Goddess Circle #208 - Maid Marian
Like many other Goddesses, Maid Marian's story has changed and evolved over the years to suit the needs of Her people. We know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Is Maid Marian a Goddess? I thought she was Robin Hood's girlfriend. How can she be a Goddess?"
Well, let's look at that for a minute. Our first clue is Her name: Marian. Let's break her name down a little more simply. MARY – ANN. The first part, “Mari” or "Mary," should be clear. You can probably think of a Goddess or two who goes by that name. In fact, Marian means "of Mary." In some versions of Her myth, Marian is even a devotee of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The second part of Her name, “Ann” or "An," comes from the Goddess Diana, the Virgin Huntress, who was more comfortable in the woods than any stuffy English drawing room. Her title, “The Maid Marian,” aspect makes clear her role as a Maiden aspect of the Goddess. She is the original Queen of the May and Lady of the Greenwood, with a stag/hunter consort.
In even earlier stories, Maid Marian is simply known as the Queen of the May. Marian presided over the festivals of Beltane and Litha, sometimes alone or sometimes alongside Robin Hood as Jack o'the Green, or the Merlin of Arthurian Legend. Such festivals celebrated the return of Spring and Summer and featured fertility rituals to help grow the crops.
Join us on Monday, May 14, 2012 as the OOLS celebrates the Spring and Maid Marian! For more information on Goddess Service, click the Service Info tab above.
Illustration by Salt Lake City-based artist, Kristopher Scott.
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Beltane is traditionally one of the two times of year when the Veil between the Worlds is said to be at its thinnest. While Samhain is the traditional time to connect with the ancestors, Beltane is a traditional time to commune with the Good Folk.
Have you got an abiding love for Goddess, or an interest in a particular one? Are you a complete novice, but excited to participate, or well-versed in personal and/or public pagan ritual practice?