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THT ExCYCLoPEDIA
oF
MnHoLoGY
THE ExCYCLoPEDIA oF
MYTHOLOGY
ClassrcAL
Cel.rrc
GnEex
AnrnuR CoTTERELL
This edition is pubiished by Hermes House
Author's Note
The entries in this encvcloDedia are all
Iisted alphabetically.Wft.r. more than one
name exists for a character the entry is
listed under the name used in the original
country of origin flor that particular myth.
Names in iralic caDitalletters indicate that
rhat name has an individual entry. Special
feature spreads examine specific
mythological themes in more detail. lf a
characteris included in a specialfeature
spreadit is noted at the end of their
indMdual entry.
1098765+32
CONTENTS
P n e F A C E6
CInSSICAL MYTHOLoGY B
Introduction l0
L o v e r s o f .Z e u s 2 0
Heroes 30
Oracles and Prophecies 40
Voyagers 50
Monsters and Fabulous Beasts58
Forcesof Nature 6B
G i a nt s 7 6
Founders B4
CeLTIC MyTHoLOGY 9O
Introduction 92
Celtic Otherworlds 104
S a g e sa n d S e e r s l l 4
Magic and Enchantment I24
Wondrous Cauldrons 132
Celtic Romance 140
Single Combat L48
Heroic Quests 156
Fabulous Voyages 164
P r c r u R EA c r x o w L E D G E M E N r2s 5 2
Ixnnx 2 53
PREFACE
PnEFACE
H I S C O M B I N E DE N C Y C L O P E D I A
of successfu\ confronted the Minotaur on Crete, but
mythology contains the three later abandoned his helper, the Cretan princess
ourstanding traditions of Europe - Ariadne. Full of his success against the bull-man,
Greek, Celtic and Norse. They form Theseus forgot the agreement made with his father
the core of European mythological thought, rhe abour changing the sail of his ship from black if he
early ideas and notions which underlie our escaped death himself. As a result of this moment
present-day consciousness. For the stories related of carelessness,Theseus' father committed suicide
in Greek, Celtic and Germanic myths touch upon by leaping from the Athenian acropolis when rhe
the fundamental issues of existence. They reveal black sail was sighred. So in lreiand rhe inability of
the power of love, with its accompanying anxiery Cuchulainn ro srop and think for a moment led to
and jealousy; the conflict between the generarions, his hlling of Conlai, his own son by the Amazon
the old and rhe new; the violence of men, Aoifa. In Norse myth, however, it is the pride of
especially on the battlefield or in single combat; the gods or their opponents, the frost giants,
the mischief of the trouble-maker, bored by rhe which causes disasters ro occur. Unlike the Greel.<s
steady pace of everyday events; the sadness of NEssuS,4 wild Greehcentaur,ties to abductHeracles'new bide whileJerryingher
illness or accidenral injury; the mystery of dearh, acrossthe RfuerEvenus GHER^pE
oFDEhNTM RrN/
ByGurDo 1621
. c^NvAs. )
IxTRODIJCTION
fl r r r , l x t I E N I C R I - F K 5 w l :nRr tr g r e a t
I
l l m y r h m u k , r * t r l E u r o p cT h t ' ) e r e n
tl MAcEDoNtA
J i g l r c u s r h c n r m e h 1 'w h r r h u e ,ftY
4E \1
refer today to the amazrngstonestold about
(
gods, henres,men and animals Around 400 E RUs
a plot and a set of charactersreadily under- i n s t a n c e ,t h e A t h e n r a n sw a t c h e d t h e g r e a t All this would have been famrliar to the
cyclc of plays that Aeschylusstagedabout the Athcnians beforeAcschylus' treatment of the
MAR5 AND NEpruNE, two gocls of ancrent Romc, ricir over m u r d e r o I A g a m em n o n . t h c y r v e r ea l r e a d y m 1 ' t h b e g a n u r t h . { g a m e m n ( ) nr e t u r n i n g
(-rq',
thc Ettnol .guarding itr mrhtary und monnmt homc liom the Trojan War Some of the audi-
a w a r e o f t h c m a i n c h a r a c t e r sa n d t h c i r
rntcrests At klt, an aifiomt putLo above Mdrs burs h$
actlons The audienceknew how the House ence doubtlessrecalledan even older curse
hr)rsd's h(lmcl, whiic Neptunc's putto .anies a seasheil,
symbol oJ thr god's dominion ttvar lhd watves {Mq* r:l of Atreus, Agamemnon'sfather,'"vasfated to laid on l'elops himself by the messengergod
N T P T L NBFY P 4 r r ryr r R ( ) N E sCEA, N L c n d u r e a t e r n b l e p e n o d o [ d o m e s t i cs t n f e H e r m e s P e l o p sh a d p r o v o k e d t h e g o d b y
Not only had Atreus and hrs brother Thycstes relusing a promiscd gift to one of his sons
bcen cursed by rherrown father, Pelops, for Nothing that Aeschylusrncludedin hrs plays
kLllrnghis favounte chrld, their half-brother was unexpected. neirher the murder o[
Chrysippus, but a bloody quarrel of their own Agamemnon, nor the revenge of his son
had also added to the family mrsfbrtune A Orcstes,nor Orestes'punuit by thc Funes for
dispute over the successionto Pelops'throne sheddrnga mother's blood What would have
sanctuaryin a temple dedicatedto Zeus, the of motive, guilt and expiation For that rea-
supreme god Even worse, the murderer then son another dramatist was able to tackle the
served the bocliesof his nephews up to his same srory later in Athens during the fifth
show Th1'estestheir feet and hands Atreus such drama remained very much part of
paid for the outrage wrth hrs life at the hands ancient religron Today we cannot expect to
of Thyestes' sumving son, Aegisthus, who appreciate the full meaning of these perfor-
l0
INTRODUCTION
"'*.
less Pentheus,victim of Dionysus' ecsraric
worshippers, who included his own morher;
IONIAN
of the unbeatable champron Achilles; of rhe
labours of Heracles, Zeus' own son and the
only hero to be granted immortaliry; and
many others As Greek lMng before and afrer
Plato evidently understood, myrhs were ficti-
tious stones rhar illusrrared rruh SIcILIAN SEA
The Romans were no less impressed by the AFR ICA AFRICAN SEA
range and interesr of Greek myrhology
Indeed, rhey adopred it wholesale and iden- people were executedbefore the cult of the Bellerophon Something s)'nthetic can be felr
tified many of their own haiian deities wrrh native wine god Bacchus discarded those in the story of Aeneas, rhe leader of the
those in rhe Greek panrheon, even adopring aspects of Dronysus which mer wrth official refugees {rom Troy His adoption as a
others for whom they possessedno real equiv- disproval This taming of a Greek god, albeir founder-hero made him of particular concem
alent The unruly Dionysus gave Rome Thracian rn ongin, could stand for rhe enrire to the lirst Roman emperor Augustus, but The
considerable rrouble Thrs god ofvegetation, processby which Greek and Roman myrh- Aeneid,the epic poem abour Aeneas written
wine and ecstasywas by no means a comfort- ologr merged in rhe second century BC There by Virgil in the 20s sc, turned out ro be a
able deity for the Greeks, but the Romans were just too many myths for rhe Romans to balanced celebrarion of Roman aurhoriry
were more deeply disturbed by his orgiastic resist, although rhey chose to impose a rypical rather than an exciting heroic narrative The
rites In 186 nc rhe Roman Senarepassed restraint on Greek extravagance hero heededthe call ofduty and abandoned
severe laws against the excesseso[ his wor- Roman heroes could never compare wrth the woman he loved, as Roman heroes were
shippers h is likely rhat severalthousand Heracles, Jason, Theseus, Perseus or expected to do rn every myth
ll
CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
ACUtt-leS was rhc son of Krng arranged the mamage of Thetis to knew that he was doomed to die at warrior quickly reached for the
Peleus of Thessaly and the sea a mortal Because she was scr Troy rf he went on the expedition w e a p o n s .g i v i n g h i m s e l I a w a y
nymph THETISHe was the greatesr attached to Achilies, Thetis tried to So Thetis arrangedfor him to be Unmasked, Achilles had no choice
of the Greek wamors, although in make him immorral by various disguised as a grrl and hrdden but to sail for Troy
compansonwith acar'tlllxov and mcans Thc bcst known wrs drp- among the women at the palaceof There he bitterly quanelled wrth
the other Greekhngs who went on ping the new-born baby in the Krng Lycomedeson rhe islandof Agamemnon, the leader o[ the
r h c e x p e d r t r o na g a i n s tT r o y . h e Sryx, rhe rrver rhat ran through Sc1'rosThe Greek felt that wrth- Greeks lt may be that he was
a p p e a r sr o h a v eb e e n s o m c t h i n g HADE-S, the world of the dead our Achilles therr chances of angeredby Agamemnon'suse o[
of a barbarian His anger was as Since Thcris had to hold him by beating the Trojanswere sLtm,but his name to bring IPHIGENTA ro
legendaryas his prowess the heel, thrs one spot was left vul- no one could identify the hidden Aulis, for she had been told she
The uncerrainnatureof Achilles nerable and at Troy brought about hero At last, cunning oDYssEUs was to marry Achrlles, whereas
is apparentin the story of his brrth A, hrlles de.rrh lrom a noisoncd was sent to discover AchiLles, Agamemnon intended to sacnfice
Both zEL'sand pttsr-iitrt.twanted anow shot from the bow ol PeRts which he did by meansof a tnck
to have a son by the beautiful Achrlles learned the skills of Haung tracedthe young man to ACHILLES, reluingbnde hrstentwth
The tis, but PROMETIlirt.'-s, the fire warfare from CHIRON, le ader of the Scpos, Odysseusplacedweapons hs tompdnion,Patroclus,welcomeshrs
god, had wamed them that her off- c.l:NlAt/R.s, who also fed him on among some jewellery in the comratles,Odysseus(centre)arul Aiax
spnng would be greaterthan his wild game to increase his f'erocity palace Whrle Achilles' female (right), who irnplorc tht moodyhero to
Iather Anxious ro avord the Under Chrron's care Achilles c o m p a n i o n sw c r r a d m i r i n gr h c retum Lobattle whereht s sorelyneeded
emergcnceof a powcr qupenorto became renowned as a courageous crafrsmanshipof rhejewels,a call ( A ( H i l | r ! f u i l r \ r , s A ( ; A M r M ! ( ) N ! N l l s s l \ c t : f , s
r h e m s e l v e s ,r h e g o d s c a r e f u l l y lrshrcr bur hi' immortal mothcr
. . b . . ' - . I to arms was sounded and the D l / l ' 4 \ A i i i i I l \ L ' 8 t \ L 1 \ t 1 \ l S L i l l
"F;
P#
TZ
ClesstcAr- MvrHoLocY
her to the goddess ARTEMIS,to AnCeUS was the son of King suggesrion Theseus was sent to
ensure a favourable wind for the Pandion ofAthens, and farher of fight the wild bull of Marathon,
Greek fleer For a long time tne nero THfslus Ha!1ng twrce which he captured alive. Once
Achilles srayed in his rent and manied wirhout begetdng any chil- Aegeusrecognizedhis son, Medea
refused to fight the Trojans. He dren, Aegeuswent to consult the returned in disgust ro her native
even persuaded his mother to use Delphic Oracle bur received only Colchis on rhe Black Sea.But bad
her influence with Zeus to let the the ambiguous answer that he Iuck continued to dog Aegeus and
tide of war go against the Greels. should nor untie his wine skin wentually causedhis death. For it
But Achilles was roused to action until he reachedhome. When he was agreed that Theseus should
by the death of Patroclus, his sought advice from his friend travel ro Crete with the seven girls
squire and lover, at the hands of Pittheus. another ruler. the latter and sevenboys sent as ribute each
the Trojan HEcToR.Patroclus had realizedrhat the oracie had foretold year to feed the MINOTAUR,a bull-
bonowed Achilles' armour, which how Aegeuswould father a heroic headed man. If Theseus was
had been forged by the smith god son. To securethe sewices of such successfulin his dangerous mission
HEPHAISTOS, and entered the fray, ACTAEONwasayoungGreeh hunter a man, Pittheus made Aegeus ro kill the Minotaur, the ship bring-
but he cameup againstHectorwho whounluchily chanceduponthepoolwhae drunk and let him sleep wirh his ing him home was to fly a white
easilydefeatedhim. Artemisandhernymphs woebathingIn daughter Aethra. When Aegeus sail: if unsuccessful. a black sail
In brand-new arrnour Achilles outrage,thevir$ngoddess tumedhim into undersrood what had happened, would signalhis dearh. Retuming
sought out Hector, who asked for a srcgandhewastornapartbyhisovn he placed a sword and a pair of to Arhens after an incredible adven-
respect to be shown for his body if hounds,(IuusrunoN FRoM DlcnoNARy
oF sandals beneath an enormous ture in the Labynnth at Knossos,
he was defeated.Achilles refused, C6srclANTreuns, l89l) boulder. He rold the princessthat Theseus forgot the agreement to
slew Hector with his spear and if she bore a son who could move changehis sail from black to white,
draggedrhe Trojan hero round rhe had been wamed about by his the rock, he was to bring these wirh the result rhar, upon seeing
tomb of Patroclus for rwelve days. steed XeivlHUS, before rhe FURIES rokens to him in Athens on reach- the vesselwith is black sail,Aegeus
Only Thetis could persuade her struck the divine creature dumb. ing manhood. Thus it was that threw himself off the Athenian
son to le! the Trojans recover the An arrow from the bow of Paris, Theseusgew up and was eventu- acropolis to certain dearh
corpse and arrange a funeral, a guided by rhe god of prophecy ally reunited with his father.
serious obligarion for the living. APOLLO,gave Achilles a mortal Meantime, Aegeus had married AEGEUS , Ioohing
outto sea,sees
hisson's
Backin rhe flght, Achilles struck wound. Heroic yet also arrogant, the sorceressMEDF-A, whose magi- ships
retuminghome, allwithblachsails
fear into the Trojans, of whom he Achilles was rhe myrhical figure cal powers had given him another hoistedThinhingthathissonhaddied,
killed hundreds. But his own life most admired by Alexander rhe son, Medus. lt was for this reason Aegeushurledhimsefintothesea,aJter-
was coming to an end, which he Great.At the commencementof char Medea did everything she wardsnamed theAegean
his Asian campaign against rhe could to thwart Theseus. Ar her (lrr/srMr,(,N 8v Nlck 8uLE. 1995)
I3
ClnssrcAr- MvrHoLoGY
comparison with Greece(there was of islands, the fleet came to Epirus lovers, as Aeneas and Dido soon I'ERroE crwtr. 161#7)
l4
ClassIcAr- MyrHoLocY
AGAMEMNON waxha coolly ahis ACnunuNON, according ro Agamemnon's father. On her it around his body, rendering him
daughtu, Iphignia, is ofered a a Greek mythology, was the son husband's retum, Clytemnesrraar an easy targerfor Aegisthus' axe.
"sacnfciallamb" to apryase theanger oJ of erRrus and the brother of first pretended how pleased she
Artem(: but at the last moment, the MENEIAUS,long of Spana. He was wzlsto seehim Thanlcng the gods A;AX -as rhe son of Telamon of
goddesshenef rebnted and, descending married ro CLyTEMNESTM. From for his safe retum, Agamemnon Salamisand, like ACHILLES, was a
Jromheavat shecarried Iphignia ofl to his citadel at Mycenae,or nearby crossed the threshold ofhis palace, powerful aid to the Greeksin their
Tdurus OHE SACruNCE OFIPHIGENN
8YGIOVNNI Argos, he sent out a summons to ignoring the warning o[ his slave assault on Troy. Afrer Achilles'
BAmsr^, NEM, 1770-) the Greek to join the expedition cAssANDM, the prophetic daugh- death there was a contest for rhe
against Troy The causeo[ the war ter of PRIAM,the defeated Trojan armour of this great warrior, which
underworld. There Aeneasmet his was the flight of Menelaus' wife, king. He rhen rerired to a barhroom had been forged by the smirh god
father's ghost, who showed him HELEN,ro rhar ciry wirh PARI5. in order to change his clothes. HEPFIAISTOS. When ODY55EU5 was
the destiny of Rome.Anchiseshad However, rhe Greek fleer was Clytemnestra quickly threw a large awarded the armour, Ajax became
died of old age during the smy in delayed at Auhs by conrary winds net over Agamemnon and twisted mad with.;ealousy He planned a
Sicily, but his enthusiastic ourline Agamemnon then realized that he nighr attack on his comrades,but
of the future encouraged his son. would have to make a human sac- AJAXheadsof theTrqan onslaught wth rhe goddesserHrNA deceived him
Aeneas also saw Dido's ghost, but rifice in order to appeaseARTEMIS, Wical mightandcourageBeside htm,his into slaughtering a flock of sheep
it did not speak to him and the goddess o[ the forest and wild brother,Tatcerthearcher,aimshisbowat instead. In the light of dawn, Ajax
humedly rumed away animais. His daughter IPHTGENIA theTrojanswho,withJlamingtorches,hopewas suddenly overwhelmed by a
Afterwards, Aeneassreered for was therefore sent to Aulis under to settheGreehshipsalight 0uusmnoru fear of his evil intentions, and fell
che mouth of rhe River Tiber, on the pretexr rhat she was to be rRoM STORIE FROM HoMER. i885 ) on his sword and died
whose river banks the ciry of Rome married to the Greek champion
would be built centuries larer. and hero ACHILLESAccording ro
Conflict with rhe latins, the local one tradition, lphigeniawas sacri-
inhabirants, was bloody and pro- ficed, but accordingto another,she
longed But peacewas made when was savedby Artemrs herselfand
Aeneas mamed l-avinia, the daugh- uken ro Taurus to becomea priesr-
ter of King Larinus lt had been ess in the goddess'stemple
foretold that for the sake of the Clytemnestra never forgave
longdom Laviniamust marryraman Agamerhnon for lphigenia's loss,
from abroad The Tro.lans,in order and she took Aegrsthusfor a lover
to appeaseJuno, adopred the during the ten-yearsiegeofTroy.
