Three Queens
Heather Dale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The womb that gave you birth
Let her take your secrets back and lay them in the earth
Let her take you in her arms
Let her take you home
Let her take you home
Let her take you home
Leave to her the gifts she gave of flesh and breath and bone
Sink into your lover's arms
The womb that made you whole
Let her waters slake the thirst you carry in your soul
Let her take you in her arms
Let her take you home
let her take you home
Let her take you home
Leave to her the dreams you made of honours, steel, and stone
Sink into your mother's arms
Sink into your lover's arms
Sink into your sister's arms
The womb you need not know
Let her fire consume the frame of what you were before
Let her take you in her arms
Let her take you home
Let you take you home
Let her take you home
Leave to her the mysteries of maiden, mother, crone
Sink into your mother's arms
Sink into your lover's arms
Sink into your sister's arms
Sink into your mother's arms
Sink into your lover's arms
Sink into you sister's arms
The song "Three Queens" by Heather Dale is a beautiful and powerful tribute to the three stages of womanhood, represented by the three queens: the mother, the lover, and the sister. In each verse, the queen is approached with reverence and respect, and asked to take the singer in her arms and guide her home. The mother is the first queen, and is thanked for her gifts of flesh, breath, and bone, while the lover represents passion and the slaking of the thirst of the soul. The sister, at last, is the symbol of transformation, as she consumes what the singer was before and lets her begin anew. The song closes with alternating lines, encouraging the singer to sink into the arms of each queen in turn.
The lyrics are open to interpretation, but they can be seen as a call to honor and respect the power and wisdom of women, especially those who occupy these three symbolic roles. The idea of sinking into someone's arms, letting them guide you home, is a comforting and freeing notion, and the song encourages listeners to lean on the women in their lives for support and guidance, and to trust the mysteries of their own femininity.
One interesting fact about "Three Queens" is that it was inspired by the book "The Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe" by Marija Gimbutas, which explored ancient European mythology and the role of the feminine divine. The song also features beautiful and haunting vocals by Danielle French, adding to the ethereal quality of the lyrics. Additionally, Heather Dale is known for her love of Celtic and medieval music, and her work often incorporates elements of these genres. Finally, the song's message of respect and reverence for women has resonated with many listeners, making it a beloved and empowering anthem for women of all ages.
Chords (key of D): D | G | D | A | G | D | A | D (repeat for each verse and then for the closing lines)
Line by Line Meaning
Sink into your mother's arms
Reconnect with the nurturing and protective energy of the person who gave birth to you
The womb that gave you birth
The physical space where you were first created and nurtured before birth
Let her take your secrets back and lay them in the earth
Allow your mother to hold and release the burdens you carry, returning them to the earth where they can be transformed
Leave to her the gifts she gave of flesh and breath and bone
Acknowledge and honor the physical gifts and traits that you inherited from your mother
Sink into your lover's arms
Find comfort and intimacy in the embrace of your romantic partner
The womb that made you whole
The emotional and spiritual space that allowed you to fully love and be loved
Let her waters slake the thirst you carry in your soul
Allow your lover to quench the thirst for emotional connection and fulfillment that you carry within you
Leave to her the dreams you made of honours, steel, and stone
Give your partner the dreams and ambitions that are focused on external achievements, and focus on the deeper emotional and spiritual connections instead
Sink into your sister's arms
Lean on the emotional support and connection of your female siblings or friends
The womb you need not know
The connection and shared experience of being female is all that is necessary for this support and love to exist
Let her fire consume the frame of what you were before
Allow your sister or friend to help you shed old versions of yourself that are no longer serving you
Leave to her the mysteries of maiden, mother, crone
Embrace and trust in the wisdom and experience of the stages of femininity that you have not yet experienced
Contributed by Abigail D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Akuma Ouja
This is one of those times I see a youtube comment where it's old and I shouldn't care, but I comment anyway.
Paganism isn't a straight up religion, as it's a descriptor, like Monotheism. In this case it's describing non-monotheist, non-Chrisitan religions that Christianity managed to ROFLstomp back in the day through the then traditional cultural destruction and integration tactics it was fond of back in the day.
And the triune goddess thematic is seen in many of those far older Pagan religions Wicca tends to ape. The Norns, the Fates, Hecate, possibly the Morrigan/Macha/Badb. I've often wondered where the idea of a triune entity as positive comes from, given that, well, of those sources, Two sets are known for helping others torment and terrorize mortals, one is a magical deity most know for her/their involvement in spawning predatory creatures [hey, it was the greeks, they're mostly assholes] and the last is a vague relation where the most well known is known for killing things extra dead.
I'd guess the Trinity, but Yahweh is also a titanic asshole, so the inspiration definitely didn't come from old thunderhead and his multiple personality disorder.
The developmental history of Wicca is most definitely an interesting and somewhat amusing thing to study, as brief as it is.
Though I swear to god I hear one more claim of anything to do with the Horned God or Druids and I'mma slap a witch XD, atleast get the traditions right when you start digging them up.
