World Water Day
- by Sophia Edlund
- Mar 22
- 3 min read
The World Water Day theme this year is water and gender.
What's happened to our relationship with water and the feminine? I often ask this question in workshops, ceremonies and lectures I hold because I don't feel it was always like this.
And the story of the Well Maidens speaks to this. This story features in the Elucidation, an anonymous Old French poem of early 13th century, written as a prologue to Chrétien de Troyes Perceval, le Conte du Graal.
The Well Maiden story is often shared in water priestess gatherings, always seeming so potent, but maybe in this moment in time, even more increasingly so.
Below is a version I have pieced together from William Kibler's translation (1997), from Sharon Blackie's interpretation (2016), and from recountings of this tale from many different water priestesses.
A Recounting of the Well Maiden Story
If rape is a difficult topic for you, please feel free to skip ahead to the next section.
There was once a land that was fertile and abundant for all, the kingdom of Logres.
The abundance was founded on a sacred contract between the people and the land:
land that is properly cared for offers nourishment for all.
The source of the kingdom’s life was the sacred waters of the wells.
Special maidens honoured the waters and tended the wells.
These well maidens were keepers of harmony and balance.
Whenever a weary traveler passed by a well, and asked reasonably, the maidens would bring forth a golden cup with fresh well water and food, nourishing and caring for the traveler.
These maidens were valued for their services and so, protected by the Kingdom.
The land flourished.
This exchange of mutual cherishment continued.
Until one day, a king who did not cherish the old customs, came to Logres.
Seeing King Amangon pass by, a well maiden offered him water and food.
Seeing the well maiden’s beauty and abundance, King Amangon, after drinking the water and eating the food, tore off her white dress, and on the well, forced himself on the well maiden.
The King - who should have protected the maiden of the sacred wells, who should have guarded and kept her safe, for she kept the harmony and balance - raped the well maiden. While all his men looked on.
After this violation, King Amangon stole the well maiden’s golden cup, carried the well maiden off and made her serve him.
Taking their lead from the King, his men began to rape other well maidens.
After these violations, no maiden came forth from any of the wells.
The land was wasted. The streams dried up.
The people of Logres “lost the voices of the wells and the maidens who dwelled in them”.
They lost the sacred contract which maintains the balance of the world.
The land turned barren and the kingdom went to ruin.
A wasteland was created.
There are many ancient stories that document a great severing between humans and nature. Of a Fall. Of a rape of the Feminine body. While they differ in content, they all carry the same energy and tone.
Reflective Questions:
How does this story make you feel?
What's your relationship with water?
What's your relationship with speaking up?
The story says that one day we will restore the wasteland back into fertility and abundance.
This is the time.
We get to restore the well maidens and the living waters back to their rightful place.
What can I do?
One thing we can all do today (and every day) is give water our presence.
We can listen.
We can also sing with water.
Invitation to participate in a Water Ceremony
5pm BST, 9am PT, 12pm ET
Singing creates a resonance of rapport.
It's one of the most ancient ways to connect.
Each and every one of us has a voice.
Below is a simple water chant to honour water.
I'll be singing this chant at 6pm Swedish time (5pm BST, 9am PT, 12pm ET) as a water ceremony.
If you feel called, I invite you to join in from wherever you are at that time and sing to a body of water near you (you can even sing to the waters in your body).
Delight in the sounding.
Let's feed water with our love and gratitude.
Comments