Latins' rraditions and language. Aegisthus was rhe son ofThyesres,
(Seealso VOYAGERS) the brother and enemy of Atreus,
I5
CI,q,sslcAL MYTHoLoGY
I6
CLASSIcAL MYinoIocy
RheaSihra was raped by the war Neoptolemus had shown rhe same L0RDLErcHroN,cnNVAs,
c 1890)
CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
l8
ClnssrcAr- MyrHoLocY
Roman religions, and was the god with healing and connected with
of prophecy, archery and music sitesin nonhem Greece Indeed, so
The origrn of his name is uncenain accomplished was Asclepius in
but it is probably non-European medicine that Zeus slew him with
A light with the gigandc earth- a thunderbolt for daring to bring a
serpent Python at Delphi gave man back to life. (Seealso FORCES
Apollo rhe sear o[ his famous OFNATURE)
oracle. $rthon was an offspring of
GAIA,mother earth, which issued AnrS, the son of zr.vs and srna,
revelations through a fissurein the was the Greek god of war, and was
rock so that a priestess,the $nhia, Iater idenrified with the Roman war
I.PHRODITE, goddessof lwe andbeauty, queen of the dead. Their birter could give answers to any ques- god uens. Although Ares had no
was bom Jrom theJoam ol the su; sherose quarrel was only ended by zrUs, tions that might be asked.After he wife of his own, he had three chil-
lrom the waveson a seashell,stepping who ruled that for a rhird of the slew the eanh-serpent, Apollo took dren byAPHROOIr, the goddessof
ashoreon Cyprus At hu sile, the west year Adonis was to dwell with its place, though he had to do Iove The rwins, Phobos, "panic",
wtnd, Ztphyus, andFlora, the spingblow himself, for a third parr wirh penance in Thessalyfor the hlling. and Deimos, "[ear", alwaysaccom-
her gently uhore in a showeroJ roses,her Persephone, and for a third part Indeed, Zeus rwice forced Apollo panied him on the bardefield. ln
sacredflower, (THE oFvENUs
BrRrH BysANDRo with Aphrodite. So it was rhar rhe to be the slave of a mortal man to Greek mythology, Ares is depicted
BomcEur,TEMpEv,
c 1482
) ancient Greels accommodated a pay for his crime. as an instigator of vrolence, a
West Asian mother goddessand Apollo's interest in healing tempestuous and passionatelover
binh. When rheTiran CRONOS cur her dying-and-rising husband. suSges6 an anclent assoclatlon and an unscrupulous fnend The
off the penis of his farher Ouranos Indeed the Adonia, or annual with the plagueand is conrrol. His Roman god Mars, however, has
with a sharp sickle, he casr rhe festivals commemorating Adonis' son ASCLEPIUS was also identified nothing of Ares' fickleness
immortal member into the sea, death, were celebrated in many
where it floated amid white foam pars of the eastemMediterranean
Inside the penis Aphrodite grew Becauseof her unruly behav-
and was then washed up at Paphos iour, Zeus causedAphrodire ro fall
on C1prus. There were in fact sanc- in love wirh Anchises, the farher of
tuaries dedicared to her on many AENEAS.ln the Roman version o[
islands, which suggesrsrhar she this myth Venus herself is deeply
was a Westfuian goddesswho was attracted ro rhe Trojan, but wams
brought to Greeceby sea-traders. him to keep the parentageof their
Once she arrived. the ancient son Aeneasa secret.This Anchlscs
Gree}<smarried her in their myth- fails to do, and as a resuk suffers
ology to the crippled smith god blindness or a disability of the
HEPFIAISTOS. But Aphrodire was Iimbs. While the Roman goddess
not content to be a hithful wife and provided, througlr the leadership of
she bore children by severalorher Aeneas, a means for some of the APOILO (abate), the sun gd, urgcs the ARES @lov,t), infuIl atmour,luik the
gods, including DIONYSUSand Trojans to escape and flourish sun-chaiot ta ise in the slty This unusual gods into battle. Howarcr, in war, the gods
ARES.When Hephaisros found out anew in ltaly, the GreekAphrodite wsion oJ themythhas Apollo, rather tlnn were not im4rtial; Ares,Aphrodi? Ael),
about Aphrodire's passion for rhe actually helped to causethe Trojan Helios, as ider, andlbns, insteadoJ Poseidonand Apolb (cntre) wouV oJtm
war god Ares, rhe ourraged smith War. ln order to ensure that he horses, pull the chaiot, ruallingthe linh ad the Trojans, whilc Hqa anil Athena
god made a mesh of gold and would name her zlsthe most beau- fuween lzo anil the sun. (H{oEBUs
Arcrc By (ri$t) supporttt the Greek. orurmroN
caught the lovers in bed togerher. tiful of the goddesses,Aphrodite EMoNRMEtrcANvs,c .1870) noM SroruBrcM HoMER.
l8ll5 )
He called rhe other gods from promised PARIs,son of pRraU rhe
Mount Olympus ro see the pair, hng of Troy, the hand of the most
but they only lauglred at his shame, beaudful woman in the world. This
and posenoru, the god of the sea, fatefully rumed our ro be HELEN,
persuaded Hephaisros to release wife of vrruruqus, kingof Spana.
Aphrodite and Ares.
Perhaps Aphrodire's grearesr APOILO was rhe son of zEUs
Iove was for rhe handsome yourh and the Timness LETO,and the
Adonis, another West Asian deity. twin brother of the goddess
Killed by a wild boar, Adonis ARTEMIS,the virgin hunrress. He
became the object of admirarion for was one of the most important
both Aphrodite and pERsEpHorur, deities of both the Greek and
CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
LovERs oF Zr,us
s rRtKtNG ASpEC-T op GRr,t,KN4yt-tIt)Lt)GY is thc
maritai conilict between the two chicf
deities, Hera, an earth gc-rddess, and her
husband, Zcus, suprcmc power on
Olympus One of the most amorous gods in
mytholo gy,Zeus loved countlesswomen and he
courtcd them in as many forms, somctimesas a bull,
a s a s a t y r .a s a s w a n . s r r m c t i m c sa s a m o r t a l m a n ,
and erren in the form of a golden shower. Hera rvas
notoriously jealous and r,engeful,pursuing without
mercy his loversand their offspring.The antagonism
between the two could be viewed as a clashbetween
different religious traditions or local cults, each cult
recognizing a different lovcr who was often regarded
as the anccs[orof a ruling family
ANTIOPE (uhort), rlrughtir,r/u rrvergrtl,w(r\ior((1hl Zeustn tht lom LtJd sdtvr,d
gout-lihccrtaturt 5hc iorl hrn twlr soils,Atlphtotrurcl Zrlhus tlerc,Zus, dtstrtiscc,l
as
Eros,sucl grrd
ct vttuthlulsutl'r,gcnliv sfiaJrrAntrrpe/rom thr sunwhilcshcsicrpsbe-side
Oflove td.roil \f\r'u)rf /r r\nr\(,rr\rr)$1S{r\R8}Atr1)\rr(i)tsRr('(r),(r\l:A-\, 152125J
CALLI-S1-O (ahrrr'), /r,rlt nrrnph und FI/ROPA lr.ghl) ucrs ir(rrr(/ l^ Zt'ti\ In
l o \ a ( 1h : r r i \ r t n t . /b o r r h t t t t c t s o n , A t i a s / r r r n rl h t n t l l c s o n t l t a n t L t l h r t r n r l h r
-Shcw,us lhcn , hun(t r.l rnlo u bcur erlhcr la st'a trr (.rtft whcri'shr bort hun Lhrtt
ZLus, wrshrrrg to hrclL htr lrom I lcra, or lry srrns I ht' r'anous \tug6 ol th( hdntu drt
Htru htrvll A\ d btdr rhc was shol hv rrprr'sr'ntcd htrt on tht klt, ['uropu
Arl.mrs rn thr /orcsr aar.l wus plared among nr()unl5 tLc bull tntouruged ht ls
fht stcrs ds tht 5h. Baar Hrre, surrounciccl tcrflr'nrss On the nght, she ts homr
lrr th. t(rfhr( \ ry' thr Lhctsc,Arlemrs on,.l ht r selulrlv Jown to rhr sea, w'rlh mrlnl Lltlt
(n(ount(r wrth th" ovemhclmtng god, Ztus I rnulh shc foats happiy away, ltdvrng lo
al\vAs l6J640 )
20
M YTTt o
childlry Semdt,apptarshtre
huggrnghis mothcr,whilc Apolkt
s t c r n Jhs w r t hu h u yt t r t ( l r t r i i t r '
becanta goc,l, raisedhts ntothrt
Dionystrs
to heavenand placedher arnongthe starsus
ThyoneThisEtmsrdnmitror is borderedwith iw,
which was l)tonysus' sutred plant (lrrr \ ru rr()Nrn()M
DRSvI Hs Cliss(il Dr(Ir()\ARY
1895
)
Itery.bloodredhghtnrngA wingedchrldhtdrng
from thehght coulclbc Dionysus,whrle thet)arh,
homed godscemsto be a fusion oJ Hudrs und Pun
(l( filR4NrSl\1lrr r) a,t\r4\'rM()RF;t (1\\1\ ltiq6)
CrnssrcAL MYTHoLoGy
I
I
I
THE AncoNAUTS were very THE ARGONAUTS (top) commissioned which Jason did at the cost of one ARIADNE (qbove) hands the vital shetnto
earlyexplorers,mosr likely rhe first Argus to build theArgo, a ship with th,enty of his sandals Thus the prophecy Theseus,whirh allows hrm to trach his way
Greek voyagers to the Black Sea oars Hereht caruesout thestem,while was fulfilled: a man weannS only throughthe Itfuyinth AItu hilling the
They sailed from Thessaly,where Athenamahessails Behindher,perchedon one sandalarrived at lolcus to chal- bull-Iihebeast,the Minotdur, in the
their leader,TAsoN,was the nghtful a pillar, her sacredcreature,the owl, lenge Pelias BecauseJason made Ltbynnth, he sailedaway with her, but
k r n g o f I o l c u s A c c o r d i n gt o r h e symbolizesher wisdom (lLLUsrMroN
rRoM his intentionsknown ar the time of then desertedher on Dia, possiblybelieving
myrh, Jason'sfather,Aeson, was DI(TIoNARY oF ChsSIcAI ANTIQUITIEs ]89] ) a religrousfestival,Peliascould not that shewasdestrnedto marry a god
deposedby his half-brorherPelias, krll his nephew wrthout the nsk o[ (ir l l'srRAnoN FRoM I Alcl s,ooD IAr Es, c I 920 )
who was wamed at the time how JASON (abne IeJt),helpsHera, disguised suffenng divine disfavour So the
he would in tum be overthrown by as an old woman,dcrossthe stredm In the king toldJason that he could have wamors to Join his expedition and
a man wearing only one sandal In cunent he losesa sandal, Julfilling parl oJ the throne provided he obtained they became known as the
order to protectJasonfrom Pe]ias, an oraclethat ahalJ-shodman would tahe rhe Golden Fleece,which was an Argonauts, the crew of the ship
Aeson had secrerlysent his son to Pehas'throne ThepeacochbesideHera apparently impossible task This Argo Among their number were
CHIRON to educatethe young man, her all-seeingvision (ItusrurrcN
denoLes miraculous fleece belonged to a Castor and Polydeuces,ORPHEUS
iike many other heroes On reach- FROM TANGLEWOOD TALI.S, ( 1924 ) ram which had flown to Colchis, a rhe poet, Calaisand Zetes the sons
ing manhood,Jasondeterminedto distant land identified wrth mod- of BoR-EAS and rhe hero HTMCLES
return to Iolcus and reclarm che IASON (abne), with Medea'shelp- she ern Georgia It hung from a tree Together they crossed a sea of
throne During the joumey, how- anointshim wtth a salveto protect him there, guarded by an enormous marvels, visited strange lands and
ever, he was tested by the goddess Jromlire and steel ploughstheJreldswith snake that never slept overcame many obstaclesbefore
HERA,who was disguised as an old the bulls oJ Aietes He was the fvst hero to The DELPHICOMCLE encoul- reaching Colchis, where Hera used
woman She begged him to carry yohe thewlld and,Jiery credtures agedJasonro undertakethe quest the goddessof love APHRODITE to
her safelyacrossa swollen river, (lLLUsrMTpN FRoM TA\GI l,s,ooDTALES ( lg20 ) Hera inspired a group o[Thessa]ran make MEDEA,rhe seconddaughter
22
ClesslcAI- MvrHoLocY
23
Cr-RssrcAL MYTHoLocY
baidehLswounded
ASO{NIUSweeps
Jatho, AateasCloseby,in a mantleoJ
mrst,
Aeneas' divinemother,Venus,
dacendsJromheaven wttha spngof
whiletheGreehsurgeo\
healingilittany,
Iapyx,pullsoutthearow-headwrthhis
/orceps(wouxoeo AENW,ANoN,AD62AND
79)
24
CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
26
CLASSIcAL MYTHOLOGY
andwhenArtemischanged
ftshingnets, her desperation to preserve her of Tarqurnia, who was rhe sister o[
ho intoa god&ess shewashnavnas virginiry threw herself off a clilf into TARQUINIUS sUPERBUs. He was the Shortly after their return to
Dictynnd, which means "net" rhe sea. The lcng finally gaveup the founder of the Roman Republic Rome, the youngest prince raped
(I[UsIMfloN BYNICXBuE. 1995) pursuit when the Cretan goddess Like most Roman myths, the story LULRLItA. a Koman matron. r nls
o[ Lucius Junius Brutus lays act of violation was the lasr srraw
emphasison dury to the sute, even for the oppressed Roman aristoc-
though in this instance it invojved racy, especiallywhen it was leamed
the sacrifice of two sons. Dunng rhat Lucreria had subbed hdrselfto
the early part of his life Bnrtus was death The outrage was cleverly
regarded as a simpleton, which his used by Brutus as a means of over-
name implies. Indeed, he was throwing the monarchy and setting
something of a joke in the court of up a republic. The now eloquent
Tarquinius Superbus, the last Brutus was elected consul, one o[
Elruscan king to rule Rome When the rwo highest offices of scate.But
a snake was found in the king's this fulfilment of the Oracle was
palace, two princes travelled to soon to cause him grief, when a
Delphi to ask the Oracle to explain conspiracy to restore Tarquinius
this event and Bruus accompanied Superbus to the throne was found
them almost in the role of a jester. to have the suppon ofTitus and
The Oracle told the Romans that Tiberius, rwo of Brutus'own sons
the first person in the delegation to As he was the chiel magistrate,
hss his mother would be the next Brutus, with great digniry, oversaw
ruler of Rome. The princes drew their arrest, trial and executlon
loa to decide who was to hss their Thus, at the moment of the new
mother on their retum home, but Republic's triumph, the qplcally
Brutus tnpped and kissed the Roman idea of self-sacrificeappears
earth, much to their amusement. as part of is foundation myth.
27
CLASSTcAL MYTHoLocY
28
CLASSICAL MYTHoLoGY
29
CrassrcAr- MvrHoLocY
HERoES
HE MYTHS OF ALL CULTUREScontain inspiring individuals
who express ideal traits and talens, such as the courage
of Achilles, might of Heracles, wit of Odysseus and
endurance of Oedipus. A classic hero is a champion
rn every sense, overcomrng trials, ridding the world of
troublemakers , blazrng trails and winning through
despite all the odds. Yet he is neither inr,ulnerablenor
immortal, though often helped, and sometimes
hindered, by the gods. Greek mythology is
unusually rich in heroes and heroines of every kind.
Some, such as Achilles and Hector, are wartime
champions; others, such as Odysseus or Theseus,
are heroes for peacetime, some are positive and
outgoing, such as Heracles or Perseus; still others
are heroes of attitude rather than action, such as
Oedipus, Antigone, or Hector, who, at the end,
remained steadfastin the face of hopeless defeat.
HEMCLES (bdow) shootshis poisonedanows at his oldJoe, the Centaur Nessu.s,
who racedaway wth his
wile, Deuntru, whik lerrying her acrosstheiver EvenusThe dying Centaur olJeredDeianira the glJtof his
bloodus u sulvelor prcseruingthe loveo[ HeraclesThe lovephiltre provedto be a futal tnch Lrywhich Heracles
tlied manyyears later, tragcally, by the handsoJhis insecurebut loting wife, Deiantra, who in her sorrow
h i l l e d h e r s t(llll.r R ( L U s ^ N r ) N r \ \ L r \ a i F R A N : \ ( ) N - s r r i . r k , . ^ N v A s l 8 6 J l 9 2 8 )
HEMCLES (above), best hnow Jor his mighry labour:, was aII his hJea
helper oJ godsand men, setting theearthJree oJmany monstus and rascak
Worshrypedas a heroand deity,he was invohedas d saviour;as the herooJ
labourand strug,le,he waspatron deity oJthe gmnasium In art he appears
as the ideal oJ manly strength, wrth massivemusclesand graveocpression This
celebratedGreehsculptureshowsthehero in reposeleantngon his club, draped
wth thefamous lion's shin (THLFANrsri
HrRcuL c 200Bc)
E BvGLY.oN.
CIeSSICAI- MyTHoLoGY
A C H I L L I . S ( a b o v c ) . y 9 J l i h eh c r r r u n d p c e r l t ' s s u t n r o r w u r l l l l d o r i r u / / y , t / i r g u i s e c r. lr ' r r { r f / r n h r \ r r r r i t h H i i t L r r r r r
t n o t h r t , f l t r t t r . t r r r / t t r t g1 i r\ d 1 c h r n r / r r ) r i f h ( l f ( ) / d n \ l ' c l , l r r r / l r r r l d r ) ) ( l t ( \ l r l t d r r L r q i r rt ,r r r / l - \ r r , r r r r t L r 1 r 1-1\ 1 1 1 1 , rf 1 1 1 1 1
eagerlv, suJJcnly n,ulrtrns iris trur rlr and nit, m hlt Hc l/rr rr arconrpanrr i./ Odlsirrr lrr Inl
J\rr\ i lr,)rrl
, ; r 1 , 1
l
( . L O F , I l A l r r h r l r ' . t ,l i o r r r r r nh L r r , r r r , $ t r s
$lrr1 rt\ d itoildg . / A S O N i , r / r r r i ) t / r r ' rr ' / r ' h r c i t r '(r(j/ l ) l ( / i r )r r / t h t . \ r r l r r r r r r l : l i O R A T I t r . S ' i ? h r ) \Ir / r r d 1 r ' R , r r l u r/ r Lr o h i l , l r l r ,
l() fhf lrllli\(d|, L r t r s / ) , r r s L r r n ur,/ r 0 r r r t / r i l r ( | | / t / r ! . r r ' n r b a r / rr . /r ) r i t , q l 1 t / lt r , / i r l f r l l lrr hrrrv hut /l tltr (,oltkrt \ t t b l t ,t r t t t/ J i l r i L tI t l l t l r ! r r( ( ) l ] i l ( t r \l ( r l q . / t i t \ l/ / t r / t l l l l s ( r 0 )
(lgdinst ll()nr( But \h( (lup(d
lr(nn hr tttmp unr.l swcrm Ik'ct,:.whth was sus7;rrrr.lcr./fru
r rbnr u n t h o l t t n d t h h 1 ( r t r m t , W / r / r ' h t h t l , l o l l l h r ' F l r u s r r r r r s ,l h r i l r r r r r r r r rhsa r h r r /
d( rllst lhr / r,b0 lrr lirrrrrr \{rhen l/rt ii()ritdI\ \r,Il }tr'i bd( li t t t t l t r g r r t l r / , \ r t r r r r( ' r 1 1 J 1 1
115l r t s g r r ' u f l r r l t , r r r I i chj t it c b l , l t r h r ' h r r r Jh r r r r r l l j l l t ( ( ) J L / l ) \J( I I , r r r r L , ' , l r / r r r ,h
t r ) I ) a r A d t i t d ,h a r " d s r , , / ( { h r ' nn L / t r I L ( / l / d r f n , t l r r t l h a \ c l r \ t t / r : s l, l r r h r r r q i y ' ( r r l i r r s l V r t / rt l r r h L l p o l 1 p , t 1 7 , 1 1, ,t ' , , t n l i l \ r ( ) f r i ( i r /\r H ( ) r r / l i r i r\ l , l l l . r j r r r r r r o r t r lt j r , j r r r , l ( , / , l l
htr lrct'wtlh:ornc ot|rr hoslagi,s rirrri guvc htr t spk'nJitl l h t s r r r ri r r ' s s, \ I c d c a ,J t r r r r l r t c r r t l t h L t n g o l ( . r r i ri r r s / a s r r n l l t r ' n / t r ' s r [ 0 n l d \ . ] / r t \ ' ( r (f 1 r \ \ l / r r r r t g r r r gI t l l r , , r r r r r Jr l 0 r r V
h r r t r e l J r ' r r r h c r r d r r l r r l r r p h a l r l h t , , f r r r J o n r n ' r l i rh L r , J r r t n r t r l l r , ' L i T r f l r r Lr r r r r u f i h / r r / r / r i r g o n l h r r r r r r r l i i t d l l r , ,lnrlrr 1 / t , \ f t t t c r , r i l ( ( 1 r\ tl { t l r i rr r ) l | 5 i t ( ) | 1 ) | irl t t / t (
r ( ) n l p t l l l l { ) l l \i r . r r i \ i , ' .r r ' | \ ' , , , , , . t l i , . rl 5 r ,
CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
CtnCr, daughter of ruruos, the CLOTUASCC HEROES dess ARTEMIS, either as sacrificial wars. He said that unless the ple-
sun god, was a powerful witch who victim or as pnestess beians, the ordinary people, were
had porsoned her husband, hng of CLrrnunrsrRn was the Like her sister HELEN,whose willing to restore to the nobiliry is
the Sarmatians,before going to rhe daughter ofrpoe and Tyndareos, elopement with PARIScaused the full ancient privileges they should
fabulous island of Aeaea.Her mag- king ofsparta, and the estranged Trojan War, Clytemnestra felt no expect no charity Hounded from
ical powers tumed ODY55EU5' men Mfe of eceurMNoN. Sometimes loyalry towards her husband. She Rome for such an opinion, he
into swine when they landed on she is poruayed as a weak woman, openly conducted an affair with joined the Volsci and evenrually Ied
Aeaea on their way home from easily persuaded by her lover Aegisthus, Agamemnon's cousin, a Volscian army against the ciry. All
Troy. Aided by HERMES, the mes- Aegisthus to assistin the murder of and ruled Mycenae with him. The seemed lost until his mother
senger god, Odysseuswas immune her husband on his return from end of the war required desperate Volumnia spoke to him, asking
to Circe's magic and restored his the Trojan War Otherwise it is measures.When he rerumed home Coriolanus whether he saw her as
crew to human form, and also Clytemnestra who rs the strong Agamemnon was butchered by his own mother or as a prisoner of
gained the witch's aid for the next character,the insdgator of the mur- Aegisthus, usinga wo-headed axe, war. As a result he quit the battle-
part of his joumey For ayearhe der, while Aegisrhusis little more while Clytemnestra had him en- field and went into exile.
stayed as her lover, before she told than a weakling Even before the ungled in a net For this terrible
him how to navigate through the the Greek force departed for Troy, crime, Clytemnestra was herself CneON, in Greek mythology,
waters o[ the Sirens and between Clytemnesrra already had good hlled by her son oREsrEs was the brother o[Jocasta and a
Scylla, a monster, and Charybdis, a reason to hate her husband. In reluctant ruler of Thebes He was
whirlpool. Srylla had been a nval of order to gain a fair wind to Troy, he COruOUNUS wasalegendary regent during the uncertain period
Circe, who had rumed her into a agreed to sacrifice her favourite Roman traitor o[ the fifth century afrerKing LAIUS, Jocasu'shusband,
monster when one of her many child tpntcrruin Even though the BC Conscious above all of his had been killed near the ciry Creon
lovers had shown an interest in the champion ACHTLEShad promised noble birth, Coriolanus objected to offered the throne and the hand of
unfortunate girl ln some accounts, to defend the grrl againstall threats, the Senate'swish to distribute free Jocastato any man who could solve
Circe eventuallymanied Odpseus' rhe Greek host had its way and bread to poorer citizens, who were the nddle of the SPHINX and thus
son Telemachus. lphigenia was offered to the god- starving becauseof Rome's endless rid Thebes of this bloodthirsty
32
CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
34
CTASSTcAL MyrHor.ocy
CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
Dnlpntc ORACLEs." an important cult at Eleusis,just Her myth tums on the disap- The story of Demeter and
OMCLESANDPROPHECIES south o[Athens, where ntes were pearanceof Persephone When the Persephoneis clearlyancient lt has
celebraredannually in the autumn girl was a child, her father, ZeuS, parallelsin the mythology of Wesr
DEUETER, rhe Greekgoddessof when, through music and dancing, wrthout even consulting Demeter, fuia, where gowth and decaywere
vegetadonand fruitfu]ness, was the her worshippers recalled the loss agreed to his brother FIADES' closely associatedwith a dyng and
daughrer of cRolos and RHre and rediscovery of her daughter request that Persephoneshould be reviving deiry For the Greek,
Like her Roman equivalent,Ceres, PERSEPHONEDemeter means his bride and rule the underworld Persephoneas Kore ("the maid-
she was especiallyassocratedwith "mother eanh" - rhe abundant soil wuh him Hadeswas impatient and sn"), was identified as rhe power
com Demeter possessedmysteri- as well as the resting-placeof the rose from the earth and abducted within the com i6elf, which was a
ous powers of growth and even dead (which were known by the Persephoneas she plucked flowers natural extersion of her mother the
resurrection She was the focus of Atheniansas "Demeter'speople") in a field Bur in rhe world of the com goddessDemeter.
