The Rime of the Ancient Mariner

The Stars appeared to be Right last night. I'd just finished running another session of Call of Cthulhu for the Tuesday Knights group and was getting a lift home from Dave. On the radio was playing an Iron Maiden song. The song was very familiar, but I'd not heard it (or any other Iron Maiden for that matter) in a very long time.

 "Hmm I think this song is from the Powerslave album", I said. The song played for a bit longer. "No, actually I think it might be The Rime of the Ancient Mariner from Live After Death." Listening further, the sound of the crowd could be heard indicating a live performance. I could also make out a couple of words and caught some of the verse of Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

The image of the Album cover came to mind (I have the LP in a cupboard at home somewhere. I also used to have a poster of the album cover). On the cover amongst other things is a tombstone and on that tombstone are the words -

"That is not dead which can eternal lie
Yet with strange aeons even death may die."

- HP Lovecraft

  

  The quote appears in two stories by HP Lovecraft. The one that immediately came to my mind was The Call of Cthulhu