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Researching the Rede

Fluffy

Fluffy

A fool
The Rede of the Wiccae is a poem that has fascinated me for a long time largely because of its rather abrupt entry onto the Wiccan scene which contrasts sharply with how centrally it is embedded today. Similarly the controversy over who wrote it, where it came from, and its worth all combine to tell a very interesting story, in my opinion.

Anyway, I am currently doing a significant amount of research into the subject. What I am looking for is to track the history of the Rede and see where and why it mutated into its various forms. If anyone on here knows anything on this, rather broad, topic, I would be very interested in hearing from them :).

So far I have indentified two main strands of the Rede. The first is the bog standard "Green Egg" version. The second includes a whole block on the significance of different types of wood as well as a few select other lines. I am unsure whether a skeleton poem was expanded into this or whether a version was cut down from the longer one but I want to find out when this happened and who made such a significant change.

Blessed Be
Fluffy
 
Unedited

Unedited

Active Member
I don't really know anything to help you, sorry :) but I'd really like to hear if you learn anything. I'll tell you if I do find anything.
 
kreeden

kreeden

Virus of the Mind
" The Wiccan Rede " was written by Adriana Porter { a Nova Scotianer I may add :) } and published by her granddaughter in 1975 . Can't tell you much more then that off hand .

Oh , Crowley said something along the lines of " Do as you will is the whole law ". Or something to that effect .
 
C

Crystal Red

Episkopos Crystal Red
kreeden said:
Oh , Crowley said something along the lines of " Do as you will is the whole law ". Or something to that effect .
Click to expand...
'Do what thou wilst shall be the whole of the law' is the version I've heard.

I don't think it's really connected to the Rede as it says nothing about not harming anyone. Under that sentence, which may I say is my own moral code, you could kill everyone in the world slowly & horribly is you wanted to (in an extreme case of course).
 
Fluffy

Fluffy

A fool
" The Wiccan Rede " was written by Adriana Porter { a Nova Scotianer I may add
smile.gif
} and published by her granddaughter in 1975 . Can't tell you much more then that off hand .
Click to expand...
That is one story certainly but there are others. And we have nothing to go on other than Lady Gwen's word in that area. The Green Egg publication does not contain a large "verse" which some versions appear to have (as long as I haven't crossed my sources).
 
kreeden

kreeden

Virus of the Mind
Fluffy said:
That is one story certainly but there are others. And we have nothing to go on other than Lady Gwen's word in that area. The Green Egg publication does not contain a large "verse" which some versions appear to have (as long as I haven't crossed my sources).
Click to expand...
Hey ! We invented hockey too ! ;)

Ok , you could be correct there . But what I understand is that is the most accepted story ???
 
kreeden

kreeden

Virus of the Mind
Crystal Red said:
'Do what thou wilst shall be the whole of the law' is the version I've heard.

I don't think it's really connected to the Rede as it says nothing about not harming anyone. Under that sentence, which may I say is my own moral code, you could kill everyone in the world slowly & horribly is you wanted to (in an extreme case of course).
Click to expand...
No , Crowley wasn't directly connected to Wicca . However he did influence many ideas connected with the " supernatural ". All that I meant is that may have been a start to the idea behind the Rede ??? Perhaps not ? But it would be something to look into .

But I do think that Crowley's version leaves something to be desired . :) While you may wish to kill everyone in the world , I may have other plans . ;)
 
T

TrueQ

Member
All I can chip in is that I've been told by people who know literature that the phrase "Do What You Will" originated in a Frenchman called Francois Rabelais' book Gargantua and Pantagruel. And sure enough, here it is printed right on my copy at the top of Book 1, Chapter 57. I can't tell you for certain if this is the phrases first ever use, since I never researched that myself. But the book was declared forbidden (Or banned or whatever word is correct) by the Church, and its easy to see how someone looking to distance themselves frim Christian religion might gloan a few phrases from it. It's almost certainly where Crowley got the words from, since he named Thelema after the story's famous parable of the Abbey of Theleme.

Sorry if you knew that, by the way. I didn't mean to bore you with what you already figured out.
 
K

Koji Nokemono

New Member
ah I can't really say I know much about the History... as far as I've always known, the Wiccan Rede is simply "Do as thee will and harm thee none" ... granted I've also read a Pagan Rede which is a much longer poem, but generally states the same thing. Best of luck in your search though :)
 
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