36
CLAssrcAL MYTHoLoGY
37
CLASSICAL MYTHoLOGY
E {'ffi
"\\
i.i"e'i
T H E D t o s C U R I , t h em y s r e r L -THE DIOSCURI (aboLe), truns Castor I
ous twin sons of LHI)A,queen of ant) Pollw, retumed to ccrrtir to help thc \r, ,
the Romans as Castor and Pollux gltuming urmLtur, and rnountetl on snow
:
They were brothers oI HrLrruand wirrtt sfeels, thty- [ed thL Rom.]ns l() vi.tory ltt'
'I,lt
CTYTIMNESTM Around all rhese ( l t r \ r R { I t r ) \L t i r \ r L \ \ s r j r \ \ r r \ r R a \ i l 1 8 , ! /l
38
ClessrcAr MvrHoLocY
ENDYMION(abne)waslmedby Selne EUROPA (nght) wasa Phoenician relationshipto Ares,for he was rhe
whovisitedhimin hisetenal sleepHere, pnncessbome away by Zeus, who assumed patron divrnity of the SacredBand
thelovers
partat dawnIn theslg,the theJom oJa great white bull He swam to of Thebes,which was a group of
goddessspinhlesdot beJore
thesun- the island.oJCretewith Europandingon one hundred and fifty pairs of
chaiot,whileoneanhNyxdraws a curtain his bach Sheoentually mamed Asteius, lovers who were all killed by the
oJdarhnessabouther (SLLENE
ANo ENoyMroN the rulerol Crete (luusrur()NFRoMDRsMtrH's Macedonianarmy at the battle of
ByNrcousPouJSrN,
a/NvAs,
c 1591-1665
) ClaslGl DlcroNARY, 1895) Chaeronia in 338 nc After the
battle l(ng Philip of Macedon
in all likelihood Elis According ro Theia Shewasseenasa charioteer locked him in a granted them a specialbunal
Greek mythology, he became the riding across the sl<yjusr before becamethe cicada(an insectnoted
lover of the moon goddessSelene sunrise,pulied by her horsesShiner for im complaining sound) EUnOPe, in Greek mythology,
(frequentlyidendlied wrth Diana), and Bright Her brother, the sun was the daughter ofTelephassaand
who bore him fifty daughters god riruos, had a four-horsechar- EruXYES SCEFURIE5 of King Agenor of Tyre, a city in
Becauseshe could not endure the iot to indicate his greaterstatus. Phoenicia. Agenor's five sons,
thought that Endymion would The Romanscalled her Aurora EROS, according to some Greek including CADMUS, were sent out
eventually die, Selene put her Eos had a repuation for passion rraditions, was rhe son of Erebos to look for their sister after ZEUS,
youthful lover into an everlasting, and fell in love with a largenumber and the Night, while in others he disguisedas a white bull, swam to
deep sleep However, in another of young men, including the was the son of ARES,god of war As the island of Cretewrth Europaon
version of the myth, it is said that particularly handsome Tithonus, the youngest of the gods and the his back There she bore the god
zEUs grarrredEnd)rynion his wish son of Laomedon, king of Troy companion of apHRoottr, he rhree sons. MINOS.RFTADAMANTHYS
that he might be allowed to sleep When Eos asked zrus ro make appearedto enjoy mahng asmuch and saRprporu,beforemanying rhe
loreverin a cavewrthout ageing Tithonus immorral, she forgot mischief as he could by firing his local ruler Astenus By way of com-
about etemal youth and ended arrows of passion into the hearts of pensatlon for Europa's vrrginity,
EOS *rs rhe Greek, wrnged god- with a lover made helpless mth gods and humans alike His con- Zeus gaveAstenus a mighry bronze
dess of the dawn and the third age Thereupon, accordingto dif- nection with homosexuallove may man, Taios, to defend his realm
child of the TITANSHyperion and ferent versions of the myth, she have derived from his supposed (Seealso LovERsoF zEUS)
39
CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
/ ( l l r , r l l l { ) i r l r\ d / a l } i , , r r , r \ . r r , \ : , i . i I I , j . , ir i l s i ft:
C-I.S.S.,1NDR'1ulrrr ) /rrrrrstcluLLghter
oJl\tant urtJ lirr tilu wtr' a gr/teJ
h r r tl n i L r L\ r L r , t r h r )h r / i . i r r ( ) r n t o
d b et g r o r - c d- S h n
c u s t ' r r J o n t rni r r h
pnph,rl h'.1poi1,rItr f\rhdn.Kfdr thepronttseo/ ho Llr \\''hrnshtrbroke
hdr rrrrrl, ht lrrinrsht
J ho hy lccrrcingthat hat prophilk \, h{rw(\r'r trar,
worll uln'uys,h rqnrrrrJ Ihs powefulpornayulry'(r:rar,/ru rtrrals lhc
:ohtai1,ull :r'rrirr irtrL/,y' thc sorrowfulsecr,rvhoucruralc/yprrrlitlcd the
',1
i,'. ,i;t r 1 r r , r L , , , , i rt 'n! i, i t , ! r \ l L r r , i
, ,,t+nl.l
{\'dl
42
CIaSSICAT MYTHOL-OCY
"';{.l
1l'
I
t
GAIA i h r 5 r - c r rr i l l l r l r , f / l a i l . ' l i 5 h r ' \
t J r r , , L r tt//rr ci i l t t f L r l , r r r t hr t r t h h c r g r f t i , r /
I n t l . i o u n t l a b u n d . l r r (r N t ) t o n ! x t t s s h t
, 1 ' , , , ' , r 1 6 s y1 , fa l l u n J l h r r o u n s / t c r o /
J r r t h x h o , / t h cr h r t r l t h r d l l sh a r . r . ( / l t i i i \
( " r h o u g h t " ) w o u l d r ep l a c e h i m i r s
rht' sr-rpremc gocl So Zeus st:tL-
Lru.'ccl \'1etis iln(l latcr tl-ie godclcs:
A /l l/ NA sprang frorn hrs heacl
'l'hc
srorv r)l fhe separatl()lt
l r r ' l \ \ tL ' l tt l < r , r n r l( . l r l l l l i J l l 1 l l ,l ( l l l
GnNYIr,teoe n r L J r c ek m l l h
1 , l 1 r g 1r r , a <t h c ' , ' r r
f ro-. thl krnA
"l
of Phrygia, and brother of llus He
was such a beautr{ul young man
t h a r Z F i . r . sa b d u c t e d h i m a n d t c - r o k
hrm to Mounr Olympus ILrbc hls
cupbearer lt was believed thar
Ganymede also bccame Zcus'
lover, and gained hls immonality zt-s
thc consrellation Aquanus. thc
water-camer
GANYMEDE, a handsomeboy,excitttl
rhc passionof Zrus whtr,n the grustol ttn
uglt, borehim uwnyto Mount OrymPui
(IHr R A f t o F G A N Y M Tr ) r B l P F r F R P A r l R l 8 t N \
+4
CInSSIcAL MYTHoLoGY
45
CrnssrcAL MYTHoLoGY
Horse. Throughout this long war many other children, among them
the sympathies of Helen were Augeas, CIRCEand PASIPHAEA
mainlywith the Greeks, although gigantic statue of the sun god was
she was reated as the proper wife, erectedat the harbour of Rhodes,
and not merely the mistress, of an island sacred ro him. This so-
Pans. After the fall of Troy, Helen called Colossus was one of the
and Menelauswere reconciled and seven wonders of the ancient
they lived undisturbed at Spana. world, but was toppled by an earth-
quake around 226 Bc.
HEUOS was rhe Greek sun god
and son of the ntqN Hyperion. To HfPHetSfOS was the son of
the Romans he was known as Sol. zEUs and HERlt,andwas the Greek
It was rhought that Helios, after smith god. His Roman equivalent
crossing the slcy,sailed during the was vULcAN, whose smithy lay
night around the earth in a golden beneath the crater of Mount Aetna
bowl on the encircling waters of in Sicily. Hephaistoswas lame as a
oc&{Nos, and so arrived back in result of having interfered in a
the eastjust before dawn. Both rhe quanel between his parents. So
Greeks and the Romans held that angry did Zeus become that he
the inhabited world was a large flung his son from the top of
Mount olympus and let him fall
heavily on the volcanic island of
Lrmnos, in the nonhem part of the
Aegean Sea. ln another version,
Hera ried to drown her imperfect
child, only to be thwaned by sea
nymphs who took him to a beach.
A sequel to this rale has the smith
god gain his revenge as a fully
grown man by making a golden
rhrone for his mother which was
actually a trap. None of the gods
could releaseHera, so Hephaistos
HnffN wasthe daughterof ttrDt HEI-EN (abovd pcces thewqlLsoJTroy HEUOS, god oJ the svn, appearsin worhs was invited to retum permanendy
and zrus, the wrfeof rhe Spartan The nostbeeuttJulwoman of the arcimt oJart as a strongardbeautfulyouth wrth to Mount Olympus. There, under
hng urrurf,{us,and the causeo[ woid,, shewas ako, accordingto Homei, a gluming cyes,and,a crwn oJ laming rays the influence of dnnk, he was per-
the Tro;anWar Her immortaliryas thoughtful heroine, gpen to seft mochery suaded by his friend DIoNYsus to
Just 4s th sun's rcys ynetrate everylhere,
thedaughterofthesupremeGreek anl6ygT 4wre oJ themiserycausedbyha so Helios saw everything atdwu iwohd unlock the cunning device and let
deitysuggesFthatHelenwasonce bgaul (Hrreuor rHEW[s oFTRoY
BYLop 4s 4 witness oJo4tlu {t*rsrut oNFrcMDR his mother escape
a goddessand that her incorpor- lEcHril. cav J, c 1880..) SMIrH'sCrAsl(}LDrcloNeY,1895) Hephaistos seems to have come
ation into myth as an unfaithful onginally from Asia Minor, where
queen only occurred when her desirable bnde in Greece. At first island sunounded by an ocean iron rnines date from a very early
q796|ripwaslargelyforg,otten. Menelaus and Helen were very Although Oceanos was sometimes period His cultwas strong in Cana
Zeusmatedwrth Leda,wife of happy, but then PARts,one of the descnbed as a nver, it stretched and Lycia, along its south-westem
theSpartanhng Tyndareos, in the many sons of King rrueu ofTroy, into the unimaginable distance and shore. His rnarriage to the love god-
guiseof a swan.Ledalaid an egg, visited Spana and, with the help of far lrom anyshore dess APHRODIIEmay have some-
and when Helenhatchedfrom it the love goddessAPHf,oDlrr, gaixed One myth of Helios concems thing to do wrth this eastem con-
shebroughtherup asa memberof Helen's a[ec[on. They even eloped rhe death o[ his son PMETHoN nection, as she also came to Greece
the royalfamily.Helen'sbrothers with a part o[ Menelaus' treasury. Once thu impetuousyouth med to from West Asia. Their reladonship
were Castotand Polydeuces, the When the Trolars refrrsed to retum steer his father's radiant chariot, was almost as tumultuous as that
m)|stenous DIOSCURI,arrdhersister Helen and lhe stolen lreasure, but he quickly lost conuol. Only of Zeus and Hera. Once Hephastos
wasKingAcAMaalvoN'sunfaithfuI Agamemnon assembled a great rhe dmely acrion of zEus steadied fashioned a trap to catch his
wlfe CLYTEMNESTM. army to help his brother Menelaus its runaway horses and prevented unfaithful wife in bed with the war
At the time of her mamage to For ten years the city o[ Troy was the earth from catching fire. god nnrs. The Olympian gods
Menelaus, the younger brother o[ besieged and then only captured Phaethon fell from the vehicle and merely laughed at Hephaistos'sit-
Agamemnon, Helen was the most through the tnck of the Wooden was drowned. However, Helios had uation; the seagod PoSEIDoNonly
46
CLASSICAL MYTHoLoGY
HEPIIAISTOS,godoJJ'tre,Jashions HnRn means "lady" and was in his cradle However, later in
gcWen
exquistte worles
in hlsJieryJorgeundoubtedly the title of a powerful his life, Hera succeededin dnvinq
Lame,heleansononeleg Byhim stands mother goddess whom the Greek Heracles temporanly mad
whorewakthathiswtJe,
ApoIIo, Aphrodite,
inhented from the earlier inhabi- There are a number of myths
Ioves
Ares,andHephaistos resoltesto trap
tants of Argos, which was a major about Zeus' courtship of Hera ln
theguiltypalr (THE
FoRCE oFvuLGN ByDrEGo
city in the Peloponnese It was one of them he disguisedhimseif as
VEAseuEz,aNvs,16J0) claimed rhat she was the daughter a cuckoo and took shelter inside
ofcRolos and RHEA;however, her her clothes during a hear,ydown-
promised some remedy if he agreed addition to the Greek pantheon pour Once out of the rain, Zeus
to releaseAphrodrte and Ares was not an easy or straightforward resumed his normal shape and
A myth about ATHENA'sbinh matter, as the ceaselessconflicts promised to marD/ Hera Later she
recounts how Hephaistos split benveenher and her husband zrus bore him the war god eRrs, rhe
open Zeus' head wrth an axe in readily bear wrtness Often her fis goddess of birth Eileithyra, and
order to release the fuily grown of jealousy and quarrelsomeness Hebe, the cupbearer of the gods
goddess Apparently, Zeus had led to disaster for gods, heroesand Another child was the smith god
swallowedAthena's mother, Metis, men, when she relentlesslyper- HtPflAlSlu5,wno ls salo rn some
once he realized she was pregnant secutedZeus' mistressesand their HEM, queenoJheaven,di'rectsHelios mlths to have been the son of Zeus
wlth a powerful deiry Later, children For example, againsrthe acrossthe slry She is crownedwitha and Hera, but in others the off-
Hepharstosfell in love wrth Athena, baby HEMCLES,whom Zeus had dadem and vetl,symbolilngher statusas spring of Hera aione Herawas wor-
but was rejected by her and his fathered in order to help rn the Zeus' bicle Her sceptreB trpryd with d shipped wrth particular reverence
semen fell to earth where it gave coming battle against the GIANTS, cuchoo,sacred to her as the messengeroJ in Crete and at Samos, where a
birth ro the serpent Erichthonius she senr two serpenrs ro kill him, sping, the seasonin which shemaried great temple was said to have been
(Seealso FORCES OFNATURE) but the infant hero strangledthem Zgus (lrri'srurnrlrR()I1
SroRlrs
r R()vLrw,1885
) built for her by the ARGONAUTS
47
ClnssrcAL MYTHoLocY
48
CrnssrcAr MyrHoLoGY
ol the watr nymph SalmacisHut, the ppe rn Thessaly When the dyrng
goldn boy bathesm a showeroJ sunlryht, hero climbed on to it, there was
unawart oJ hrsbeautful admirer on tht a great flash of lighrning and
iver banb ( s A LM A ( r s A N D H E M p H R O T T T ( ) s dr Zeus took his son to loin rhe
BARrHoloufl ( SPMN(,tR,, 4Ntes,, /58. immortals
Someof the labourso[ Heracles
wedding to Zeus The last exploit of arereflectedin rhe namesof certain
Heracleswas the mosr testing.lor constellations,such as Leo,which
it meanr a descent into the under- representsthe Nemean Lion, and
world, the realm of the dead From Cancer,the crab that was allegedly
there the hero managed,wrth some sent by Hera to help the Hydra
help from PERSEPHONE, queen of (SeealsoHEROES)
the underworld, ro bnng bnefly
back to Tinns rhe three-headed HEnMAPHRODITOS was rhe
hound crn-arnus As a result of this bisexualoffspnng of the messenger
labour, hard-working Heracles god urRvrs and APnRootrr, rhe
attainedimmortality for himself goddessoilove According to one
No other hero gained this honour Greek myth, rhis handsome boy
Heracles'death on earth, an excited the passion of Salmacis,
event that the Greeksexpected to who was a nymph of a founrain
precede his translarion to Mount nearto the ciry of Halicamassus in
Olympus as a god, was the work o[ Asia Minor When the young
the Cenuur Nessus,who gavethe Hermaphrodirosignored her arten-
hero's second wife a poisoned tions, Salmacisprayed to the gods
galrnent for him to wear Realzing that she might be etemally united
that his death was near, Heracles wrth him The wish was granted
49
CT-eSSICAL MYTHOLOGY
VOYAGERS
HE LUREoF THEuNKNowN prompts all restiessheroes to stnke out on a new
path in search of a fabulous treasureor shining dream,
or for the sheer joy of discovery and adventure.
Three intrepid explorersstand out in
Classicalmphology: Jason, Aeneasand Odysseus.
Jason set sail with his fearlesscrew of Argonauts
in search of the Golden Fleece;while Aeneas'
seven-year voyage after the fall of Tioy led him
to the site of future Rome. Most famous and
appealing, perhaps, was th'e fabled Odyssey of
the shipwrecked wanderer, Odysseus. Tossed
from shore to shore by the angry sea god,
Poseidon, he found his way home after ten years'
wandertng through fabulous lands. The lure of the
AENF,AS'Qbove)s*en yearvoyagtalter tfu lull ofTroYwas
underworld, or a f.orayinto a monster's den, attracts lestibed rn Virgrl'seprrtale,thc AenertJ,rn port a Roman
OdysseyAlttr fleeingwth hs father dnLlsonlrttnt buming Tnty'
many heroes,too, such as Theseuswho went into the At ncasanl his contraclcs awuyIrywayLtJThrar and
sarled
Labyrinth to slay the Minotaur, and found his way I)elos to (.rttt and onwurdsto .Sirily ancJCunhttgt, be.lore
Ltlrum n ltalywherehe bttamc theuntestrulherool
reachLng
out again. Aeneas and Odysseusboth joumeyed to theRomanr Hert, Atnt'us,amvtngon Deios,is hlndlywelcomrd
/ r yK i n g A n i a s( A r N r irAN\l ) tL ( ) sM, r j o r r ^ l r \ r1r ,4 9)7
the underworld in searchof prophetic counsel.
