Come all ye wild young people
Who roam both far and near
Who tales of noble bravery
And valor love to hear
I will to you a story tell
About a maiden bold
Her eyes were like the summer sky
Her hair of burning gold
The mighty Sun did love to shine
Whereon this maiden stood
The strength and courage of a lion
Were in her very blood!
Her name it was fair Guenevere
Like Arthur’s fabled queen
And often in the good greenwood
This maiden could be seen
For she was of the Pagan folk
Who follow Nature’s way
Who tread the round by light of Moon
And toil the Earth by day
But with the passing of the years
And the ringing of church bells
The faithful children of the Earth
On evil times then fell
For the followers of a jealous god
Now power did command
And the hangman’s noose and the flaming torch
Began to sweep the land
Now it was not this maiden’s way
To live in secrecy
Her Witchcraft and her healing arts
She practiced openly
But when, alas, the madness
In her village did prevail
They seized upon fair Guenevere
And cast her into gaol
“You call upon Our Lady
But you serve the Prince of Hell!
Now tell us of your covenfolk
Their names and where they dwell!”
“You fiends may do your worse to me
My life and freedom take
You can hang me from the tallest tree
Or burn me at the stake!
“But I never will my friends betray
To any one of you
Nor from my Goddess be foresworn
No matter what you do!
“You think to punish evil
For the Father and the Son
But Jesus would have wept to see
The evil you have done!”
Sweet Jesus Christ was put to death
For blasphemy in shame
And the cruel fate this noble maid
Did suffer was the same
They led her to the marketplace
They bound her to the pyre
And still they urged her to repent
And still the flames crept higher
Her golden head she did lift up
She called out to the sky:
“My flesh and blood you can take from me
But my spirit will not die!”
Now hearken, all you Pagan folk
That worship Moon and Sun
Take care how well you keep and guard
The freedoms we have won!
For once our kind were sacrificed
To hate and bigotry
Now the Lion-Hearted Woman
Must live on in you and me!
