Kathleen McGowan – Exploring the Legends of the Divine Feminine
OM Times: Why is The Ballad of Tam Lin the first story you have chosen for the Legend of the Divine Feminine series?
I first fell in love with the 16th century Scottish Ballad of Tam Lin when I came across it in a collection of fairy tales from a Time-Life book series called The Enchanted World. I was 20 years old when the series came out, and utterly captivated by the international tales of myth and magic. The legends from Scotland, specifically the supernaturally charged stories of Thomas the Rhymer and the elfin knight known by the strange name of Tam Lin, both captivated me as they each featured an omnipotent and potentially wicked fairy queen. A few years later, a friend introduced me to the ballad as it had been recorded by an English folk-rock band, Fairport Convention, and vocalized brilliantly by lead singer Sandy Denny. The Fairport Convention ballad (Google it – there are versions on YouTube) illustrates musically this story of two very powerful female protagonists locked in an epic and ancient power struggle.
The clear cut heroine is young and courageous Janet, who must endure a profound spiritual battle to secure the release her true love, the knight Tam Lin, from the fairy queen’s clutches before he is sacrificed to the powers of Hell.
The trials Janet endures at the hands of the fairy queen are so rich in symbolism that I became utterly obsessed with exploring them, and all the layers of this very ancient story, steeped in the wisdom of the Celts. For this is no mere fairy tale, no simplistic story of dark and light, wicked queen and maiden fair. This is a complex and sensual exploration of feminine power in all of its aspects, with some unexpected twists.