ORPHET/SQtlt) wtnt down tnlo I lddes,tht'
untltrvorltl,Lobnngbachhrswilc, F.urydue
(--hairrrrng
thr shadcsttnLlewn Ptrstphoncwrlh his
bath ttt the
rnusrr.hr' uas allowccito taht F,urydice
uppr:rworld as long as he did not knh bach untrl dear
of Haclts /ust as thty wtre about b stepoul mto tht
h g h t ,t ) r 1 / r e utsu n t c Jr o u n do n i yt o s c eE u r y c lrr ts l l p
bachml<ttht worlclol shades lortttr Here, Owheus
bils /arcwcii to Euryclrce,whib Htmes (IeJt),waits to
lcacJ[urrJiic buh LhroughLhcworld oJ shudts
(lilR\1t\ l:r [\T)t(r lNri()Rfr]rL5,lt1Rrrl, ( 4208( )
50
CLASSICAL MYTHoLoGY
i n q u i s i r r v r , O d y s s c u sw a n d c r c r Jr n l o a ( - y r l o p s J c n
w h e r t h e a n t l h r s r o m r a d c s h c r a n r t l r u p p c r /h t i r c
s L p p e c io u t , / r c l c l c nr n J c r s h c c p r ' b c / l i r s I l t r c
4 c w i l h c r s h a r y c n c c s/ t a h r ' l r r l l r \ i i \ ( L l
#
ffi
i,
P e n t l o p t t l t r t \ r R r r r , \ r a l , \ r\ r ( ) ! r r\ | F ( , ! I l \ r l r rI l a 8j
5I
ClnsstcAr- MyrHoLocy
HERO(below) Ioohs
JorherLeander,who THE HESPERIDES (nght)guardedthe
usually
swamto heracross theHellespont golden
apples in thegarden
oJthegodsThe
guidedbya lightin hertwer Butherlight serpentreallsthemythoj thedragon ltdon
blewout in a stormandlttinderwas whoguarded theapples untilhewasslain
drowned |Jm, lxt wArcH oF HERoByLoRD by Heracles (TH[ cARl)r,Nor rHr: HrspLRlDEs
By
53
CressrcAL MYTHoLocY
IPHtCgNfR was rhe eldest in the city wrth only one of his
Qaughterof l(ngAGAMEMNON and sandals The hero had lost it while
Queen CLYTEMNESTRA of Mycenae carrynngwhat seemedto be an old
When Agamemnon and the Greek lady acrossa smft stream,it was in
fleet were about to sail for Troy, lact the goddess HERAin disguise
contrary winds caused by ARTEMIS Unable to harm the unwelcome
kept the ships at Aulis The god- guest becausehe had arrivedat the
dessof the forestand wild animals time of a religious festival,Pelias
had been offended, either by decidedto rid himselfof the threat
Agamemnon himself or by an he represented by sendrngJasonon
action committed by his father an impossible quest He offered to
ATREUS ln any event, Artemis name Jason as his successorpro-
demanded that Iphigenia should IPHIGENIA, theyoung daughteroJ JASON, the son o[ Aeson and uded he should bring home from
be sacnficed To bnng the sacrificial Agamemnonand Clytemnestra,wasolt'ered Phili'ra, was a Greek hero and Colchis the Golden FIeecebelong-
victim all the way from Mycenae to as o "sacnJiciallamb" to appeaseArtemts voyager,bom in Iolcus, a town in ing ro a wonderful ram which had
the port of Aulis in Boeotia,wrth- who wasangry wrth Agamemnon Here, Thessalian Magnesra However, flown there from lolcus
out his wife Clytemnestra'sbecom- while the hrghpriest Calchasraiseshis difficulties arosewhen Aeson, ruler Jason gathered together his
ing suspicious,Agamemnonpre- arms in prayer,Agamemnon(nght) bows of Iolcus, was deposedby his half- companions,who becameknown
tended that lphigenra was to be his headsorowJuliy {tur,srmrrcrrn,," brother Pelias Either because as the ARGONAUTS, and crosseda
married there to the Greek hero 5 r ( ) r i L r , sr R ( ) M H ( ) M F R 1 8 8 5 ) PhilyradisrrustedPelias'intentions seaof mawels, overcamedifficult
and champron ACHILLES After she towardsJason,or simply becauseit task, defeateda guardianserpent
discovered his true intention, Becausehe was polluted by this would berter for the boy if he were and retumed vvith the magrcfleece
Clytemnestra never forgave her unprecedentedact, the Thessalian educated elsewhere,she placed Part of his successwas due to the
husband, and years later on his king could not properly rule his him in the care of the weseCentaur aid of the Colchian princess and
retum from the Trqan War helped land Perhapsa secret passion for CHiRoN,who hved in the Thessa- mtch, vrtre, whomJasonmade
her loverAegrsthusto murder him Dia prompred zEUs himself to lian woodlands Chiron was skilled his wrfe wrrh the assistanceof the
devrsespecial rites of punfication in many things, including medi- goddessATHENA On retuming to
IXION was a Thessalianking of for lxion At first lxion was grateful cine, and may have given the boy lolcus, the Argonauts found that
Lanssaand supposedly the son of to the god, but it was not long the nameJason ("healer") Peliashad assumedthat they had
Phlegyas, though some say his beforehe took an interestin HERA, The Delnhic Oracle wamed died in a shiprweck and murdered
father was ARES,god of war ln Zeus' wife lt was thereforeIxron's Peliasthat he would be rumed off Jason's father Aeson Two versions
order to avoid payrng a bride-price turn to be trapped, when Zeus the throne of lolcus by a man wear- of the myth exist from this point
to Eioneus for his beautiful daugh- made an exactcopy of Hera from a ing only one sandal So rhe usurp- onwards In one of them Peliasis
rer Dia, lxion prepareda trap for his cloud and enticed the unwary hng ing king was amazed and fnght- destroyed by means of Medea's
unsuspecting[ather-in-law- a pit to rapeit The punishmentfor such ened when a matureJasonarrived magic. In another the Argonaum,
filled wrth fire Eioneus fell into it sacrilegious cnme was to spend seeingthat Peliaswrll not honour
on a visrr ro Lanssaand died, and eremiry in Tartarus. the pnson JANUS,a dual-Jaced,god,prestdal
over his promise to Jason, sail off to
lxion thus became the first man to beneath the underworld in hJeHisimage
allthatisdouble-edged Connth after failing to capture
shed the blood of a krnsman wasJoundon cirygates,whichloohboth Iolcus Jason seemsto have accep-
JANUS was a very old ltalian god mwards andourwards,andhewasinvohed red exile in Connth with Medea,
IXION,chained to a rollingwheel, exprates whom the Romansassociatedwith at thestartoJeachnewdayandyearwhen where for some ten yearsthey lived
hissinsin Tartarus, a hellheneath Hades beginnings ln Rome, his double- people loohbothbackwards andJomards happily together and had three
Alongside him,Jellowpisoners Sisyphus gated temple in the Forum was in time (ItLustutto N FRoMDRSMITHs Ct^sslGl sons. Then rhe hero was offered the
snd Tontalus endurethetrownordeols - always kept open in time o[ war DrcroNARY1895) hand of a princessnamed Glauce.
Sisyphus condemed to endless toiland and closed in time of peace.The When he desertedMedeafor her,
Tantalus to endless thirsl (tlu,srhr(rN fR(,M month of January - a time for Jason brought down on his own
DR SMrrHs CKslqL DrcTroNARy, .1895) people to look backwards and for- head the full fury and magical
wards - was sacredtoJanus There powers of the Colchian princess
are few myrhs conceming him, For Medea not only killed Glauce
although his exrra eyesdid on one but she also destroyed her sons by
occasion enable him to catch the Jason. Alone and depressed,the
nymph Carna, who liked to tease hero lingered at Corinth until one
her lovers with sexual advances day, as he sat in the shade of the
before suddenly running away Argo, hrs old ship, a piece of rotten
Their son became a king of the dmber fell and crushed his skull.
important ciry of Alba Longa (Seealso HERoES;voYAGERS)
54
ClnssrcAL MYTHoLoGY
t r o n q u l l , m d J e s t i c , r l r ( l L N o\ \ ' f r D r 4 r )N! l
\ 1 A R 8 ]cE 2 0 CB a )
55
ClessrcAr MyrHoLocY
56
CInSSICAL MYTHOLOGY
Centaurs, part human and part animal, ffthnn gamcsto rcmmemorate his
tictory and wasaJtmuardsnamed
represent man's unruly, instinctive nature. Apollo PhysiusThe monster'sdeJeat
wascelebratedevay ninelears at the
Although less awesome than demons, they
JestivaloJSteptenaat Delphi and
still harassedand haunted humans. invofuedan enactmottoJthe whole
event lLLUsrMrpN By CLENN STryAD, 1995 )
ARES,was more widelyworshipped rejuvenate an old ram by boiling he already had a son in the hero
than any of the other Roman gods, him rn a magic pot whereupon he rHEsEUs.Through her wily skills,
probably because his sons REMUS tumed into a lamb. She also dis- Medea prevailed upon Aegeus to
ANDROMULIJSwere said to have posed ofJason'senemy, King Pehas reject Theseuswhen he came co
founded the ciry of lolcus, by persuadinghis daugh- Athens to claim his inheritance,
ters to give him a similar course of and she may also have persuaded
Menfn was rhe daughrer of beauty treatment, but which hlled him to send Theseusto subdue the
Aietes, king of Colchis, a country him As a result, Jason and Medea bull of Marathon. When Theseus
adjoining the Black Sea, and the were banished to Corinth succeededin this dangeroustask
LUCRETIA,aJterhosuxide,retumed. to first wrfe o[ the voyager JAsoN The relarions betweenJason and and at last Aegeusrecognizedhim
hauntSexnsTarquinius, "Jalse
Sextus", Medea means"the cunning one" - Medea went badly wrong Jason as his own successor,Medea fled
thehigh-handed Etruscanwhohadrapeda suitable name for a princess put his firsr wife aside in order to with Medus to Colchis, where they
her,incensing thewholeoJPameShe skilled in the magic ans ln fact, to marry Glauce, a Theban pnncess avenged the recent overthrow and
aryeasasa pale,shrouded phantomwhorhe Greek she hovered somewhere Medea, feelingvery insulted, took death of Aietes Medus became a
singsasshespinsthrough thewatches
oJ between witch and goddess. a terribie revengeonJason Glauce ruler of Colchis, but nothing elseis
the night (llrusrmfloN
FRoMLAys
oFANclENr Medea fell in love with the was bumed alive in a poisoned known of Medea
Thessalian heroJason as soon as he wedding dress, and Medea saw to
LUCRgffA was rhe wife of landed in Colchis with the ARGO- it that her own children byJason MTNEUUS, kingof Sparta,was
Tarquinius Collatinus and repre- NAI/TS,and she used magic to help were also hlled She then escaped rhe younger son ofATREUS. It was
sented the ideal of Roman woman- him gain the Golden Fleece, the to Athens in a magrc chariot, which to recover Menelaus' wrfe HELEN
hood. When Sextus, youngest son objecr of rheir expedirion On the was said to belong to her grand- that his older brotherAGAMEMNON,
of the Etruscan king TARQUINIUS hasty voyage back, when the father Hruos, the sun god king of Mycenae, led the Greek
SUPERBUS,raped her at dagger Colchian fleet gavepursuit, Medea In Athens, Medea married its expedition againstTroy. ln spite of
point around 507 Bc,she made her sacnficed her brother to slow the krng, AEGEUS, and bore him a son being wamed, Menelausnot only
father and her husband promise to pursuers. On their retum to lolcus, named Medus. At this timeAegeus enrenained PAruS,the eldest son of
avenge her honour before she Jason's birthplace, she managed to believed he was childless,although King PRIAMof Troy, but he also
stabbed herself to death. According
to Roman legend, Lucretia's fun-
eral roused the people and their
anger was channelled by rhe inspir-
ing eloquence of Lucius Junius
BRUTUSinto a desire for the over-
throw of the monarchy.
MAFS,godoJwar,forceshrmself ongentle
Paxand Abundonti,spintsoJpeaceand
plenty,whileMinemashifullysteers
him
away Thealleguydramat4esanage-old
henlyJdt in thewaringRoman
conJlict,
heart (MrNERv^DRrvrNG
MAs BrJ^coR) RoB{,sfl
60
CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
MEDEA, a ruthlesssorceress, by the intervention of the love god- prosperity. He was apparently Dionysus told him how to wash
JleesJrom
Co\chiswith lason and the Colden Fleece dessAPHRODITEShewas rndebted imported from Greece around the away his golden touch, which
, with herIather,
acrossthe seasto Greece to Parisfor.;udgrngher more beau- fifth century BC Mercuryis usually Midas did in the fuver Pactolus,
Aietes,in pursuit To slowhim down, she tiful than the goddessesHER,+and depicted in the same way as his thereafter famous for the goid dust
cut up her brotho and cast thc parts into ATHENA;in gatitude shehad grven Greek counterpart HERMES, with a ro be lound on im bed
to pichup thepieces
thesea,JorcingAietes him the love of Helen, the most wrnged hat and staff Another my'th told about Midas
beautiful woman alive concerns a musical competition
Jor a piousbunal (lxr 6<rorr FLLTcE
ByH ./
DMPER, cANvAs, (: 1880) After the fall of Troy, Menelaus MIO.CS was sard to be the son of berween rhe gods APoLLoand PAN,
could not bnng hrmself to kill Gordius and Cybele, or to have the divrne inventors of the lge and
went off to Crete and left Helen Helen because of her ourctanding been adopted by Gordius. He was pipes respectively When the prize
alone at Spanawlth the handsome beauty Once again the goddess the kmg of Phrygia and renowned was awarded to Apollo, Midas in-
visiror. Pansand Helen eloped, tak- Aphrodite cast her spell and they for his wealth According to the caudously expressedhis surprise at
ingmany of the reasures forwhich were reconciled and rerumed ro Greeks, his fabulous riches were the outcome and received from
Menelauswas famous Sparta,where rhey lived happily for the result of a hndness he showed Apollo a set of ass's ears for his
During the ten-year strugSle many years When Menelausdied ro 5ILENU5,rhe old goar-like tutor foolish presumption
against Troy, Menelaus played a he went to hve ln the ElysianFields of otoMsus, rhe god of vegetation,
secondaryrole to Agamemnon and wrrh his immortal Helen wlne and ecstasy So pleasedwas MIDAS. rheJabled htngof Phryga.was
the other Greek lcngs, ahhough he Dionysus wrth this behaviour that ich, yetchose,
Jabulously whengranted a
was no coward In single combat MeRCURY*as rhe Romanmes- he offered Midas whatever he wishbythegods,to become ncherstill,by
wlth Pans, Menelaus tried to settle sengergod, and was alsothe deiry wished The king asked for every- ashingJoreverythinghetouched to tum to
rhe dispure berween the Greeks who watched over trade and com- rhing he touched to be tumed into gold Hiswishwasganted,but joyquichly
and the Trojans He won and was merce, as his name suggesm He gold At first Midas was overjoyed tumedto gneJwhenhecouldneither eat
only preventedfrom killing hs nval was associated wrth peace and wrth the gift, but once he realized nor dinh (llrrlsrMfloN ByNrcx B^LE, l9g5)
MENEI-AUSAeJ)wasusuallya gentle,
even-tenpered man,buthereheftghts
overtheJaIIen
firercely bodyoJPatroclus
wholiesnahed, JorApoIIohadstrucholJhis
helmeqsplinteredhis ashspeorondbrohet
htscorselet,
shppinghLm baresothathe
wouldbemsilyhilledbyHectorolrusrurft)N
FR()M SroRrfs r R()M HOMER, 1885 )
6l
CIeSSICAL MYTHoLoGY
62
CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
FORCES
NOTUS SCC OFNATURE
NNTNOS SCCFORCESOFNATURE
63
ClesstcAL MyrHoLoGy
ODYSSEUS ahghtsontheislandoJAeau
wherehe iswamedby Hermes oJthe
honorsoJCirce'senchantingwine,
which
tumsmenintoswineThisJatehasalready
beJallen
onecomradeandsoO$tsseus must
heephu guard(clRcE
wrHrHEcoMMDr oF
ODssEUsByA[ssANDRo
A[oe,rtrsco,
1580
)
64
CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
beuer of them and they opened the filled his men's earswith wax and
sack and the winds no ionger blew had himself bound urth strong
in a helpful direction cords to the mast Odysseusthen
A tragedy overcame the passedrhrough the strairsberween
squadron of ships that Odysseus Sicily and ltaly, where six of his
led among the Laestrygones,a race crew were seizedby the six-headed
of giant cannibals Only his own monster Scylla On the island of
ship survrved the attack and Thrinacia, as Tiresias had foretold,
reached Aeaea, the island of the the voyagers were tempted by
enchantressCIRCE, laier considered hunger ro slay some o[ Helios'
to be situated off ltaly Odysseus catrle Despite his warning, the
resistedher spells,wrth the aid of desperaremen killed and cooked
the messengergod nrRvls, and severalcows when Odysseuswas
made the enchantressrestore to asleep.Later they desertedhim,
human shape his men who had but were drowned in a storm sent
been tumed to swine Afterwards, by zEUsat Helios' request
on Circe's advice,he sailedto the Alone, Odysseus was almost
ClessrcAL MyrHoLocy
66
CINSSICAL MyTHoLoGY
rymbolized not only sunlight- Jor titons (part men, part fsh) t'nsharoundhis chaiot
ongnally Helios (the sun) blowngtheir conches,which thq used to raise or
radiateddaylightand wasonly calm the wdves (PosErDoN
ANDHrsCHARIoT
ByMtR^BEuo
Iater identifed with Apollo - but c 1197
Cavaroru, )
alsothebngnt,I{e-g:ing pure,
healinglight oJ divtnity Apollo's ZEUS QeJt),the chiefdary, gwemed thewinds and
light underlieshis other rolesas clouds,rain, thunder andlightning By strilcinghis
god oJhealing,god oJprophecy oeglshecausedstormsand tempests
to rage,but
and god of the arts He withdrew equally,he could calm the elemantsand brighten the
in winter to sunny Lycius and slE k theJatherof thehours,hegwemed the
returnedin spingto dispel changingseasonsAn awesomebutbenigngod,he is
winter Here,he dnves the sun- seenhereresplendantin frry light, beannghis aeg1s,
chaiot on its courseacrossthe rymbol oJhissamagn pruer ovu allJorcesof
heavens (IrLusrn
crroNrnovSronrEs natureand all other go& guprrER
^NDSEMELE
By
nnouLrw 1885) Gusttvt MOREAU, c^NvAs, perxt- 1896 )
FLOM (nght),blooming
Romangoddess
of spnng,
was honouredeveryyear at
the time oJthe Floralia, a
theaticalfestivalwhenthe
peopledechedthemselves
in
Jestivak (THeTruuupH
or
FLORA By Nrcol s PoussfN,
cANVAs, c 1627 )
PANDORA(below)," all-g1fs",wasthe
firstwomantaappearonearth,createdby
thegodstoworhmischieJJor men word "panic" derives from this order t6.'upset PROMETHEUS, the PARIS (abwe), the judgeoJa diinebeauty
Inepressibly cuious,shecouWnotresist aspect of his diviniry His worship Greekgod of fire and friend of men. contest,choseAphroditeas thewinnq
opainga sealed jar, containingthe
horors spread from Arcadia to Athens When she went to live zrmongmen, becausesheoflredhim the woril'sJairest
andsichness,
of life: stnJe sorrov,t
andgneJ. immediately after the Athenian and she was given a grft from the gods woman Behind her, wse Athena had
(luusrncttou sv NrcxBEA!f. 1945) Plataeanvictory over the Persiansat which was a sealed jar that con- promtsed hirn Jame, whib quenly Hua
Marathon in '180 BC, because he tained all the misfortunes of exis- had offeredhim pwr. (TueJuoceueur
or
made the Persiansflee in panic. He tence. But soon Pandora's great PARrs BYJE{N REGN ULT, C/.I,wAS, 1820 )
70
CInSSICAL MYTHoLoGY
at baybyrefusrng
suitors to matryunttlshe tranquil an and death-lthebeau4toJthe
r , n o vH o u t , n . . 1 8 8 5 ) Jorurs, caNves,188/)
72
ClnssrcAL MvrHoLocY
bore no offspringand death sulked First he visited the Grarae.three oldsaved the beauriful erupRoMEDA her his second wife He seems to
mankind. In rhe end, Zeus was hags who shared a single eye from a seamonster, he married her, have abandonedher sisterARIADNE
obliged to intervene and ruled that Perseusseized the eye and obliged but severalpeople had to be tumed not long after she helped him kill
Persephone should spend rime the Graiae to tell him about the to stone before he and his bride the MINOTAUR,the bull-headed
each year with both her husband nature of the Gorgons, their three retumed safely to Danae Having creature kept in the Labynnth at
and her mother. Persephonecould dreadful sisters. retumed his magrcalequipmenr ro Knossos Like her mother Pasiphae,
never return entirely to the living Most important of all, they HERMES, the messenger god, who gave birth to the Minotaur,
world because she had eaten in informed him how a direcr glance Perseusvisited Argos only to find Phaedrawas soon overcomeby an
Hades' realm: avery old idea that from Medusa's eyes would turn that Acrisius had already fled to illicit desire.It was not for an ani-
snicdy divided the food of the dead him to stone. He also received l-arissaon hearing of his grandson's mal this time, but for her srepson,
from that of the living three useful gifts from some friend- arrival The prophecy was lulfilled, Hippolytus, the son of Theseus'
The story of Persephone's ly nymphs: a cap of invisibility, nevertheless, when Perseus was earliermarriageto the queen of the
abduction, disappearance and winged shoes and a bag for invited to compete in the gamesar AMAZ.ONS, Hippolyta. When she
retum parallels the fertiliry myths Medusa's head Ready for the Lanssaand his discus hit rhe old saw how Hippolytus was homfied
of West Asia. She may well have exploit at last, Perseusput on the man on the head by her passion for him, Phaedra
been a pre-Greek goddess,a deity shoes and flew to the Gorgon's Becauseof the accident the hero hanged herself and left a message
worshipped by earlier setrlers of cavein the far west. Careful not to chose to be king of Tiryns rather to Theseussaying that his son had
the counuywho was later incorpor- look at Medusa directly, he than Argos On hearing of their ried to rape her. Theseusexiled his
ated into Greek religion. Her asso- approached by watching her reflec- deathsAthena placed both Perseus son. who was later killed in a char-
ciation with the dead may have a tion in his shield Having cut off and Andromeda in the sky as con- iot accident In another version,
similar origrn. The Athenians, who Medusa'shead and stowedit in his srellations (Seealso HERoEs) Theseuscursed his son and asked
were originally a non-Greek speak- bag, Perseusflew awayunseen by POSEIDON to destroy Hippolytus,
ing people, referred to the dead as her rwo sisters. PHAEORA was the daughter of which he did by sending a sea-
"Demeter'speople" The chilling powers of rhe head Kirg MINOSand Queen PASIPHAE monster Phaedra, filled with
were used to good purpose by of Crete According to the Greeks, sorrow. then killed herself
PfnSnUS was the son of.zrus Perseuson his way home Having the Arhenian hero THEsEUS made
and oaruer, daughrer of Acrisius, PUegfUON was the son of rhe
king of Argos Danaehad been shur sun god HELIoS and Clymene,
up in a bronze tower in order to daughrer of ocnnlsos He drove his
thwart a prophecy that if she had a father's four-horse chariot so fast
son he would kill Acrisius. Bur that he lost control and threatened
Zeus visited her as a golden show- the world with a terrible heat ZEIJS
er and Perseuswas bom A tenifred stopped him with a thunderbolt,
Acrisius placed mother and son in which sent Phaerhon crashing to
a wooden chest and cast it on the the eanh The great god may have
sea.The protection of.Zeus,how- also flooded the earth in an attempt
ever, was enough to bring them to reduce rhe temperature Ir was
safelyto the shoresof the island of believed rhat Phaethon's mad
Seriphos, where Perseusgrew up exploit could be rraced in the
among fishermen shape of the Milky Way, while he
On reaching manhood Perseus was reflectedin the constelladonof
was sent by the local ruier, Auriga, the charioteer
Polydectes,to fetch the head of the
GORGON Medusa,avery dangerous THe PI-HADES were the seven
task. Luckily for the hero the god- daughrersof the Tiun ATl,As,and
dess ATHENAhated Medusa and were named Maia, Elecra, Taygete,
insrructed him how ro proceed Celeno, Merope, Asterope and
Alcyone They may have become
PHAEDRA,seenherewithhersister stars,or doves, in order to escape
Aiadneandhusband Theseus.wasthe from rhe passionateintentions of
unfortunate
daughter of KingMinos and Orion, the giant hunter Their
Queen Pasiphaeof CreteShe Jellin love appearancein the nighr s\y in May
Uthherstepson Hippolytus which coincides with rhe beginning of
oatually prarcdtobeherdownJall summer, and the constellation of
Cfnrsrus wtrH ARTADNE AND PHAEDM By BENEDETTO Orion then appears to be in
Gr,vluenr rHE youNGER, cet'tves, 1702 ) perpetualpursuir of them
73
CIASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
74
CL,qssrc.{L MrrHOroGY
P S Y C H E r \ . . 1 -. s ob e a t t t r l u l t l r r t r A p / t i r r r l i t t
l r i ' t r : . l t t t/ ,d c t l o u -rst t t r l s c t t f h d s , , r r I r r , . s t t ,
i r r . s p r r tP s t c h e r r r r h r t | c r s s r 0 r r/ ( ) r r l l r r { t h
r i r r l r h L r t l t e u a s s o e r r t r ? n c c r lr r h t ' r r h , s r n r
l r er t h a t h e d r o p p e r l a n u n o l \ ( ) n h r s / ( ) ( ) t ,
sl:1ln
l ( l
f-|[fqt lHl\l,t \
(See alsoFORCE.S
OF\A f L.R!)
