Part I
When I Set Out For Lyonesse
by Thomas Hardy
When I set out for Lyonnesse,
A hundred miles away,
The rime was on the spray,
And starlight lit my lonesomeness
When I set out for Lyonnesse
A hundred miles away.
What would bechance at Lyonnesse
While I should sojourn there
No prophet durst declare,
Nor did the wisest wizard guess
What would bechance at Lyonnesse
While I should sojourn there.
When I came back from Lyonnesse
With magic in my eyes,
All marked with mute surmise
My radiance rare and fathomless,
When I came back from Lyonnesse
With magic in my eyes!
Chords: Am C Em Am / Am C B7
Instrumentation: Vocals, Ibanez Acoustic Guitar (AW54CE)
PART II
Lyonesse,
We must confess
To see you under the sea
Is our mess
Not destiny
1. Submersion beneath the waves
No one anywhere saves
We just wait and see
Environmental catastrophe
2. There’s less Lyonesse
Man’s solution
Divine retribution
Loss and transformation
Of our submerged nation
3. There’s less Lyonesse
A crime committed against nature
The crime a failure to nurture
For overexploitation
There is no explanation
(Look around
We’re going down)
- Lyonesse Part-II.mp3
- Lyonesse Part-II-unplugged.mp3
- Lyonesse Part-II-Instrumental.mp3
- Lyonesse-LH-Yamaha-PSR-740.MID (Left Hand / also controlled microKorg and miniNOVA)
- Lyonesse-RH-Casio-WK-3500.MID (Right Hand / also controlled Korg PS60)
Chords: Am C Em Am / Am E F / F G Am; Part II Electric Ambient Rock and Roll @ 128 Beats Per Minute
Instrumentation: Vocals (TC-Helicon VOICELIVE), Keyboards (Korg PS60, Casio WK-3500, Yamaha PSR-740, MiniNova, MicroKorg)
ABOUT LYONESSE
Lyonesse holds a significant place in Arthurian legend, notably featuring in the tragic tale of Tristan and Iseult. It served as the homeland of the heroic Tristan, a distinguished Knight of the Round Table, whose father, King Meliodas, ruled over Lyonesse. In Arthurian lore, Lyonesse is a mythical and “lost” land believed to have once connected Cornwall in western England to the Isles of Scilly in the English Channel.
The name “Lyonesse” first emerged in Thomas Malory’s late 15th-century work, Le Morte Darthur, where it was portrayed as the native land of Tristan. Interestingly, earlier Arthurian legends had associated Tristan with Leonois, likely the region around Saint-Pol-de-Léon in Brittany. Malory’s adoption of the name “Lyonesse” is a deviation from the original association.
Legend holds that Lyonesse met a tragic fate by sinking beneath the waves in a single night. Discrepancies exist in stories regarding the date of this catastrophic event, with some narratives pointing to 11 November 1099, while others suggest it occurred a decade earlier. According to one version, the kingdom faced divine retribution for an unspecified heinous crime committed by its people. The ensuing night witnessed a devastating storm culminating in a colossal wave that engulfed Lyonesse.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s Arthurian epic, Idylls of the King, contributes to Lyonesse’s mythical legacy. Within this narrative, Lyonesse becomes the backdrop for the climactic battle between King Arthur and Mordred, the king’s nephew and illegitimate son. Tennyson’s verses weave in references to the legends of Lyonesse, emphasizing its emergence from and eventual submersion into the ocean.
Then rose the King and moved his host by night
And ever pushed Sir Mordred, league by league,
Back to the sunset bound of Lyonesse—
A land of old upheaven from the abyss
By fire, to sink into the abyss again;
Where fragments of forgotten peoples dwelt,
And the long mountains ended in a coast
Of ever-shifting sand, and far away
The phantom circle of a moaning sea.
The legend of Lyonesse can be interpreted as a metaphor for climate change in several ways:
- Submersion beneath the waves: The sinking of Lyonesse into the ocean overnight mirrors the rapid changes and environmental catastrophes associated with climate change. Rising sea levels, intensified storms, and coastal erosion are all phenomena linked to climate change that can lead to the literal submergence of land beneath the waves.
