WATER, WATER, EVERYWHERE...
Photo by Imleedh Ali on Unsplash
Water has always been a universal symbol of life across
cultures, past and present. Nothing can live without water. As Jacques Yves
Cousteau said it so aptly,
“We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are
one.”
Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula
of H2O – transparent, odourless, tasteless, colourless, but the significance it
has in all our lives is momentous.
Mythology abounds with water deities. This list is mindbogglingly
long. These gods and goddesses were prominent in civilizations that grew up
next to the sea or ocean, or beside great rivers. A few examples are:
Ashiakle, the
goddess of the treasures at the bottom of the ocean (Africa)
Anuket, the goddess of the Nile, nourisher of the fields
(Egypt)
Nephthys, the goddess of rivers, death, mourning and
night (Egypt)
Mazu, the goddess of the sea and protector of sea farers, (China)
Mizuchi – dragon and
sea god (Japan)
Ahurani – goddess who stands guard over rainfall and
standing water (Persia)
Belisama – the goddess of lakes and rivers, fire, crafts
and light (Celtic)
Freyr – the Norse god of rain, sunlight, fertility, life
and summer (Sweden)
Father Thames – the guardian of the river Thames (UK)
Poseidon – the Olympian god of the sea and the king of
the sea gods (Greek)
These are but the tip of the iceberg. The list continues over
pages.
As far as Hindu mythology goes, the two prominent deities
are Varuna, the god of the oceans, the rains and water, and Indra, the king of
the gods connected with the rain, thunderstorms and clouds. Lord Vishnu’s first
avatar was the Matsya avatar where he took the form of a fish.
India is also home to the Sapthasindhu, or the seven holy
rivers:
The Ganga, the Yamuna, the Saraswati, the Indus (the
Sindhu), the Narmada, the Godavari and the Kaveri, all of whom were revered as goddesses.
“Water is everywhere and in all living things; we cannot
be separated from water. No water, no life. Period. Water comes in many forms –
liquid, vapor, ice, snow, fog, rain, hail. But no matter the form, it’s still
water.”
Robert Fulghum
History and literature are replete with references to
water and its influence. One of the earliest references goes back to the
crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Pontius Pilate was the fifth governor of the Roman
province of Judaea under the Emperor Tiberius, and he was the official who
presided over the trial. After he ordered for the crucifixion of Christ quoting
sedition, he washed his hands in water saying, “I am innocent of the blood of
this righteous person.” Thus, his gesture was symbolic of washing off his sins,
a symbolic cleansing or ablution, as it were, which later led to the phrase “wash
one’s hand of”, meaning to shrug off or absolve oneself from responsibility for
some action or decision.
Pontius Pilate - Instagram
When William Shakespeare wrote his famous tragedy, Macbeth,
he used the same symbolic gesture, that is, that of washing hands to drive home
the guilt people go through when they commit a crime which lives on in their
subconscious. The conniving Lady Macbeth, who urges her husband to commit
regicide, says at the start – “A little water clears us of this deed.”
Once the heinous deed is done, Macbeth declares in Act 2,
Scene 2,
“Will all great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean
from my hand?
No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas
incarnadine, making the green one red.”
Lady Macbeth also suffers the consequences of the
assassination of King Duncan, as the famous sleepwalking scene reveals. She
incessantly tries to cleanse herself of the vile deed by rubbing her hands
together, muttering,
“Out damn’d spot. Out, I say! One, two! – why, then ‘tis
time to do ‘t.”
The inescapable nature of their crime tie both in a conspiracy
of guilt and remorse, which results in their metaphorically trying to wash away
the bloodstains on their hands as they relive the assassination in a
nightmarish cycle.
During the COVID – 19 years, Gabriela Michele Milkova, a
poet with an MA English (Honours) from St. Andrews University set up a page for
those who felt isolated during the quarantine. She advocated the Lady Macbeth Method
of washing hands till they are squeaky clean.
https://gabrielamichelemilkova.com/dailythought/lady-macbeth-method
Gabriela Milkova - Quarantine Daily Thought - The Lady Macbeth Method
The Jewish blessing also makes use of this gesture of
washing hands as they intone,
“Blessed are you, Source of Life, who makes us holy
through these actions including this washing of the hands” or Netilat Yadayim
which means “taking up of the hands”.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote his poem – ‘The Rime of the
Ancient Mariner’ in which the Mariner’s act of slaying an albatross, the
harbinger of warm winds and calm seas, led to a voyage of suffering and
tragedy. The Mariner was cursed to live with the dead albatross around his neck
and tell his grievous tale to who ever would listen. The other mariners began
dying of lack of water, which led to the lines that are probably the most popular
in the poem.
“Water, water everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.”
The poet uses irony in these lines. There was water all
around, the blue salty water of the ocean, but obviously it was unsuitable to
drink. The idiom ‘albatross around one’s neck’ also came into use from this
poem. It means “a thing that hinders, a heavy burden, a deed that hampers one’s
ability to succeed”.
While looking for references, I came across some
beautiful poems by classic poets waxing eloquent on water.
Going for Water by Robert Frost ends with this evocative
stanza.