75
CIeSSICAL MYTHOLOGY
GIANTS
IANTS SYMBOLIZE IMMENSE PR1MAL
forces, neither good nor bad, but
Iarger than life. While Greek
grants could be "g.ntle"
guardians, such as TaloS,the gigantic
bro nze man who defended the island of
Crete, others, such as Geryon, were
predators, preying on unwary travellers.
Equally, the Cyclopes were orginally creative
beings, making armour and omaments in the
forge of Hephaistos, and building the
rnassive city walls of Tiryns . Later on they
were also portrayed as moody, rebellious
shepherds who igtored divine laws and
preyed on monals. The gods themselves are
g i g a n r i c , e s p e c ia I I y t h e o l d e r g o d s ,
reflecting their primal nalure, such as
the Titans, and the Giants, who were
beings with mighry torsos and snake-like
legs. The Titans overthrew their father
Ouranos, replacing him with Cronos, who
was in his turn dethroned by his son
Zeus. Such a cosmic struggle between
older primal gods and a younger
generation is a common feature in
world mythology.
THE CYCLOPES
Jabulousraceof
AeJt),
one-qed glants,were
initrally regardedas
creativecraJtsmen
who
helpedHephaistosin his
volcantct'orge,crat'ttng
specialarrnour, suchas
Hades' rnvrstblehelmer
Zeus'thunderbolt
and
Poseidon's
tndent Yet
thq were alsoportrayed
aslawless,
man-eattng
shepherdsOne such,
Polyphemus,
herelooms
over Odysseusandhts
comradeswho have
rashlystrayed tnto his
den QtrusrurtoN FRIM
ORION (abwe lef), who wasoneof Posadon'sunruly sons,w4s a glganticand handsomehunter, who couldwalh CACUS (above),sonoJ Hepharstos,
and a goat-hheg1ant,prryedon
through the oceanswithhis feet on the seabedand hrsheadabwe the waves Lrhehtsglant brother, the one-eyed human berngswho strayedLtyhtscavenear Rome Cucusstole
Polyphemus,Oion wasblindedin a quarrel,but his Ees werehealedby the radianceof the sungod Hehos There Geryon'sredcattleJrom Heracleswhrlehe slept,and hid them in his
are many diffenngstonesconcerninghis
death,but accordingtoone myth,thelwe that Eos,the goddess oJ the cave Howater,thecattlebeganto bellowand Heraclescameand
dawn,felt for Oion was suchthat it causeddivine lealouryuntil Artemtswaspersuadedto shoothim with an slayedCacus,retnevrngthe cattle that he had onglnally stolent'rom
arrov/ on behalfoJthe gods He wasthen raisedto the starstoJorm a constellation(IttusrwrrctN
0yNrcKBEALE,
tg95) Geryon (Hr,naclt-s SLcys r r-1, GL,rr r C,rcus av GLluaerrtstt leNcErrt, c 1670 )
CInSSICAL MYTHOLOGY
ditions tell how the couple had a wolf. The nvins Qef) march tnumphantly
PYTHON AND
SCC MON5TER5 carnesthewildhead of Camers,a piest
BEASTS
FABULOUS thehingto drwn the wins
who counselled
(li-rusrnerrorus FROM [AYs oF ANCIENT ROME, 188] )
were
Rruus AND ROtr,tut-uS
rhe rwrn sons of nnr,,4SILVIAand RHEA SILYIA (below),a vestalvirgn,
Rome Rhea Silvia had been the Romulusand Remus For violating the laws
only child of King Numitor of Alba oJher holy order, shewasthrown into the
Longa When Numitor's brother Ttber, but the god oJ the nver, Tibernus,
78
ClessrcAL MyrHoLoGY
79
C lessr (.Ar My I H or-oc,\'
scnu see\.10\-\
rER,s
Ar\r) SIBl'I- tht' gftttl.st'o /orctold rhr (ie.stur\
FAI]t/l ()Lr5BEA-S
l -5 r r f R r r r i r t t t sp r e d r r t t ' r 1i n t h t - S i h - l l r n eB o o h s
r y h r rh h t t u m e a t , r t u l s ( ) r 1 1e o / r e l i g r o u s
explarns hou, shc became rmmortal .(rrrir nttfr/ frrrn'r'r tir f ri.\h rt nrarhlt' hlor h
b r - r ts t i l l s r e w o l d
c)
She refused tfrc np tt hrll oniy to .set it rrri/ down agtnn
favour.s of ,qpttl i rt, rhe gocl ol /l I i \ lli \ ll, 'r nt \tr A Ill.1l / l')')i
were offered fbr saic ro Rome dur- the deal before all the rrreplaceable
rng the rule of thr Erruscan krngs oracles were totalll' destroved
80
CInSSICAL MyTHOLOGY
fore sent Thanatos,god of death, to top of a hill only to seeit roll back correct answer was Man, because
take Sisyphus to the underworld again as it reached the crest he walks on four as a baby and
Somehow the ingenious hng tem- Ieans on a stick in old age When
porarily made Thanaros his own THE SPHINX, according ro OEDIPUS gave the correct answer,
prisoner. When the gods again Greek mythologlr, was the daugh- the Sphinx hurled herself over a
claimed him, Sisyphus tricked ter of Echidna, either by rrrHoru or cliff and died As a reward for
HADESinto letting him retum to by Onhus. A monsterwrth the face destroying rhe monster, he was
earth. Having told his wife to do and breasts of a woman, the body made king of Thebes and mamed
8l
ClessrcAL MvrHoLocY
TAnqurNtus Supennus THESEUS was the son either of retrieved the sword and sandals TARQUINfUS SUPERBUS,a crueland
was rhe sevenrhand last Etruscan POSEIDONor AEGEIISthe king of On his joumey to Athens he slew ryrannicalhing sireda no lesscrueland
king of Rome, who reigned in the Athens His mother was Aethra several desperatebandits, a f.ear- ignoble son, Tarquinius Sextus,who raped
sixrh century ec His youngestson, The childlessAegeusconsulted the some son of HEPHAtsros,and a the Roman matron, Lucretia She,in
Tarquinius Sextus,causedthe end Delphic Oracle and was told not to dreadful sow, the daughter of the shame,hilled herselJ.Theoutrageprw ohed
of rhe monarchy by raping the untie his wine skin undl he monster ITPHONAt Eleusis.then an uprisingand Tarquiniuswas
Roman matron LUCRETIA, which retumed home He did not under- a kingdom separatefrom Arhens, werthrown (TnrRape
oFLucRErA
ByPALIrL
caused BRUrus to lead a rebellion stand what the oraclemeant and so Theseuswas forced to acceprthe
Tarquinius was defeated and the visited his friend Ki.g Pittheus of challenge of a wrestling match with
Roman republic was established Troezen Realizingthat Aegeuswas its king, Cercyon The aggressive the king recognizedhis sword as
going to beget a powerful son ruler died as a result of rhe conresr, the hero carved the meat. The plot
TARQUINIUSSE)ffUS, asheJIedthe immediately after the celebration so Theseusbecameking of Eleusis, was revealed, Medea fled from
battleJield
oJLaheRegrllus,wasstruch feast for his saferetum to Athens, which he later added to the Athens with her son, and Aegeus
from behindHisingloiousdeathwas Pittheusmade his guestdrunk and Athenian kingdom named Theseusashis successor
recountedrn Macaulay'slcys:"Andin the put him to bed with his daughter On his amval in Athens. The next cycle of Theseus'
bach felt theRoman
JalseSextus / And
steel Aethra, and so Theseuswas con- Theseus leamed that his father explois was designed to securethe
wng;lingin thedusthedied,lihe a worm ceived Beflorehe left for home, Aegeuswas hardly able to hold on saferyof Athens First, he deahwith
beneath the wheel " (lur'.srncl,r," rno,u L.rysor, Aegeustook the pregnantAethra to to the throne Not only was the Pallas' sons. Then he killed a wild
ANL[,NTR()Mr:.l88i ) a great boulder undemeath which apparently heirless hng challenged bull that was ravagingMarathon, [o
he placed his sword and sandals by the fifry sons of his half-brother the north-east of the city. He also
He told her that, should she have a Pallas,but, worse sdll, Aegeushad overcame the MINOTAUR,the
son, she must wait until he was fallenunder the spell of unDEA,the srrange offspring of p,qstpHnE, the
strong enough to raise the boulder former wife of;asoN and a power- wife of Kirg MINos of Crete. An
before she senr him ro his farher's ful witch She hoped that her own annual ribute of youngAthenians
court After Aegeus'departurethe son Medus would succeedAegeus was fed to the Minotaur, which
wily Pitrheus said his daughrer's Although Theseus hid his rrue lived in the Labyrinth rhat had
lover was really Poseidon identity, Medea knew who he was been designed by oAEDALUS. No
When Theseus came of age, and persuaded Aegeus to let her one had ever managed to find their
Aethra explained that he was heir poison the mighty stranger at a way through this maze, so when
to the Arhenian rhrone and he banquet Theseuswas savedwhen Theseus volunteered to confront
ClessrcAL MyrHoLoGy
THESEUS'uploitsareillustrated onan
inticateRomanmosaicAt thecentreof
thelabynnthTheseus withthe
battles
MinotaurOntheleJt,Theseus and
Anadne pledgetharlweat thealtar,
whileat thetop,TheseussetsAiadne
ashore,desmingtheunfortunate matden
on Dia,on thenght trHrE)clorrs
oFTHEsEUs,
MosArcc AD200)
83
FOIJNDERS
HEANCIENTsBELIEVED that many of their fabulous cities
were founded by the pioneering heroes and heroines
of legend,such as Cadmus of Thebesand Dido of I
Carth age. In Classical mythology, the heroic ethic \
combined with the Greek ideal of polis, or city-state, to
cre ate a varLety of dynamic founders who built such
celebrated cities as Athens, Mycenae, Sparta and Thebes.
The Greek polis was an autonomous, ind.penden[ / a
community of citizens, slaves and foreigners who gathered
within and around a fortified ciry. Each ciry honoured its own
hero who was also often its legend ary founder, such as Perseusof Cncnops (above),one oJthe
mythicJoundersoJ Athens,and the
Mycenae and Lacedaemon of Sparta. Mythic founders were first hing of Attica, is depicted with
innovative, godlike heroes, guided by destiny and deiry to createa d serpent'stail, recallinghis oigln
as an aboiglne of Attica He
fresh, vibrant culture. Apart from leading a ribe to a bright new dividedthe nativesinto twelve
communitiesandJoundedthe
land, and buildirg a strong citadel, founders often developed Acropolis,the strongholdoJAthenl
helpful new ways and customs: Cecrops of Athens, for instance, whichwas alsonamed Cecropia
aftu him An innovator, Cecrops
encouraged religious worship, while Cadmus of Thebes introduced abolishedbloodsocifce, encour-
agedtheworshipof Zzus and
an alphabet of L6 Phoenician letters. A city or ribe sometimes Athenaand introducedbasiclaws
honoured irc founder hero by sharing his name, such as llium, of property, politicsond mariage
(l[usrnenoru FROM DrcfloNARY oF
named after llus, the Ttojans after Tios, and Rome after Romulus. CrASslcAL ANTrqunrs, i89l )
the Joot of Mount Ida Founded lry the mythrc hero, Ilus,
son ol Tros, the anctent ctty was named lltum and Trola
after both Jather and son The famous walls oJ Troy were
(above), Iegendary
Dtoo founder of Curthage ,supervr.ses a tedm of architects and masons on the leJt banh of the bay Dido butlt'by the gods, Poserdon and Apollo, rn the rergn of IIus'
had fled to Afnca from Tyre in Phoeniciu wherc her husband, Sychaeus. hud been murdered by her brother, \gmalion, who son, Inomedon The nextktng, Pnam, ruled danng the
coveted the throne oJ Tyre On the coast of North AJntu, the local king, Iarbus, sold Dtdo as much land as she might contain traglc Trolan War, provohedby Pans' abduction of Helen,
rn a bull's htde By artt'ully cutting the hrde into nen'ow stnps, Drdo managed to se(ure enough land to hurld a cttadel, wtfe of the Greeh chteJtatn, Menelaus At a cntical stage
named Byrsa, or "hrde" Around thts fort, the lubuktus ctry oJ Carthuge flouished from 853 nc On the nght bank, the sttll, rn the ten-year siege, the Greehs dreamt up the Trolan
crlm tomb of $,chacus nsc.s be.srdca ncw .sapling, sl,mboh2rn g the growth oJ Carthage The glrls und boys playrng on the Horse, a massNe wooden modelhrdingwrthtn tts hollow
banh represent the future power und gentrattons of Cunhage; while the nstngsun, lih.ewtse, rymbolizes the nsrng power oJ belly an army oJ Greelzs (THr,Tnol,r:i Honsr B) Nrr r r ri t r nri l
thebnghtnrwcity ( l ) r n o B r r r r D r N c ( - { R r H ' \ ( , r , B } / w f i , R N I : R l, 8r .l l5, )v v a . s TEMPERA.
A|3BArr,. c .i560)
CINSSICAL MYTHOLOGY
known that she was fated to bear a Pentheus His goldat stofJwas a gJt Jrom
86
CInSSICAL MYTHOLOGY
VnSfn was the Roman equivalenr the dethronement and exile of the
of the Greek goddessHestia,who Eruscan monarchy, the death of
was the goddess of the hearth Virginia was a major factor in the
Vesta, however, was worshipped ending of an aristocratic tyranny in
both as the guardian of the 449 sc.
domestic heanh and also as the The lust of a comrpt official,
personification of the ceremonial Appius Claudius, for Virginia lcnew
flame. Ceremonies in her honour no bounds. He even dared to claim
were conducted by the Vestal that the girl was his slave and used
Virgins, who were young girls from the law to have her handed over to
noble families who took vows of him. At the last moment her father
chastity for the thirty years subbedVirginia through the heart,
during which they served her declaring that her death was less
Vesra's chief festival, the Vestalia, painful to suffer than her dishon-
was held on TJune our. The Roman arrny rose to
support him, along with the
VtnCtNLA was the daughrer of a WRGINIA (abwe) dies in the arms oJher WTCAN (below), Roman god oJfve, poorer citizens not then bearing
Roman centurion named Virginius father who hilledher to releaseherfrom presentsVenus with gloious armsforher arrns, and checks were placed
and, as with LUCRETIA, she was a bondageto the comtpt Appius Clnudius son,Aeneas The goldar swordwas thereafter on magistrates' powers.