Hail Eris and have a nice day everybody.
TheaterRaven
Really interesting post, thank you for sharing. I came out of the broom closet as a Christo-Pagan, both to myself and my family (they took it well, thankfully), earlier this year, so all this is very much still new to me and I love learning about it and other people's thoughts on it.
"Yahweh's multiple personality disorder"--that made me chuckle. I remember being so confused in church as a kid, "Wait, so the same God who loves everything and everyone very much apparently did a bunch of stuff that suggests otherwise? . . . Okay." Even as a kid, I could sense that parts of the Bible weren't divinely inspired, or were just edited for whatever reason. It's why I'm Christo-Pagan instead of straight up Pagan; I love Jesus and His teachings, but can't stand the dogma that's been built up around "His Church". To me, all people need is the Golden Rule, whether they say it as "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," or "Harm none, do what ye will."
"Though I swear to god I hear one more claim of anything to do with the Horned God or Druids and I'mma slap a witch XD, atleast get the traditions right when you start digging them up."
What do you mean, that some people think Wicca is a centuries-old path that came directly from the Druids? I know that's not true, it's been around for less than 100 years, but I thought it borrowed elements from earlier pagan paths, like a horned god of nature, a goddess, etc. Correct me if I'm wrong (again, new to all this).
Namaste and blessed be. + )O(
Sophie J
TheaterRaven Akuma Ouja
Wicca and similar neo-pagan religions are based in the old religions of the British isles: Druid, Anglo-Saxon, Celt, etc. For example, the festival is Lammas is from Loaf Mass, which was an Anglo-Saxon tradition, and can also be calle Lughnasadh, which is a Celtic festival.
If you are talking about the fact some neo-Pagans tend to mix beliefs, for example the idea of the seven chakras is Buddist as far as I am aware, then you need to do more research because that is part of the religion. The rule of thumb is generally to go with what feels right so as a result the cultures and practices have become mixed, which isn't particularly a bad thing.
As for the idea of 'three entities', I can't say where the idea came from originally but it definitely didn't come from the Abrahamic religions as Judaism is 3500, which makes it at least 1000 years younger than Hinduism, which also has the triune deity idea. Technically speaking, as far as I am aware, the idea of the holy trinity didn't appear in the Abrahamic religions until Christianity, as that was when the 'son' was introduced, so that makes it even older.
Given the gap in storytelling (Jesus does from ~12 to ~30 years old), and the evidence of a man named Jesus in Tibet anf the Indus Valley around that time, it is likely that he actually took the idea from Hinduism rather than the other way around - but thats just a theory.
The idea of the the fates in European mythology, most famously the Greek Moirai, appears to predate and run parallel to the the gods of the Indus Valley, suggesting that the idea of three entities was not borrowed/stolen from one source but instead is ingrained in the psyche of humanity.
It likely comes from the three stages of life: birth, life, and death. This idea is mostly supported by the Hindu Trimurti, where Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are the creator, preserver, and destroyer respectively.
keybladewizard49
Maiden, mother, and crone is actually a common thread in ancient religions, as the three phases of womanhood and a common form of the goddess of women, as a triple goddess.
You can also find them in the Greek mythology, not just as Hecate, but as the three fates - the youngest, Clotho, often depicted as a maiden, the middle, Lachesis, as a middle-aged woman, and the oldest, Atropos, as a crone, though just as often they are all depicted as old women.
Tanya Nikolaeva Gizdova
The Morrigan also had a similar quality.
keybladewizard49
@Tanya Nikolaeva Gizdova Indeed she did!
Stephany Brown
This song has so much feeling, it reaches your soul. Heather Dale's music brings you back to medieval times and before even. They are simply amazing.
TheaterRaven
Pretty much. I have the songbook Heather made for all her Arthurian songs called "The Legends of Arthur" that has both the sheet music for her songs and her personal retelling of the Arthurian stories. The story that appears right before the sheet music for this song tells of Arthur's journey to Avalon, with three unnamed maidens in the boat with him. I'm not sure who Arthur's "lover" would be since, according to Heather, Guinevere outlives Arthur, spending her final days in the convent.
TheaterRaven
Yes, she does. She has a songbook with all her Arthurian songs and the sheet music in it, and even her own writing of the Arthurian stories. The songbook is called "The Legends of Arthur" and is available to order on Heather's website.
Vivianne Dolph
The Maiden Mother and Crone are also the three faces of the Goddess
Maiden of the Spring, innocence and youth
Mother of the Summer, compassion and strength
Crone of the Fall and Winter, wisdom, and magic.
Merida Skywalker
We also had maiden, mother and crone goddesses in our Slavic mythology! They were known as Rodzanice (singular:Rodzanica). A week after birth, they would come to the baby in the night time and predict their future. They also yarned a strand, like Greek Fates.
ProblemZone Ego
This is the first time I listen to a song from Heather Dale. I must have lived under a rock!
Paranoid Mouse
I just absalutely LOVE heather dales music.she's awsome.she's just,great.plus her music can be really powerful.