- Divine retribution: In some versions of the legend, Lyonesse meets its watery end as a punishment from a higher power for the wrongdoing of its inhabitants. This can symbolize the consequences humanity faces due to its unsustainable actions and disregard for the environment. Climate change, often viewed as a result of human activities such as deforestation, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, can be seen as a form of collective retribution for these transgressions against nature.
- Loss and transformation: The legend of Lyonesse is also a story of loss and transformation. The sudden disappearance of an entire kingdom beneath the waves represents the loss of habitat, biodiversity, and cultural heritage that can occur due to climate change. However, like Lyonesse, there is potential for transformation and adaptation in the face of environmental challenges. Just as the legend speaks of the rise and fall of Lyonesse, the story of climate change encompasses both the destruction of ecosystems and the opportunity for renewal through conservation efforts and sustainable practices.
Overall, the legend of Lyonesse serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of environmental degradation and the need for humanity to address the impacts of climate change before it’s too late.
The legend of Lyonesse can be metaphorically linked to climate change through its narrative of environmental upheaval and the consequences of human actions. In the legend, Lyonesse, a once-thriving land connecting Cornwall to the Isles of Scilly, meets a tragic end by sinking beneath the waves in a single night. This myth echoes themes relevant to climate change in the following ways:
- Rapid Environmental Change: The sudden submersion of Lyonesse signifies a swift and dramatic alteration in the physical landscape. Similarly, climate change often involves rapid shifts in environmental conditions, including rising sea levels and extreme weather events, impacting ecosystems and communities.
- Human Impact and Divine Retribution: The legend suggests that the people of Lyonesse faced divine retribution for a crime committed against nature. This mirrors the idea that human activities, such as deforestation, pollution, and overexploitation of natural resources, contribute to climate change. In both cases, there are consequences for ecological mismanagement.
- Unspecified Crime and Consequences: The legend leaves the nature of Lyonesse’s crime open to interpretation. This ambiguity aligns with the varied and complex causes of climate change, where multiple human activities collectively contribute to environmental degradation. The consequences, like the storm and engulfing wave, symbolize the repercussions of these actions.
- Loss of Homeland and Displacement: The sinking of Lyonesse leads to the loss of a homeland, echoing concerns about rising sea levels and the potential displacement of communities due to climate change. Coastal regions around the world are vulnerable to submersion, posing challenges for inhabitants and contributing to the issue of climate-induced migration.
- Symbolic Return and Remembrance: In some versions, Lyonesse is said to return briefly before disappearing again. This cyclical pattern can be seen metaphorically as a reminder of the interconnectedness of environmental issues and the need for sustained efforts to address and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
By viewing the legend of Lyonesse as a metaphor for climate change, it becomes a cautionary tale emphasizing the importance of responsible stewardship of the environment to avoid catastrophic consequences.
Thomas Hardy’s poem “When I Set Out For Lyonesse” can be interpreted as a metaphor for the journey of addressing climate change. The poet’s voyage to Lyonesse, a mythical and distant place, may symbolize the collective effort to tackle environmental challenges. Here’s a potential interpretation:
- The Journey and Distance: The hundred miles to Lyonesse could represent the extensive and challenging path humanity must traverse to combat climate change. The poet embarks on this journey, emphasizing the considerable distance to be covered.
- The Unknown Future: The uncertainty about what will happen in Lyonesse mirrors the unpredictable outcomes of environmental efforts. Despite setting out on this quest, the poet acknowledges that the future consequences are unclear, much like the unpredictable impacts of climate change mitigation.
- Magic and Radiance: The magic in the poet’s eyes upon returning from Lyonesse may symbolize the transformative power of collective action and environmental initiatives. The radiance and fathomless quality suggest the profound and lasting effects that positive changes can bring to the world.
- Mute Surmise: The marked and mute surmise of those witnessing the poet’s return may represent the astonishment or skepticism faced by society when environmental efforts yield unexpected positive results. The radiance in the poet’s eyes becomes evidence of a successful quest, leaving observers in awe.
In this interpretation, the poem becomes a metaphorical journey toward addressing climate change, emphasizing the challenges, uncertainties, and transformative potential of collective action in safeguarding the environment.