Question about Yeats Poem "THE VALLEY OF THE BLACK PIG"?

Question

Ok...maybe I should have posted this under a different category but there is no "poetry" section...

This is the text of the poem "The Valley of the Black Pig" by William Butler Yeats:

THE dews drop slowly and dreams gather; unknown spears
Suddenly hurtle before my dream-awakened eyes,
And then the clash of fallen horsemen and the cries
Of unknown perishing armies beat about my ears.
We who still labour by the cromlech on the shore,
The grey cairn on the hill, when day sinks drowned in dew,
Being weary of the world's empires, bow down to you,
Master of the still stars and of the flaming door.

My question to you is: Who do you think is the Master of the still stars and what is the flaming door? Just looking for different opinions.

Answer 1

Hmm, I don't remember this poem. I would say a few possibilities: God, or else it is a mythological reference to someone like Zeus or Apollo. The flaming door might mean where the sun rises in the morning or sets at night, so again it could refer to God, or Zeus, or Apollo. This is just an educated guess.

Answer 2

I'm not sure, i did a google search and didn't find anything that really helped, but you can find Tears note on the poem, which is interesting. the only thing i can come up with is that still stares might be referring to planets. i heard once that the ancient Greeks knew that the planets were not stars because they did not flicker. the flaming door reference is really familiar, but i can't place it. I'll let you know if i think of it.

Answer 3

Knowing that Yeats was a fierce nationalist and very interested in preserving Irish culture, language, and mythology, I searched around a bit, and I think the "Master of the still stars" is Dagda, a very important god in Irish mythology. I have included a link below about him, and you can read it yourself, but several things in that article led me to that conclusion.

The poem talks about armies, and if you read about Irish history, you find that the Irish have waged an ongoing battle with those who wish to take away their cultural heritage and replace it with other political, social and religious systems. "We who still labor...." seems to me to be a reflection of those who remain unconquered, and who still follow the old Irish ways. Would it not also make sense for that to mean a return to the old Irish religion, which predates their introduction to Christianity?

The poem gives two clues which also point me in the direction of Dagda. The name refers to "The Black Pig". It was believed that Dagda had two pigs, one which was always growing, and one which was always roasting. Have you ever seen a roasting pig? The skin turns absolutely black and has to be peeled off before you eat it. The other is "Master of the still stars". Dagda had an affair with a married woman, and to hide it, he made the sun stand still for nine months so that the child was conceived, carried and born in one day. Couldn't someone who could do that be considered the "Master of the still stars"?

I read about a dozen tales involving Dagda and his deeds. I did not find any mention of a flaming door, but he is closely associated with fire, which is said to be one of his divine attributes, so if you read all you can find, you may come across one sooner or later.

So, my official opinion is that Yeats is talking about Irish mythology and their original gods. Dagda gets my vote for "Master of the still stars".

Answer 4

I think this poem is about the apocolypse and I believe the Master of the Still stars is God and the flaming door is hell,

Answer 5

The Master of the Stars is God, the flaming door hell.

Answer 6

You are going to get some answers that far outdo mine as I don't really know the author too well.

Sounds biblical to me, perhaps having to do with the angels that guard the garden of eden with the flaming swords.

But again, no idea. I look forward to seeing if you find the right answer.

Buddhadan

Answer 7

Thanks for the poem. I had not heard it before either.

I think Cookie's assessment is correct, depending on the century.

I picture a shepherd or "pig" farmer lying on a quiet still hill overlooking all the beauty of the Earth and wondering why we still strive for noise and wealth and go to war, when there is so much more to Life...Love. And he bows to that beauty.

Answer 8

I think some are reading too much into this. I see it as the door to hell and the master of the still stars as Satan. (prince of darkness, morning star, etc.)