Roman connected with a major He then cursedthe Claudionline, who were descibed in the Aeneid as loaded wtth
constitutional change Whereas overthrown by the outragedRomans doom NENus tN rHE FoRGE oF vuLCAN BY VUICAN was the Roman smith
Lucretia's rape and suicide led to (Ir-r-usrnerroru
FRoM rnov Ltw, 1885)
SroRrFs FMNcors BoucHER, cenve,s, 1757 ) god and the equivalent of the
Greek HEPtiAIsros. He was widely
associatedwith Maia and YEsrA,
who were both goddessesof the
hearth. His smithywas believed to
be situated undemeath Mount
Aetna in Sicily. At the Vulcanalia
festival, which was held on 23
August, fish and small animals
were thrown into a fire.
88
CIASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
INTRoDL]CTIoN
ODAYPEOPLE
OF CELNC DESCENT
IN of paganism It seems that poets wenr on Irish myths nearly always include fighring,
Europe are concentrated on its reciting the sagaslong after St Parrick con- though the combat is undenaken more often
wesrem shores They live chiefly in verted the Irish and cleared the country of by heroes than by gods. The fearless warrior
Brittany, Comwall, Wales, Scotland, the Isle snakes, because these tales were seen as enter- Cuchulainn, rhe lone defender of Ulster dur-
of Man and lreland At one dme, however, the tainment. lrish folklore insisrs, however, rhar ing the invasion of forces raised by Queen
Cels were spread over a large parr of the they kept something of their magic, since rhe Medb of Connacht, is very much the ideal. He
Continenr, and in 278 BC one roving band Devil could never enter a house where rhe was chosen as the Irish champion afrer a
even penetrated as far east as Asia Minor, exploits of the heroes were being sung. beheading conresr with the watergiant Uath
where rhey gave rheir name ro Galatia. Until No other man had courage enough to receive
Bnarvrvrxwasa classic Celticheroinewho remainedcalm
the rise of Roman power, the Celts were a rhe giant's retum blow. Yet Cuchalainn, "the
anddigniJiedunderpressure A Jakelyslandered
wtfe,she
force to be reckoned with. Rome itself had wasJorcedto sufierunjustly,untilrescued Hound of Culann", enjoyed but a brief life;
b hn brother,
been sacked by rhem in 385 BC, a historical Bran the Blessed (BnaNweNryG SarRrurucneM,
cANVAs,c Ig20 ) his refusal to rerum the affecrions of Monigan,
fact not forgotten by the legronaries who gave the goddess of slaughter, sealed his fate. Nor
Julius Caesar vrcrory berween 59 and 49 sc even the intewention of his father Lugh, the
over the Celdc tribes living in Gaul, presenr- sun god, could save him
day France Although largely incorporated The apparently endless conflicr appears
into the Roman Empire, the Cels condnued less tenible when it is recalled how the Cels
to worship their own gods and goddesses believed in reincamation. Their otherworld,
right up ro the dme of the official adopdon by unlike the Greek or Roman underworld, was
rhe Romans of the Christian faith. Then their not a dismal abode of the dead. Rather ir was
rehgion and mytholory waned in importance, a paradise in which souls rested prior ro rheir
except where people remembered tales about rebinh in the world. The warrior-poer Oisin,
the Celtic gods and heroes of the past. Even son of the Fenian leader Finn MacCool, spent
in distant lreland, an island thar was never three hundred years there before reuming to
under Roman control, the influence of Ireland. Oisin was warned that he would
Christianiry was soon felt. Bur here conver- never be able to go back to the underworld if
sion did nor mean rhe wholesale desrrucdon he dismounted from amagScsreed.When rhe
of rhe Celtic heitage, for monks rook great saddle slipped and he fell to rhe ground,
care from the fifth cenrury onwards to write Oisin was immediately changed from a hand-
down the ancienr sagas some yourh into a blind, grey-haired, with-
To this remarkable effort of preservarion ered old man Only St Patrick is said to have
we owe almost our enrire knowledge of Celtic bothered to listen to his fantasdc story as it
mythology. For excepr in Wales, where a was being written down.
small group of stories was recorded, nothing The interest of St Parrick in the advenrures
else was ever commirred to writing. The Cels of Oisin and, indeed in the explois of many
always distrusted script and preferred to rely other heroes of old, is obviously a later
on speech and properly trained memories. embellishmenr, but it does indicate a degree
In lreland the poet was held in particular of tolerance not readily found elsewhere in
esteem. Possibly because there was a clear dis- Christian Europe. Yet saints in lreland could
tinction there berween druid and poet in pre- curse as well as anyone else when the occa-
Christian times. The newly-founded monas- sion demanded For instance, the trouble-
teries could therefore undertake the work of some King Suibhne Geilt was cursed by St
recording rhe ancient rexts without any fear Ronan for his violence towards the fairh. and
92
t\tR()l)t(ll()\
.J
*fu;'
ffi
td
,t
..:
r+Ih.*
*j
, , r r l l , , t l\ 1 i t : , i i r , i l t i ) r ' l ( , l l l , , t i i f l , r , . 1 i 1 , fi 1 1 1 1 1
Ilfnrltf
)t ;l(ir))(l\
i r / , r : . 1 r i i ( l l i r ] r , l , i ,r il l , ' r l , / i t , i t , 1 ' r r r r ' i 1 1 l i r , i )
i r i l i t 1 , , , , 1,ri r 1 , fr . l \ 1 r , r r l 1 , l l i r . \ 1 1 1 ; , ' , f r. i / t r , ) l i i \ i r i . l . i r l l iI
ATLANTIC
OCERN
: p t ' r l t t h c r c - : t t r l h L . l L t c r i r l h t h t ' t I l . t t - : t- .
a t r t l n g i r t l l l g h t . : I l t r t h r r l t l l L r t \ \ . t l t ' l - (l - c \ :
I p l . t r c ( c l t r t r p \ I h r r l , . , , { )c : 1 - r cir. i l l r r h e
' \ r t h L r r l i . l lIlr \ t h > ( h t t . t L ; l l l l t \ h l t . b e . ( ) l l l ( ' 1 1
9l
INTRODUCTION
9+
INTRODUCTION
B
Celrrc MyrHoLocy
Annnfn, which probably means who was unable ro ler go of rhe fell in love wirh his brother's wife, felt sorry/ for ailing Ailill and
"doer of deeds", was, in Irish horse's tail Abarta took them to E7AIN,who was actually a goddess, eventuallypromised ro sadsfyhis
mythology, a mischievous god He the otherworld, for that was rhe one of the TUATHADE DANANN desire as the only means of saving
was one of the TUATTIADEDANANN, reason for his appearanceon earth Etain had been the second wife of his life It was arranged thar rhey
who ruled lreland undl rhey were- This wonderful land was rhoughr the proud and handsome god should meet secretly in a house
overcome by the Milesians,warlike by the Celts to be the home of the MIDIR,who lived under a mound in outside Tara However,Ailill never
invaders from Spain Driyen under- gods and goddesses,and the place the middle of Ireland She had came because he fell into an
ground, Abana and his kin appear where souls briefly resred before been rebom as a human as punish- enchantedsleep
in the Irish sagasmore like heroic rebirth The rest of the Fianna. or ment for her great jealousy of
mortals rhan gods, although in the Fenians, acquired a magic ship to Midir's first wife. Fuamnach When Atut-t- MnC MAIA, according
tale of his trick on the Fenian war- give chase to Abarra's sreed.The High Kirg Eochaidh was looking to some versions of the myth, was
riors there remains a srong trace of best tracker among rhem was Finn for a bride himself, he heard reporrs the hng of Connacht and husband
his original dMniry MacCool'sassismntFoltor He suc- that described Etain as rhe fairest of the warrior-queen MEDB.He is
Abana offered himself as a ser- ceededin navrgadnga course to the maiden in Ireland So he broughr genera\ ponrayed as a ratherweak
vanr ro FINNMACCOOL, one of the otherworld for the rescue expedi- the beautiful former goddessback characterwho was entirely under
foremosr Irish heroes,and heredi- tion There Abana was compelled to his palace atTara, rhe capital the influence of Medb It was due
tary leader of the FmNNA Abarn to releasethe prisoners aswell as to There Eochaidh and Etain enjoyed ro her taundng that he agreedro go
tried ro serveFinn MacCool short- run back to Ireland himself holding a happy married life Ailill, how- to war with Ulster over the Brown
ly after the hero had succeededhis on to the horse'stail Honour being ever, gradually succumbed to a Bull of Cuailgne.Ailill finally met
father as leader of rhe band. As a sarisfied,rhe Fenians agreed ro a terrible wasring diseasebecauseof his death at the hands of coNALt,
gesture of goodwill, rricky Abarta peacewirh Abarta his unrequited passion for rhe who killed him in revenge for the
presented the Fianna wirh a wrld, new queen death of rrRcus MACRITH
grey horse Only afrer great effort AILILL, rvho was the brother of Etain was steadfast in her
did the warriors manage to ger a Eochaidh, a High Kirg of lreland, love for Eochaidh, but she also AINE was rhe Irish goddess of
bridle on the animal, and rhen it love and ferdlity She was the
refused to move even one hoof AINE, Irishgoddess oJloveandJertility, AI\4AETHON, thoughtheJruitfulrustic daughter of Eogabail,who was the
when mounted It was not until wasworshipped onMidsummer Evebythe godoJagnculture, wasnotalwayshelpful foster son of the Manx sea god
fourteen warriors had climbed localpeople wholit up herhiII withtorches ItwasAmaethon thatrobbedArawn, MANANNANMAC LIR HeT main
on its powerful back rhat it would Whensomeglrlsstayedlate onenight,Aine thereby
prwohingtheBattleof Trees, ond, responsibilty was to encourage
stir at all Once Abana had appeared amongthem andra,ealed thehill whorefusedto helphard-pressedCulhwch human love, although one mortal
mounted behind rhem, it broke tobealivewrthfaines, whichwereonly toplough,sowandreapahill in a dq - o Iover of hers, Kirg Arllil OIom of
immediarely inro a gallop, even visible throughher magc"ing tashinhis questto win Olwat Munster, paid for his passionate
pulling along a fifteenrh warrior (lLrusrnerroruByNtcK Brew., 1995) (lr-r-usrRqnoru
ByNrcK Buu, 1995) audacity with his life When he
CeITIC MYTHOLOGY
AUNONTNS SCCPELLES
attempted to force himself upon magically transformed rrees inro AJVTAIRGEN(above)was one oJthe Jirst ANNWN (below), aWelshotherworld,
Aine and rape her, she slew him warriors to fight in the battle druidsin lreland He possessedboth andrest,filled
wasa landoJJruitfulness
with her magic. spiitual and political authoity, and wtththesongoJbirds Annwn'smaglcal
Aine's worship was alwaysasso- AUAInCEN, sometimes known pronouncedthe first judgement in the guarded
cauldron, byninemaidens, healed
ciated in lreland with agriculture, as Amergin, was one of the first land,decidingwhowouldbe thefirsthing. thesichandrestoredthedeadto lfe A
because,as a goddessof fertility, Irish druids, the ancient priests in An inspiredshamanand seer,heis credited motifin Celticmyth,magic
recurrent
she had command over crops and Celtic lands He came to Ireland with a mysticalpoem in the Book of Jeaturein thetalesoJBranand
cauldrons
animals. Even as late as the last with the Milesians Thesechildren Invasions (ILLusrn
crtoxA^roN'
) Dagda (IllusrnlloN By NIcK BxLE, 1995 )
97
Crr-Trc MyrHoLocy
98
CEI-TIC MYTHOLOGY
ART(above)conJrontsan armyoJsavage
andvenomous glanttoadsonhispeilous
journq throughtheLandofWonder, in
of DelbchaunA taboolaidon the
search
younghero bythejealousgoddessBecuma,
forcedhim tofind andwinthelovely
glrlimpnsoned byherwiched
parents
(luusrnerroru
BvARTHUR c 1900
R4cKHAM, )
99
CTITIC MyTHoLoGY
AnfnUR is undoubredly the best have a connectionwith Josephof After a number of yearsArrhur
I<nownof rhe Celdc heroes He was Anmathea, not leastbecauseit had joumeyed ro London to watch his
mosr popular during rhe Middle a special place resewed for rhe first toumament A knight who had
Ages,when the exploirs of his fol- Graii WhileJoseph of Anmarhea been appointed by Merlin ro act as
lowers, the Ifuights of the Round was imprisoned in Paiesdne,the the boy's guardianwas tahng part,
Table,impressedthe gearer part of Grail is said ro have kept him alive but finding he was wirhour a
westem Europe It was wirh some Later he broughr it ro Brirain, sword, he sent Arthur to get one
misgivrngs thar the Church per- where it disappeareddue ro peo- Wi thou t r ealizrngrhe signific ance
mitted a Chrisriamzed version of ple's sinfulness Thus the recovery of the sword in rhe stone,Arthur
theseCeltic myrhs ro occupy such of the Grail became the grearquesr pulled it out and gave it ro the
an importanr placein rhe medieval of Arthur's knights amazedknight. Thus was the heir
imagination It was never quire at ARTHUR, a child oJdestiny,was guarded When Urher fendragon died, of Uther Pendragonrevealed
easewith the story of rhe Grail, or and guided by spintual forcesfrom birth the ltuighrs of the Round Table Even rhen, there were knights
5AN6REAI, which JOSEPH OF Smugg;Ied
out oJTintagelCastlebyMerlin, were at a loss ro know who should who would nor accept Arthur as
ARIMATHMwas believed ro have the mage,he wasfosteredin safetyand be the nexr hng They decidedrhar
brought to Britain, since its mirac- secrery,unawareof his destiny untilhis Merlin should guide them The ARTHUR,at restin anenchantedforest,
ulous propenies were clearly nghtfuI time to draw the swordfrom the wlzard told them that rhey would gazes in wonderat theamazngQuesting
derived from the Celtic cauldron. a stone,thusprovinghisbirthnght (urnur.r know who Uther's successorwas Beastat thewell lt wasaferlieor
vesselof plenry aswell as of rebinh AND ARTHUR By W HATHERELL, CANVA5, C 1910 ) when he drew a magrc sword from bewitchingotheruv
orldlywonder,which
The strength of popular feeling for a srone, which had mysreriously deJied captureSirPellinoreandlater
the Arthurian myth can be appre- Irish sagas,one of which describes appearedin London Many knighs SirPalomides spent yearsinfutilepursuit
ciated by a riot thar occurred in how he stole the hounds of rhe tried ro pull the sword from the of thetantalizngchimaera
l l l 3 a r th e ro wn o f B o d m in in Fenian leader FINNMACCOOLon stone, but none could move it (lrrusrnarrou ByAUBREy BEARDSLEy,c 1870 )
ARTHUR S RoundTablesewedmany GUINEVERT. At first Merlin object- was coveredby the dead and dyttg. his weakened kingdom from the
purposes:it pruented quarels aver ed ro the match, since he knew of Although he had won, King Arthur Anglo-Saxons,however The whole
ce; rymbolQed wh olaness; and
pr eceden Guinevere'slove for Sir IANCELOT, had to be carried away by these of the Anhunan myth tums on rhe
commemoratedthe TableoJthe l-ast the most handsome of the lfuights I<rrhs, such was the severiryof his disintegation of the chivalnc uniry
Suppo, with the Grail at the centre of the Round Table But he later wound Knowing his own end was that was establishedby the Round
(Knc Anrnur. rND THE l(t.ttcHTs oF THE RouND blessed the married couple and, near, he had Excalibur rhrown into Table, but which was finally
Tesre SuUMoNED To rHE QuEsr By A SrnnNcr according to one version of the a lake, where a hand swiftly seized destroyedby the implacablehatred
DAMSEL By E BURNE-JoNEs, rApEsrRy, 1898-99 ) myth,gaveAnhur the Round Table it Then Anhur boarded a magic berweenArthur and Modred (See
as a wedding grft Nevenheless,the boat and disappeared. His last also MAGICAND ENCHANTMENT,
king Only with Merlin's aid was queen and Lancelot were soon words were that he was going to HEROTC QUEsrs)
the young ruler able to defeat his Iovers, and when futhur found out AVALONto be cured of his wounds
opponents and bring peace to about his wife's unfaithfulness so that he might retum one day to ARTHURrestsin peoce in Avalon,
Britain How much he depended Lancelot fled to Brittany lead his people once more guardedbyfourt'airyqueens Morganle
on magic became obvrous to Anhur pursued Sir l^ancelotand The inscription on Arthur's Fay,cowledin blach,consults herboohoJ
Arthur early in his reign Having besiegedhim in his Breton strong- tomb at Glastonbury picks up this to healthewounds
maglccraJts, of the
drawn his own sword wrthout hold The siege had to be lifted, Celtic idea of reincamation It "undead"htngThewinged appantion
cause against one of his knights, however, because news reached reads: "Here lies Arrhur, king that carryingthe Grailrymbolizes thehope and
Arthur was dismayed to see the the king that his nephew Sir was, king that shall be " Such an Juturepromise oJArthur'sreign (t-et',tonr
blade sharter.Merlin savedhim by Modred had seized Camelot and undeath was not enough to save D'ARTHUR BYJAME5 ARCHER, c,quvas, 1860)
putting the knight to sleep, for even forced Guinevere to consent
futhur was otherwise unalrned. tn to marriage,after spreadingstories
despair the king wandered along of the king's death on campaign
the shore of a lake when. tci his Returning ro Brimin, Arthur sum-
amazement, he saw a hand and moned his knights to do battle
arm rise out of the water, holding with the rebels Prior to the con-
another magrcsword. This was the flict, it was agreedthat the hng and
famous Excalibur, his sure support, his nephew would meet between
according to the l-:ldy of the Lake, the rwo armies to discuss the pos-
who handed it to him sibility of peace. Becauseneither
Rearmedand reassured,Arthur one trusted the other, each ordered
went on to be a great king. He his forces to attack if they saw any-
defeated the Anglo-Saxons, aided one draw a sword When a knight
King Leodegraunceof Scotland in unsheathed his weapon to kill a
his wars against the Irish and even snake, a terrible battie was fought,
campaigned as far away from his in which the flower of British
kingdom asRome. ln rerum for the chivalry fell
aid given to Lrodegraunce, Arthur Only two of Arthur's knights
was betrothed to his daughter were left alive on a batdefield that
Cnlrrc MyrHoLoGy
fear or courage The others were and his eyelid had to be levered up of a sword which previously none
Known as MORRIGAN, NEMAINand by four servans It was prophesied could escape The battle was just single eyelid of Balor was slowly
MACHA.Myth connec$ Badb with that he would be slain by his own tuming into a Tuatha De Danann closing through weariness Lugh
the historical bartle of Clonrarf in grandson, To avoid rhis fate he rout, when Lugh noriced that the crept near to him with a magic
1014, when the High Kirg Brian locked his only daughter ETHLINN sling-shot in hand The momenr
defeated the Viking invaders and in a crystal tower on Tory Island, off BANSHEE, or beansidhe,womenoJthe the eyelid opened again,he hurled
Badb was said ro have appeared the north-west coasr of Ireland faines,livedunderground in sparlzling sidhe the stone so hard rhat ir forced the
over rhe warriors' heads. Even so. Balor was killed in barrle - Joiryheavens hiddenbeneath gassy eyeball backward through Balor's
with a sling-shot by the sun god mounds on Inshhilkideskgendhasit head, with the result that it was rhe
BALOR, aJormidable one-qed god of LIIGH,Ethlinn's son and the cham- thatabanshee attaches itselftoaJamily Fomoni who now sufferedfrom the
death,led the misshapenFomoni against pion of the Tuatha De Danann andwams ofimpendingdeathwith an destrucdve effect of its paralysing
theyoungerTuatha De Danann Herehis Lugh's father was Cian, a lesser eeie wail (tu-usrnerror.rByH I FIRD, i902 ) stare The Tuatha De Danann were
grandson, Lugh, castsaJatal stoneinto member of the Tuatha De Danann able to defeat the Fomorii, who
Balor's deadlyq,e,forcing it bach through With the assistance of a female were driven from Ireland for ever.
his head where its lethal gazedestroyshis druid, Cian had enrered the crystal (Seealso CELTICOTHERWORLDS)
warriors marching behind him tower and slepr wirh Ethlinn.
