The Myth of Leda in Hozier's Lyricism
Faculty Mentor
Paul Lindholdt
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
5-7-2024 9:55 AM
End Date
5-7-2024 10:15 AM
Location
PAT 304
Primary Discipline of Presentation
English
Abstract
For ages, the myth of Leda has represented the oppression and sexual assault that women have had to endure at the hands of the patriarchy. In this myth, Leda, the Queen of Sparta, is raped by Zeus, the “King” of the Greek gods, in the form of a swan. Hozier, an Irish musician, uses this myth in combination with Ireland and its own mythology, along with current world problems to communicate the lack of rights women have. In his song “Swan Upon Leda,” Hozier focuses on abortion, sexual assault, and reproductive laws for women. This combination creates an emotional narrative of vulnerability and false ownership. By using Zeus to represent modern patriarchy and the image of a gentle woman evading capture, Hozier has turned laws around motherhood and abortion into a story of great mistreatment. The first verse and chorus of the song create the image of Leda giving birth while Zeus takes advantage of the mother and children he sired. Hozier uses themes of gods and natural birth to say that women create a gateway that cannot be controlled or truly owned by man, thus further enticing the need man has to control women. The second verse and chorus go on to visualize the current events at the border of Ireland with the narrative of an older woman smuggling abortion- inducing drugs. Hozier gives voice to the vulnerable state women are in as they make life and death decisions by first giving voice to Leda, who Zeus had seen as nothing more than a mother and sexual object.
Recommended Citation
Shah, Kaylani M., "The Myth of Leda in Hozier's Lyricism" (2024). 2024 Symposium. 3.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2024/op_2024/o1_2024/3
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
The Myth of Leda in Hozier's Lyricism
PAT 304
For ages, the myth of Leda has represented the oppression and sexual assault that women have had to endure at the hands of the patriarchy. In this myth, Leda, the Queen of Sparta, is raped by Zeus, the “King” of the Greek gods, in the form of a swan. Hozier, an Irish musician, uses this myth in combination with Ireland and its own mythology, along with current world problems to communicate the lack of rights women have. In his song “Swan Upon Leda,” Hozier focuses on abortion, sexual assault, and reproductive laws for women. This combination creates an emotional narrative of vulnerability and false ownership. By using Zeus to represent modern patriarchy and the image of a gentle woman evading capture, Hozier has turned laws around motherhood and abortion into a story of great mistreatment. The first verse and chorus of the song create the image of Leda giving birth while Zeus takes advantage of the mother and children he sired. Hozier uses themes of gods and natural birth to say that women create a gateway that cannot be controlled or truly owned by man, thus further enticing the need man has to control women. The second verse and chorus go on to visualize the current events at the border of Ireland with the narrative of an older woman smuggling abortion- inducing drugs. Hozier gives voice to the vulnerable state women are in as they make life and death decisions by first giving voice to Leda, who Zeus had seen as nothing more than a mother and sexual object.
