshee 1
Baptism 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
bards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
barley 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31
Barnabas 1, 2, 3
barnacle-goose 1
Bassarids 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Bath 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Bathsheba 1
Battle of the Trees 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
bay-leaves 1
beans 1, 2, 3, 4
bears 1, 2, 3n
Bede 1, 2, 3
bee-hive tomb 1
bee-oracle 1
beech-tree 1, 2, 3
bees 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Befind 1
Belerium 1
Belgic invasion 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Beli 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Belial 1
Belili 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
Belinus 1, 2, 3
Belit 1
Belladonna 1
belle dame sans merci 1
Bellerophon 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Bellona 1
Belus 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Benjamin 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Benn Gulban 1
Bernard of Morlaix 1n
Berng 1, 2
beryl 1, 2
Beryllian heresy 1n
Beth-Hoglah 1
Beth-Luis-Nion 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50
Bethel 1, 2
Bethlehem 1
Bia 1
birch 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22
black hen 1, 2, 3
blackthorn 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Bladud 1
Blake 1, 2
blank verse 1
Blathnat 1, 2
Bledri 1, 2
Blodeuwedd 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
Boadicea 1, 2
boar 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
Boaz 1, 2n, 3
bog-myrtle 1
Boibel-Loth 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
Bona Dea 1
Book of Invasions 1, 2
Book of Lambspring 1
Book of Taliesin 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Book of the Dead 1, 2
Boreas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Bosinney 1
Botticelli 1
Bowman 1
bramble 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Bran 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43
Brandegore 1
Brandel 1
Brandiles 1
Branwen 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Brauronia 1, 2
Brawne, Fanny 1, 2, 3
breast-plate 1
Breath of Set 1
Brennius 1
Brennus 1, 2, 3
Breri 1
Brian 1, 2, 3
briar 1, 2, 3
Briareus 1, 2
Bride 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
Bridewell 1
Brigit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
brine 1, 2, 3, 4
Britomart 1, 2, 3
Brizo 1, 2
broom 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
Brugh-na-Boyne 1
Brut 1, 2
Brutus 1, 2
Brydydd 1, 2, 3, 4
Buana 1
Bukkerwise 1, 2
bull 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29,
30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41
burning bush 1, 2, 3
buskins 1, 2, 3, 4
Butes 1, 2
Byblos 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Cacus 1
Cader Idris 1
Cadmean alphabet 1, 2, 3, 4
Cadmeans 1
Caduceus 1
Caer Bedion 1, 2, 3
Caer Gwydion 1
Caer Sidi 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Caer Wydr 1, 2
Caerlleon-upon-Usk 1
Cain 1, 2, 3, 4
Cairngorm 1, 2
Caleb 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Caliban 1, 2, 3
Callen Stone 1
Calliope 1, 2, 3
Callisto 1, 2, 3, 4
Calydonian boar 1
Calypso 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Cameira 1
Cancer 1, 2
Candide 1n
Candlemas 1, 2
candlestick 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
cannibalism 1, 2, 3, 4
Canticles 1, 2
Caoith 1, 2, 3, 4
Capitoline Trinity 1, 2, 3
Capricorn 1
car 1, 2
Car 1, 2
carbuncle 1, 2
Cardea 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Carians 1, 2, 3, 4
Caridwen 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Carmanor 1
Carmel 1, 2
Carmenta 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Carnasia 1
Carnea 1, 2, 3
Carnelian 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Carroll, Lewis 1, 2, 3
Carys 1
Cassandra 1n
Castor 1, 2
castration 1, 2
cat-cult 1
cat-goddess 1
Cattini 1
Catullus 1, 2
Cauldron of Cerridwen 1, 2, 3, 4
Cecrops 1, 2
cedar 1, 2, 3, 4