(llr-L,srn cloN By MTn,qNDA Gnev, 1995
) When Balor leamed that his daugh- BRNSHEE is the modern name
ter had given binh to three sons, he for the beansidhe ("woman of the
ordered that rhey be drowned in a fairies"), the traditional fairy of the
whirlpool nearTory Island Balor's Irish countryside After the arrival
servants duly rolled them up in a of the Milesians from what is now
sheet, but on rhe way ro the Spain (the ancestorsof the presenr-
whirlpool one of the boys fell out day Irish) the gods and goddesses
unnoticed Either rhe druid rhen known as rhe TUATHADEDANANN
handed the fortunate baby to the disappeared underground and
smith god cotnHNIU, or alternat- dwelt in mounds, and over the
ively MANANNANMACUn, the god centuries they were slowly trans-
of the sea, decided to foster him. ln formed in the popularimagination
either event, Lugh was saved and into fairies. It was believed thar the
set on the road to his desriny as rhe wailing of a banshee foretold the
slayerof Balor. approach of a human death.
102
CnITIC MVTHOLOGY
BTOTVERE SCCBEDW}R one of the important fesdvalsof the BTLE SCCBELENU5 BELENUS, a Celtic sungod,was
BEOWYR, according to welsh the first of May in his honour, and BUqfHNATwas the wife of King litbonfires, the "firesof Bel", symbolizng
mythology, was a one-handed his name survives in a number of CU RoI of Munster She fell in love the raysoJthe sunand the promiseof
warrior who, together with his place names such as Billingsgate, with cucHut AINN,the geat Ulster summer fruitfulness Here, thefaines, once
friend and companion I<AI,played "Bile's gate" (formerly a fish market hero and enemy of Cu Roi, and Celtic gods,ide outJrom their hollow hills
an important pail in helping in London) Although his worship betrayed her husband's people by to celebrateBeltaine (THrRrorps
oFrHEsrDHE
CULHWCHto procure the prizes he was clearly widespread,little elseis showing the hero how he could BYJOHN DUNCAN, cANVAs, l9ll )
required to win the hand of known about him enter her husband's apparentlY
otwEN. They were both members impregnable fortress A stream water, Cuchuiainn was able to
of King ARTHUR'scourt. In later BTN DTCTTPFRAN SCEBRAN flowed through rhe fort and when follow its course. In the fiercebattle
Anhurian romance Bedwyr became THEBLESSED Blathnat poured milk into the that followed Cu Roi was killed and
Sir Bedivere, the faithful knight Cuchulainn was able to ride off
who remained with King Arthur with Blathnar He also took with
after he was mortally wounded, him Cu Roi's bard, Fer Cherdne
threw the sword Excalibur into the When the party halted on a cliff
lake on the king's insrucdons and top, however, Fer Cherdne took
bore his body to the boat which the opportunity to avengehis for-
camed him to AVALON mer master's death by grabbing
hold of Blathnat and jumping over
BEL seeBELENUS the edge with her in his arrns.
r03
CEr-Trc MyrHoLoGy
Can-soxnx (above),the Grail CastleoJArthunan legend,
was an otherworldlyheavenguardedbyangelsand
wondrousspintswhoseunearthlysongwasbeautful
theGratl,aholy
bqond imagnrng Thecastlehoused
vessel,sard to be the Cup oJthe Inst Supper,whtch
Lancelotwasferned
containedhealingsptntualsustenance
to Carbonehon a ghostlyshtpwtthout captatnor crewand
permitteda dtstantvisionof the sacredchahcebecauseoJ
his courogeoussprnt Hts loveof Guinevereforbade a
completevision (lui'sruroN BvALAN
Lrr, 1984
)
:IO5
CeITIC MyTHoLoGY
r06
Crlrtc MYTHoLoGY
figure who had long ago embarked BnnN THE BLESSED, rhe son
on a great voyage to the other- of the seagod Llp, played a differ-
worlds, so he set sail again; but not ent role to BMN, son of Febal ln
before one desp erate hero forgot Welsh mythology, he was called
the waming and jumPed ashore, Bendigeidfran and seems to have
and immediately tumed into a Pile been an otherworld god, although
of ash, as though he had been dead he was also active as a British king
for centuries in mortal affairs He allowed his
The voyage of Bran is certainlY sister BMNWENto marry the Irish
an ancient myth, although it was king tvtATHOLwCH,wrthout the
not written down until the eighth consentof her hallbrother EFNISIEN.
century by monks Even though Becauseof this slight, Efnisien
the monla added cenain Christian cut off the lips, ears and tails of
elements such as references to Matholwch's horses during the
JesusChrist and Adam's sin, theY wedding feast in Wales. Not
did not obscure the tale's original unnaturally, hosdlities almost
magical atmosphere. (See also broke out between the Irish and
FABULOUSVOYAGES) the Britons as a result, but Bran
visited
BRANbelow),onhisepicvoyage, BRANTHEBLESSTo(ngh),themighry
woman
wherethechieJ
theIsIeoJWomen, rulu oJBitain, sailedto lrelandto rescue
shipto shorewith
broughthis maglc hisbeauttful BranwenIn the
sister,
threadHere,sheholdsa cupofplenty, BranwasmortallY
ensuingbattle,
of theisland
idyllicdelights
symbolizngthe wounded,buthishead,cutfromhisbody,
stayed
Thevoyagers for whatthq thought livedon Hismaglcal ofrebirthis
cauldron
wasayearbeforethq,leJtJorhome alongwithhishead
seenhere,restored,
(Irrusrnnnot'r BvDervur,qMr"tR, 1993) (luusrnerrorv BYAL4NLer, 1984)
r07
Crr-Ttc MyrHoLoGy
r08
CTITIC MYTHOLOGY
BnnUWnN was the daughter of BRES, in Irish mythology, was leadership, the De Danann were
briefly the leader of the TUATHADE under the command of Bres But
Llyr, the Welsh equivalent of the
DANANN,the implacable enemies Breshad no gift for leadershiPand
Irish seagod tm, and sister to BRAN
THE BLESSED,ANd UEruAWYDAN of the F)MORII, the sea gods who becamesomethingof a tyrant On
When High Kitg MATHOLWCH of ruled treland long before rhem the restoradon of Nuada, Bres and
Ireland came to Bran's court at Breswas an unusual leader of the his mother En fled to Elatha in
Tuatha De Danann because his order ro seek Fomoni assistance
Harlech itwas ageed rhat Branwen
father was EIATHA, who was a This caused the second battle of
should be given to him in marriage
was Fomoni king of a land that IaY Magh Tuireadh, in which Nuada
But her half-brother EFNISIEN
under the sea. Elatha had met a was killed Through the bravery of
not consulted and, feeling insulted,
he cut off the lips, earsand tails of Tuatha De Danann goddessnamed the sun god tucu, however, the
En on the sea-shoreand made love Fomoni were routed and Breswas
Matholwch's horses To restore
peace Bran offered the lrish king to her on the sand Bres was bom taken prisoner One version of the
as a result, although En was careful myth explains how, in return for
replacement horses and a magic
to say nothing to her husband his life, Bres promised to instruct
cauldron Matholwch retumed to
BRENDAN,thelish saintandnavigator, about the boy's real father the Tuarha De Danann in the arts
Ireland with Branwen, who was at
first receivedwith geat rqoicing for retumsto lrelnndafterhtswondrous voyage When Bres grew up, he fought of planting and sowing croPs It is
in search of theLandoJPromise Histour againstthe existing inhabitans of possiblethat Bres,like his wife, the
she was generouswith gifts, and
oJtwelve mysteious includdaland
rslnnds Ireland, the ntRnoLG,at the first fertiliry goddessBRIGID,was a deiry
before long she gavebirth to a son,
the
of birdlilu spiits, whichwaspossibly battle of Magh Tuireadh In this connected with agriculture
GWERN But after a few Years
Matholwch's fnends and family LandoJhomise Hisamazngtnle seems engagementNUADA,the leader of
(Iuusrnenoruthe invading Tuatha De Danann,
tobeablafi oJearliervoyages BrunN was one of the three sons
began to complain that the com-
pensation he had received from BY c: 1920
Srrpsrrus,
IAMES ) Iost a hand and in consequencehe of tutREaNN, whose family were
Bran was not enough To satisfY retired for a time Nuada tried to engagedin a feud with the family of
second in a boat made of wood. use a silver replacement without Cian, father of the god LUGH
Ihem, Matholwch insisted that
Miraculous events took place due success,until Miach, son of the When Lugh sent Cian to summon
Branwen relinquish her Position
to the saint's faith. One Easter a healinggod oreru;ECHT,made him the warriors of rhe TUATHADE
as queen and become a cook for
whale appearedso that St Brendan ^ hand of flesh and blood DANANNto battle, Bnan and his
the court.
During the next three Years,as and his followers could hold a ser- However, until Nuada was fully brothers, Iuchar and lucharba,
vice on its broad back After the ser- recoveredand able to resume his killed him during his journey To
Branwen worked in the Palace
vice, the whale plunged under the atone for this act of murder theY
htchens, she reared a starling and
waves and swam away.This great BRIANandhisbrothers setoutona were given by Lugh eight tasks to
taught it to recognizeher brorher
animal was made docile by St pmbusvoyage acrosstheworldtoJufil perform. Among the objecm theY
Bran Then she sent it acrossthe
Brendan, as were numerous whirl- aghttasls,sethythesungodLughWith had to retrieve were three aPPles
sea with a letter tied to its leg,
pools. Even the Devilwas unable to daringandresourcethq sought andfound from the Gardens of the Sun, a
telling of her reatment. When Bran
disurb the saint's serenirywhenhe wondrous treasures,suchasan inincible healing pigskin from the king of
and the Britons leamed of her fate
they brought an army to lreland. showed him the pain of Hell St swordandhealingpigshin,whichhelped Gr.eece,a poisoned spear from the
Brendan also restored to life one of theDeDanannin tharbattlewtththe king of Persia, a cooking-sPit
the Navigatorwas rhe the monks who were his compan- Fomoni (Iu-usrnqnorvBvSTEPHEN Rno, 1912) belonging to the nymphs of an
BnfUOnN
ions after he had insisted on seeing underseakingdom and the seven
dtle given to a sixth-century lrish
pigs of Kitg Asal of the Golden
sainr. Indeed, the account of the this forbidden sight for himself
On the voyageshe also encoun- Pillars.which could be cooked and
rwo voyages undenaken bY St
Brendan was just as PoPular in rhe tered a heathen giant, whom he eaten one day and found alive the
next Finally, they were to shout
Middle Ages as the stories told bapdzed, terrifying mice and an
about the l(nights of the Round enorrnous sea cat. Finally, they rhreetimes on the Hill of Mochaen
Table. This wonder tale is in the reached the island in St Brendan's Having successfullybrought back
sameradition as that of BR{N, son vision. Inhabited by a hermit to Lugh all the magical objects he
required, they then set out to
of Febal, although its direct insPi- clothed in feathers,it was probably
ration was the voyageof the Aran the Land of Promise, a place of perform their last dutY However,
hero MAELDUN.Having nken holY Chrisdan resunection similar to the they were mortally wounded bY
Mochaen and his sons. Tuireann
orders, Brendan prayed to go on a Celtic otherworlds On his return
pilgrimage into unknown lands. An to Ireland, St Brendan refused to therefore asked Lugh if he might
angel then showed him an island in smy in his old monastery but borrow the magical pigskin and so
moved instead to a retreat near heal his sons, but the god refused
a vision. ln search of this beautiful
land, St Brendan set sail twice, first Limerick, where he died. (Seealso and Dnan and his brothers died.
(SeCAISOFABULOU S VOYAGES)
in a craft made from shns, and FABULOUSVOYAGES)
r09
Crlrtc MyrHoLocy
BruCtU was one of the trouble- first and beheaded rhe monsrer, BruCtn, somerimes known as ST BRIDEisJemedhyangek Jromlonato
makers of Irish myrh An Ulsrer whereupon the creaturerose, took Brigit, was a goddessof healing and Bethlehem
on theweof Chnst'sbirthto
lord, he arranged a great feast to up its head and departed.The next fertiliry who was believed to assist fostertheinfantChnstCelticand
which he invired all rhe Ulsrer day Cuchulainn offered his own women in labour. She seems ro Christianmotifsmergein thisscene,while
heroes,and ordered thar the hero's head and the monsrer pronounced have been widely worshipped in theangek'soanng Jlightbq ondtheJrame
portion be given to rhe grearesr him the bravestman in lreland. Ireland and Britain, where she was enhancesthepwafully spintualefect
among them. Ar which point rhe mosr likely known as BRIGANTIA. In (SrBnroe
ByJoHN
Dur.rct'r,
crNVAs,
c 1913
)
three great warriors, CUCHUIIINN, Bntpg seeBRTGTD Irish mythology, she was the wife
CONALLand Laoghaire, sprang up of BREs,the half-roMout god who St Brigit, or Sr Bride, one of
at once and began'fighting each BruceNrm ("Highone" or briefly led the TUATHADE DANANN Ireland's patron sainm, may have
other for the honour In order to "Queen") was the chief goddessof after the first batde of Magh been a priestess of the goddess
settle the argument ir was agreed the Brigantes,rhe dominant rribe in Tuireadh against the FIRBOLG. Bres Brigid prior to her conversion ro
that a monster should be sum- the north of England before rhe was handsome but also oppressive, Chrisdaniry. It was said thar she
moned ro tesr the courage of the invasiron of the Romans. She was like all Fomorii, so his reign was was able to feed animals without
three heroes. Briciu did this by associated with water, war and short. Brigid, however, bore him reducing the available food for the
challengrng each one ro cut off rhe healing, and also with prosperiry. A three sons. She often appearsirsan people, and this also linla herwith
demon's head, on the understand- widely revered goddess, she was alternative for her mother ANU, Brigid, who was celebraredat rhe
ing that the following day rhar man worshipped throughour rhe Celdc which suggesrc rhat rhey were Celtic fesdval of Imbolc on the first
should then lay his own head on world. In Ireland she was known as probably different aspects of the of February, at the same dme as the
the block. Cuchulainn stepped up BRIGIDand in France as Brigindo. same mother goddess. ewes came into milk.
rr0
Crlrrc MvrHoLoGY
tll
Crlrrc MyrHoLocy
112
CeITIc MyrHoLoGY
the daughter of Etain Oig and At this time Conaire Mor was
CORMAC king of Ulsrer. However, some distance from Tara As he
Cormac wztsso disappointed not to headed back ro rhe palace in his
have a son that he ordered Mess chariot, a flock of birds descended
Buachallato be thrown into a pit. upon him Theyhad such wonder-
According to the myth, the baby ful plumage rhat Conaire Mor
girl was savedby rwo hnd-hearted forgot the raboo about hlling birds
servants, who could not bring and got out his sling. The birds
themselvesto carry out the king's shed their fearhersand artacked rhe
order lnstead they gave Mess charioteer as warriors But one of
CERI\TUNNOS, a Celtichunter godoJ Buachallato a cowherd.When she the birdlike fighters, who was more
beasts,is typicallydepictedin alotus grew up, herbeautywas so remark- handsome than the rest, protected
positionThe"horned one"wasalordof able that Eterscel,the High King of Conaire Mor. He inrroduced him-
animakandishere sunoundedw wild Ireland, decided to manryher He self as his father Nemglan and CONAIREMORwasburdenedby more
creatures sucha thestagboarandlion was also persuadedby a prophecy reminded the young man rhar he geis(taboos) thananyotherl'ishwarlord
In onehandhe closps awarior'storc, which said that an obscurewoman must never cast stones ar birds for Violation oJgeisledto misJortuneor death
in theothera strpent,demonstrating would bear him a famousson. But they were his own kin As a andmarhed a traglcturning-point
in the
hispwr. (Gurvorsnup ccuLDRoN,
GTLDED on the night before the wedding, penance,Nemglan told his son to hero'shfe Despite hiswisdom,Conaire
srLVE&c 1008C) Mess Buachallaslept with the god walk naked along the road to Tara, Mor wasluredbyhisenemies into,
Nemglan, who had magnificenr can)nng only his sling If he did breahinghisgeisonebyone
Ireland, where Cesairwas married plumage. From this union was this, and promised ro rule lreland (luusrnrnoru nySrrpHrruRao,1910
)
ro FINTAN.When the rising warers bom Conaire Mor. whom Mess in peace, Conaire Mor would be
of the Flood engulfed the land, Buachallapassedoff as the son of made High Itng part in the growing disorder, the
Fintan saved himself by changing Eterscel The one instrucrion rhat So it was that Conaire Mor was country soon slid back into clan
into a salmon, but the rest of Bith's Nemglan told Mess Buachalla to received atTaraas the High Kirg. warfare Evenually, the High Kirg
famrly drowned This myth is lqrown give to their child was rhar he was Peaceand prosperity ar first marked had to forgo the ways of peaceand
as the first invasion of lreland. never to hll a bird. his reign, although the lure of plun- break his promise to his farher.
Subsequentinvasionswere by the When Conaire Morwas a young der gradually drew the trish back to Conaire Mor soon realizedrhar this
PARTHOLONand Nemed, the man, Etersceldied and the right of their old habit of cartle-raiding. would bring about his own down-
FoMoNr and ruente DE DANANN, successionwas raised in Tara, the Since ConaireMorwas reluctant to fall. While on campaign, he came
who were all more or less super- Irish capital It was agreedto follow punish severely those who rook to a roadsidehostel where he was
natural in nature The final invasion the ancient custom of the dream greetedby three strangehorsemen,
of lreland was by the sons of After a feast,one of the court would CLIODHNAfledto Glandore to livewith whose clothes, weapons, bodies
MIIESIUS,who camefrom Spainand have a spell of truth sung over him hermortallwer, Ciabhan,but theseagod, and horseswere all red A hideous
brought human rule to the island as he slept The man rhe courtier Manannan Mac Lir, sent a great wave to old woman told Conaire Mor rhar
dreamed abour would then be the scoopher up and bnngher home Here, during his stay in the hostel
CltOnHNA, in Irish mythology, next High King In rhe succession lulled to sleepbyJairy music, shednfts "neither skin nor flesh of you wrll
was an otherworld goddess of dream a naked man was revealed, bach toJairyland The Wave oJCliodhna is escapefrom the place to which you
beauty. [t was said that her rhree walhng along the road to Tara with still one oJ the threegreat wavesoJlreland have come, savewhat rhe birds will
magical birds could sing the sick ro a sling in his hand (IrrusrnenorByJAMES Ar-H(
rvorn,1995) take in rheir claws " The same
sleepand cure them. Cliodhna was night a rebel force surrounded the
passionatelyin love with a mortal hostel and attacked Three dmes
named Ciabhan,a yourh with won- the building caught fire and three
derful curling lock One day on times the flames were brought
the shore near Cork, while Ciabhan under control, but all the water had
went hundng inland, Cliodhna was now been used When a druid
put into a magic sleep by the sea accompanying the rebels laid a
god ivt,+ru,eNNAN MACLIR,who then spell of thirst on the High King, he
sent a wave to pull her back ro rhe sent one of his companionsto fetch
[^andof Promise. some water On retuming, the war-
rior saw that the fight was over and
CONrunf MOn was a High Conaire Mor's severedhead lay on
King of Ireland He was the son of the floor So he poured the warer
a cowherd's foster-daughternamed into the king's head, at which
Mess Buachallaand the bird god Conaire Mor's decapitated head
NEMGIANHis motherwas acrually praised him for his senseof dury
rl3
CTITIC MYTHoLoGY
Mrnrtru (ngh) is best rememberedas the fatherly and spiitual guardian of Arthur A
wise seer,Merltn counselledthe younghing sometimessternlyand sometimesgently, but
always with wisdom Merlin was alsoa peerlesssage,crediteduth the designof the
Round Table, the plan for Camelot and the stone'ing at StonehengeHe leamt his craft
Jinallyreahzedthat he
would ne,terlwe her and
shedtedoJabrohenheart
(lr-r-usrnarroru
BYAuBREY
BFARDSLEY,c 1870)
lI5
CTITIC MYTHOLOGY
CONnlL, in Irish mythology, refused his advances and eloped hero just managed to win by the
was the foster-brother of the Ulster with a handsome young warrior use of cunning, they became lovers
hero CUCHUI-,{INNAs children, named NAolSE.But the hng never and Conlai was conceived. When
they swore that if either was hlled gave up his passion, and so even- he left, Cuchulainn gave Aoifa a
first the other would avengehim. ually he had Naoise hlled and was gold ring. Yearslater Conlai wore
When Queen MEDBof Connacht married to Deirdre. She found her this ring on a visit to Ulster, where
invaded Ulster, Cuchulainn faced situation so intolerable that she he challenged the local heroes to
her army single-handed,but he was committed suicide by throwing combat. Just like his father, Conlai
doomed becausehe had offended herself from a speeding chariot. was quick to anger and soon over-
the war goddess MoRRIGAN.After Fergus Mac Roth, appalled by came CONALL,Cuchulainn's foster-
Cuchulainn had been killed, and Conchobhar's behaviour, offered brother Despite the misgivings of
his head and sword-hand cut offby his servicesto Ulster's enemiesand his wife EMER,Cuchulainn could
the enemy, the warriors of Ulster a long war ensued. Conchobhar not resist fighting the young
were stined by Conall to wreak was himself hlled by a magrcsling- stranger himself. Too proud to
bloody revenge. They caught up shot. It was the famous "brain ball" announce his own identity when
with Queen Medb's army and made by Conall out of the brains of challenged by Cuchulainn, Conlai
Conall slew those who had killed CONALLoJtheVictones, aveteran a slain Leinster king. The ball accepted the possibility of death
his foster-brother. Later, Conall warlord,avenged deathby
Cuchulainn's lodged in the hng's skull, and his and drew his sword. Although
went on to ravage the whole of slayinghishillmonebyone.Fromthe doctors advised him to avoid any Cuchulainn was impressed by
Ireland as he punished Queen MacDa Tho,
brainof oneoJhisvictims, strenous exerciseand excitement. sword-play that matched his own,
Medb's allies one by one. In doing hemadea maglcbrainball, alethal Some yearslater Conchobhar Mac he lost his temper the moment
so he eamed his title, Caemach weaponConallhere iswelcomedby his Nessagot into arageand the "brain Conlai cut off one of his locks of
("of the Victories"). lJlsterman in MacDa Tho'sdun
at aJeast ball" causedhis death. hair. The terrible combat only
(lrrusrn
tnorBY Pen,1910
STEPHEN )
N'IncNnssn,
CoNcnoBHAR CONU,I, somerimesknown as CONI-AI, theill-starcdsonof Aorfaand
in Irish mythology, was an Ulster of her royal marriage through a Connla, was the doomed son of the Cuchulainn, grm up in Slye,a strangerto
king. He was the son of Fachtna secret aflairwith a druid. When her great Ulster hero CUCHUL{INN. hisJatherWhenhewent to Ukterto
Fathach and rurssa, a local beaury husband died shonly after the wed- According to one Irish tradition, challaryethelocalheroes,hemet
who, according to one tradition, ding, Nessa was courted by his Cuchulainn hadvisited the l-and of Cuchulainn combat
in single andwa
conceived Conchobhar on the eve half-brother and successor,FERGUS Shadows in order to challenge the hilled Recogntanghissontoolate,
MAC R?TH. But she would onlY warrior woman AOIFAto single Cuchulainn wu wemvhelmed wrthgnef.