“A note as from a single place,
A slender tinkling fall that made
Now drops that floated on the pool,
Like pearls, and now a silver blade.”
Another wonderful offering is by W.B. Yeats.
The Old Men Admiring Themselves in the Water
I heard the old, old men say,
“Everything alters
And one by one we drop away.”
They had hand like claws, and their knees
Were twisted like the old thorn-trees
By the waters.
I heard the old, old men say
“All that’s beautiful drifts away
Like the waters.”
There are so many more illustrative examples in literature.
Sea Calm by Langston Hughes
https://allpoetry.com/Sea-Calm
If I Could Write Words by Spike Milligan
https://allpoetry.com/If-I-Could-Write-Words
The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry
https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/peace-wild-things-0/
And yet another poem which talks sparingly of being awake
at night…
Awake at Night by Matsuo Basho; Translated by Robert Hass
https://allpoetry.com/Awake-at-night
How can a list like this be complete without the exquisite
beauty of Rabindranath Tagore?
When the Two Sisters Go to Fetch Water by Tagore
https://mypoeticside.com/show-classic-poem-30070
Water is the true elixir of life. That is the reason why
so much has been written about its healing qualities. Good clean water is a
boon, and it is essential to adopt a lifestyle in which we do not waste water,
but use it to its fullest. As Sylvia Earle, American marine biologist and
oceanographer put it so tellingly,
“There’s plenty of water in the universe without life,
but nowhere is there life without water.”
I just read your post, and wow, the way you captured the irony of the “Water, water, everywhere” scenario really hit home. It’s a bit unsettling to think about how we’re surrounded by water in so many forms—rivers, lakes, oceans—and yet so many people still struggle to access clean drinking water. It made me reflect on my own experiences in different places where, despite being near water sources, there’s still a lack of proper infrastructure or pollution that makes it undrinkable. It’s like we’re swimming in a sea of potential but can’t quite reach the lifeline. Honestly, it’s both fascinating and frustrating to think about how something as vital as water is so unevenly distributed and mismanaged. Your perspective definitely makes me want to think more about sustainability and how we can do better in managing our resources.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Romila. Yes, we all need to think about sustainability as a long term solution. Water is a basic need and once that is mismanaged, the end of the world will not be far away.
DeleteYour post comes a s a refreshing change in the H2OhSnap bloghop , here is a post abounding with literary references that just celebrates water in all its potent and liquid glory to make us aware how omnipotent and omnipresent it is and how we can't imagine living without it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, Preeti. There is no doubt about the significance of water in our lives. I have only touched the tip of the iceberg as far as literary references go. May we all turn wiser!
DeleteI was amazed to read so many literary references of water from varied backgrounds. Thanks for compiling them and sharing with us. "Washing one’s hands off"- indeed, water cleanses us, nourishes us, and supports us.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Pinkii! I did see your reference to The Ancient Mariner as well. Literature and history abound with such references that should make us very worried, indeed!
DeleteThis probably is the first time I am reading so many references of water all across the globe and literature ones as well. Thank you for enlightening.
ReplyDeleteNilshree, I enjoyed putting together these references, and there are many more in both history and literature. Thank you so much.
DeleteYou have presented a very unique post with a wealth of mythology and literature streaming into an aquatic narrative. Splendid.
ReplyDeleteThis comment, that came across anonymously for reasons beyond me, is from Tomichan Matheikal
DeleteThank you so much for your comment. Coming from you, I will take it as a compliment. Surprisingly, I too had to comment on your post anonymously. No idea why!
DeleteDeepthi, a very enlightening post because I knew some, but I learnt soooo much more. I'm glad I could read this. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteJanaki, thank you so much. I am happy that you enjoyed my post.
DeleteI have come to know about so many things in this single post. The mythological and historical compilation of water in literature is truly commendable.
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed, Reubenna, there are so many references to water across the ages. We do need to do our bit to stay afloat. thank you for your comment.
DeleteThis is such an extensive compilation, very impressive. I’ve learnt so much through your blog and after reading it I must say that the title is apt.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your heartwarming comment. I am thrilled! :)
DeleteI must thank you for this extensively researched and informative post Deepti. I learnt a lot and became aware of several things. I especially liked the mythological references and all the beautiful names in different languages.😊
ReplyDeleteKaveri, that is so generous of you. Thank you for making my day!
DeleteWas amazing to see all the references to water in mythologies and cultures across the world as also the reference to water in literary masterpieces.!
ReplyDeleteIt is a refreshing read and I am gonna check out those references shared by you. The best one was the beginning ones, the Almighty related to water.
ReplyDeleteThanks to you I realized that water plays such profound role in our lives beyond a source of energy, from its mythical symbolism to its essential presence in literature. I love how you’ve connected water to various cultural and historical references, showing its impact beyond the physical. The lines from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner were a powerful reminder of water’s paradox—everywhere yet often out of reach when most needed. The incorporation of poetry also gives a poetic touch to the urgency of preserving this vital resource. Truly a thought-provoking read!
ReplyDeleteDear Manali, thank you ever so much for your heartwarming comment. It means a lot, coming from you.
DeleteWhat a wonderful post bout water. The connection of wshing hands to the albatross was marvellous
ReplyDelete