CONCHOBHAR 1\4ACNESSA, ahigh agree to become his wife on the combat. After the fight, which the (luusrnerolr By IAMESALH<rvorn, 1995)
t16
CTITIC MyTHoLoGY
tl7
CrlTrc MvrHoLocY
RoTH,Dechtire along with fifty of it was not obvrous to everyonejust enemiesand he soon tookup aITIls
her kinswomen flew to the other- how strong and brave he was until against three semi-divine wariors
world in the form of a flock of he hlled an enorrnoushound with named Foill, Fannell and Tuachell,
birds During the wedding feastshe his bare hands One day, arriving aswell as their numerous followers,
had swallowed a fly and dreamed late at the gate of a house where all of whom he hlled. In this com-
as a result of the sun god LIJGH, King Cochobhar Mac Nessa was bat Cuchulainn displayed for the
who told her ro make this joumey. being entertained by the Ulster first dme the dreadful shape of his
Cathbad reassured his son-in-law smith CULANN,the young hero was battle-frenzy. His body trembled
by sapng that Dechtire had merely attackedby the ferociousguard dog violently; his heels and calves
gone to visit her otherworld re- and only savedhimself by dashing appearedin front; one eye receded
lations, for her mother was a out its brains on one of the gate's into his head, the other stood out
daughter of rhe god eorucHUS In pillars. Their host had now lost a huge and red on his cheek; a man's
fact, Lugh kept Dechtire there for faithful guardian, so Setantaoffered head could fit into his jaw; his hair
his own pleasure for three years to take the hound's place while a bristled like hawthom, with a drop
When Dechtire and her women replacement was found When of blood at the end of each single
retumed to Emain Macha, the Culann thanked the young warrior hair; and from the top of his head
stronghold of the Ulster kings, in but declined his offer. it was decid- arosea thick coiumn of dark blood
CUCHUIAINN as a youngsterlivedat the form of brightly coloured birds, ed that henceforth Setantawould Iike the mast of a ship. Retuming to
the court of the High King wherehe Dechdrewas expectingLugh's son, be known as Cuchulainn ("the Emain Macha in his chariot,
trained with other sonsoJchieJtains,whom Setanta Sualtam Mac Roth was so Hound of Culann") "gaced with the bleeding headsof
he soonoutstipped in arms and might pleased to have his wife home Even though Cathbad wamed his enemies",and with the battle-
Ahhoughsmall,he glowedwith an inner again that when the boy was bom that anyone going to battle for the frenry still upon him, Cuchulainn
divinelight and warmth, which he inheited he accepredhim as his own child first time on a cermin day was des- was only stopped from circling the
JromhisJatherthe sungod Lugh As a youth, Setanta quickly tined for a short life, Cuchulainn defencesand screamingfor a fight
(LLusmencr|
nvSrrpurru
Rno,1912) leamed the wavs of the warrior. but could nor wait to dealwith Ulster's through a ploy of the Ulster queen
Mughain She led out of Emain
CUcHUIAINN, in trish myrh- Macha some hundred and fifty
ology, was the champion warrior naked women carrying three vats of
o[ Ulster His name means "the cold water An embarrassed or
Hound of Culann", although he amazed Cuchulainn was swiftly
was usually called the Hound of womanhandled into the vats The
Ulster Cuchulainn was the lnsh first one burst is sides The second
Achilles, a larger-than-life fighter boiled furiously, but the last vat
whose bouts of [emper often became only very hot. Thus was
causedgrief to himself and others the young hero tamed after his first
Anger certainly made him slay his tasteof blood.
son CoNtAI, when the young man In his calm, everyday state of
ravelled from the [^and of Shadows mind Cuchulainn was a favourite of
to visit Ulster The fifteen-year-old womenfolk But he fell in love wrth
warrior was Cuchulainn's son by EMER,the daughter of Fogall, a wrly
the wamor-princess AOIFANeither chieftain whose castlewas close to
father nor son would identifi them- Dublin Cuchulainn asked for
selves,so a tragic fight ensued A Emer's hand but Fogall, who was
gold .irg on Conlai's finger againstthe match, pointed out that
revealed too late that he was Cuchulainn had yet to esrablishhis
Cuchulainn's own offpsring reputation as a warrior and sug-
Cuchulainn's mother was gestedthat he should go and leam
DECHTIRE,the daughter of the
druid )ATHBAD,an advisor to the CUCHUIAINN,theInshAchilles,
Kirg CONCHOBHARMAC NE55A It performdmanymightydeeds inhisbneJ
was Cathbad who foretold that yearsThehero's dreamy qesreflect
Cuchulainn would become agreat hrsidealism, in the
whichis expressed
warrior but die young Shortly after insciptionbeneath thisportrait,"I carenot
her marriage to SUALTAMMAC thoughllastbuta dayiJmynameand
ROTH,who was the brother of the myJamearea pwer Jorater"
deposed Ulster ruler FERGUS MAC (CucHuretrll ByJoHN DuNcAN, c,tnves, l9l3)
1r8
Crlrtc MYrHoLocY
I19
Celrrc MvrHoLocY
I20
Crlrrc MYrHoLocy
CYNON, according ro a late Qynon then foughr his mysterious ordered by the Fomorii ro consume DAGDA, father of the gods,owneda
Anhurian myth,was a knight who opponent but was defeared. this massive meal, which he wondrouscauldron of plenty and a
encountered a black man with one readily did with a huge wooden double-edgedmaglc club, caried on
foot and one eye, and bearing a DnCOn means "the good god". ladle "so big that a man and a wheels Thisbronzerelief of aweful
Iargewooden club. This Fomorii- He was in fact rhe grear god of woman could have slept together Celticdaty,wth awheel, is regardedby
like fighter, doubtless a cousin of Irish mythology, and was usually in it" This test tumed Dagda rem- someto be Dagda, wtth the wheel
the violent and misshapen Irish sea depicted as a man in rustic clorhes porarilyinto a grossold man, bur ir rymbohzng his treasures (culoesrnup
gods, ordered Cynon to go ro a dragging an enorrnous club on did not prevent him from making CAULDRoN, ctLDED stLvER, c lN BC )
founuin and fill with water a silver wheels. With one end of this love to a Fomorii girl, who
bowl that he would find there , and weapon he could slay his enemies promised to use her magic on the sacredrite that was performed
then to throw the water against a and with the other he could resrore behalf of the Tuarha De Danann. by a Sumerianruler and a priesress
marble slab. Sir Cynon did as he the dead rc life. Dugduwasbelieved The story may recall, in a distorted in Mesopotamia. This union was
was instructed and a Black l(night to be wise, full of knowledge and form, a holy marriage between a meant to ensure prosperity,
appearedto the sound of thunder well versed in rhe magic arts He chieftain and a maiden at the strength and peace.
and the singing of magic birds. Sir was a chief of rhe TUATHADE beginning of each year: similar to Although the evenrualdefeat of
DANANN the Fomorii at the second battle of
CLNON,anArthurunhero, battleswith Dagda was a grear fighter and DANA,thegreatmothr goddess,
gaveher Magh Tuireadh was really due ro
theBlnchKnight,a mysteious warnorwho the lover of tr,loRRlcnN,the war nameto the TuathaDe Danann,a raceof the sun god rucH, ir was Dagda
appeared b rragc Although deJeated, goddess.The bones of his enemies wonderJul,beautiful but often vulnerable who was held in the grearesr
Cynonreturndhome onfootto tellthe were described as "hailstones godswho lived in the sparhlingotherworld respect, even after the Tuatha
tnb, and thusinspiredOwainto setouton under horses' hooves" when he Here, thqr gather to hear thepoignant song De Danann were in their tum
htsmemorable quat.Yearslntr Cynon wielded his mighty club. Like an oJ Lir's children, ill-staned godswho were overthrown by the sons of
retracdhissteps of awain
in search all-powerful chiefrain, Dagda led tumed into swans (llrusrnerroru
aySrrpHrl MILESIUS,the ancesrors of rhe
(luusnsnoN nv H Tnrluan 1920) the Tuatha De Danann on the bat- Rrlo,1912
) present-dayIrish
tlefield, slaying all rhosewho dared To Dagda fell the imporunr msk
to confront him. Yet he was also of setding the defeatedTuarha De
associatedwith abundance, being Danann underground.Just as rhe
able to sadsff the hunger of every- Fomorii had retrearedbenearh the
body by means of an inexhaustible waves, so the vanquished De
cauldron. That Dagda took great Danann disappearedunderground.
pleasure in eating was apparent, Over the centuries these powerful
when just before rhe second batde deities were gradually transformed
of Magh Tuireadh he visited rhe into fairies - the bean sidhe or
camp of the F2MORII,his bitter BANSHEES of lrish folklore. (Seealso
enemies, during a truce at the time WONDROUS CAULDRONS)
of the NewYear festival.There they
made for him a ponidge of milk, DANA, anorher name for ANU,
flour, fat, pigs and goats, enough was the goddess atter whom the
for fifry men. TUATHADEDANANNwere named -
On pain of dearh Dagda was "the people of the goddessDana".
121
CTITIC MyTHOLOGY
She was a daughter of Maga, the the jealous KingConchobhar Over the
Ulster. When Dechtire married strong but I am soffM itself. " (Detnom
or
a deep sleep and dreamed that the Bres was a tpant and became very
sun god LUGHinsisted that she and unpopular, so Nuada was restored
to the leadership, once Dian
fifty of her kinswomen follow him
to the otherworld as a flock of Cecht's son Miach had made him
birds. Three years later a flock of a new hand of flesh and blood.
L22
Crlrrc MyrHoLoGY
I23
MNCIC AND EXCHANTMENT
NCHANTMENT PERMEATES Celtic myth, shrouding
the tales in a haunting, dreamlike qualiry. The all-
pervasive otherworld lies behind much of the
mystery and magic, penetrating the forests and
lakes, and crafting charmed rings and weapons.Yet spells
and magic also arosein the visibleworld where bards,druids
a n d s o m e p r i v i l e g e d h e r o e s ,s u c h a s F i n n M a c C o o l ,
possessedmagicalpowers. Bardscould weaken the enemy
with satire or enchantedsleep,while druids bewitched the
host with magical illusions. Off the battlefield, love and
romancewere also subject to spells,love philtres or magical
rickery, as in the romancesof Sadb,
Rhiannon and Iseult. On the
brighter side, many heroesenjoyed
the gifts of the otherworld, such as
Arthur's sword, Excalibur,or Fergus
M a c R ot h ' s s i d h e s w o r d ; w h i l e
F e r g u sM a c L e d a ' s w a t e r - s h o e s
affordedunderwateradventures;and
countlessheroeswere nourished or
reborn from magicalcauldrons.
Frncus Mlrc l-r:oe, (abwe), a high hing of Uktu, wned a pair of water-
shoeswith whkh he enjoyd underwatcr travel He ne,tr tired oJacplonng the
dqtl$ of thelvaihrsand nvcn of lrelondunttlhe encounteredaferce rwar-hotse
in Loch Rury The inadatt so tmiJied Fergs thathis face becamepermanently
dktoned wrthfear.'4s onlyan unbbmkhed hing couWrule lrelnnd, Fe, gus
returned n the loch to slay the monstu before goingilwn himself, but wth a
Rrto,1912)
rYSTEPHEN
face atlost restoredand snene 0uusrpcnoN
::r#:'KX:L:i-DamehotdsinthrarrII'TSTLLEDAMESANS
CelrIC MvrHoLocY
E x c - . q r t s t * 1 , 1 l r 1 r r t{' r. f) h u r \ r i r ( l r r l r t r , /s t r , , r , l r l t , , t t tt t r r l rt l i t / t t h r , r /
l h i r t t t r r t i h e tsi t t t / t i t l i : l t cl 1l i s , t l , t t l l t t / / t t 1 t 1 , ( l ( r l\1( \, l h h c u c / / r r t t t r t l ft /t t/ t
I r s s i r f h l r r p rri r rh , l r t / t l , r i r , { r r / r r l i i t t l r ,i t c t : l t i tl t , l t r 1 , t l1j t l r t , i l i s t t t . - ,t ,t tt , t
l r r l t r s l t r t l / - . i t s l t \' tl r r t ( r { r l 1 t I ' c t r f r , r : t l / t h t t f i t t , ; t l t r . l r l \ t t l r l t l \ r } l t l t l tr l
125
CeITIC MyTHoLoGY
DONN ("rhe Dark One") was rhe druid AMAIRGENhad only jusr Irish did not consider this gift a
Irish god of the dead. He is some- succeededin casting a spell over suflicient redressfor Efnisien's acr
dmes confused with ErEn Donn, the turbulent waves, when Eber of mudlation, and some dme afrer
one of the leaders o[ rhe sons of Donn was seizedby a battle-trenny her arival in Ireland Branwen was
MILESIUS, who insulted ERIU,one and the charm was broken by his demoted from being queen to just
of rhe TT]ATIIADEDANANN, and was wild cries. After rhe defear of the a lowly cook in rhe palacehrchens.
drowned off the south-west coast TUATHADE DANANN,rhe advice of Efnisien accompanied the army
of lreland. Donn's home, the Amairgen was ignored by Eber thatwas sent againstMatholwch to
House of Donn, was thought to be Finn, who refused to acknowledge avengethis insuk. It was fortunare
an assemblypoint on rhe joumey the right of his older brother for Bran that his half-brother did
to the otherworld. Eremon to be king of the whole come, because Efnisien foiled a
DONN, god of the dead,gathers souls island. So it was that lreland was cunning trap that had been laid for
DNUTOS SCC5AGE5ANDSEERS aroundhim as thq assanbleonhis stormy partitioned inro two kingdoms, the Britons by Matholwch in his
islandbejore settingout on theirjournq with Eremon ruling the north and hall. He had placedbehind each of
DUBH was a druidess. According to the othewvorld Inaitably, he became Eber Finn the south. Bur Eber Finn Bran's strongest warriors a sack
to one Irish tradition, her angerat associatedin popularJolhlorewith invaded Eremon's terrirory and Iaid hung from the wall containing an
her husband Enna's passion for shipwreclsand seastorms,andwas oJten waste to his lands until he fell in armed lrishman, and at a signal
another woman uhimately led to confusedwithEber Donn, who died at sea battle. Eremon rhen became rhe they were to fall upon the Britons
the name of Dublin. Dubh used (IrrusrnrnolByJAMEI
ALDa,vprn,
J995) first High King of all Ireland. during what was supposed to be a
magic to drown her rival, but her feast of welcome. When Efnisien
husband in turn drowned her in he headed straighr ro the sea, EnnrcmN, in welsh mythology, inspected the hall beforehand, he
whac became known as Dubhlinn where he immediarely swam as was the rroublesome half-brocher askedwhacwas in one of rhe bags.
("Dubh's pool"). well as a fish. When his uncle, the of nR+NTHEBLEsSED who caused On being told it was com, Efnisien
smirh god Govannon, killed him, the rift berween Bran and King Iaid hold of the sack and felt about
Dn q,'N("Son of the Wave") was all the waves of Britain and Ireland MATHOLWCH. BecauseEfnisien had till his fingers closed on the head of
a Welsh sea god whose parenrs lamented his death. not been consulted by Bran over the warrior within it, then he
were ARIANRHOD and her brorher the marriage of his half-sisrer squeezed and cracked his skull.
GWYDION. fu soon as he was bom Engn was rhe name of rwo of che BMNwEN ro rhe Irish hng, he pro- One by one Efnisien asked about
three leaderswho led the Milesians ceeded to cut off the lips, earsand the contens of the sacksand each
DYI-AN,a Welshseadeity,leaptJromhis in their conquest of lreland. They tails of Matholwch's horsesduring time repeatedhis squeezing.
mother's armsatbirthandplungedstraight were Eber Donn, or Eber "the the wedding feast.To compensare The feast took place therefore
intotheseaand swarrt aswellasanyfsh. Brown", and Eber Finn, or Eber for this act, Bran gaveMatholwch a not as Marholwch had planned.An
Belwedby thesea,all thewaves weptwhen "the Fair". The third was named ma$c cauldron that was capableof even more unexpected rurn of
hewashilled, andhisdeath-groan canstill Eremon. Eber Donn failed ro reach restoring dead warriors to life, bur events occurred when Efnisien
beheardin theroarof theincoming tide the lrish coast because his ship wich one small imperfecrion - rhey rhrew Matholwch's three-year-old
(Tnr B,rprrsrv foundered in a storm caused by, it
ot, Dvt,tN, Soruor rHE WAVEBl came back to life withour rhe son by Branwen on to the fire.
Grrlncr Sxennt,vcn,qrr,
crruvn.sc I900 ) was said, his bloody war cry. The power of speech. However, the Branwen would have leapt after her
L26
CeITIc MyrHoLoGY
EBER DONN (abwe) and the Milesian son, but Bran held her back. In the EMER, in Irish mythology, was around to the front of his house.
chiefsdnft in thefairy sea mists of the lrish fight that took place afterwards the the daughter of Fogall and the wife Even then, he thought of Emer's
cowt OnboardEbcr's ship,the druid Britons were almost defeatedby the of.cucuul{INN, who first saw her request, but his enemies the witch-
Amairgencharmedthe seawth magtcof magrc cauldron that Bran had given when he was at the courr of rhe es of celqrlN casr a spell to harden
hts wwr,butEberlet outhis greatwar cry Matholwch, because at night it High Kirg of Ireland at Tara. She his resolve to fighr single-handed.
whichbrolu the druid's spelland stired up restored to life the trish warriors appeared "dark-haired almosr as
a stoftn inwhichhewas drwned who had been slain during rhe day himself, and her skin whire as ENTO SCCCELTIC ROIVIANCE
BvJAMES
0rrusrnerroru ALEX{Noen,
1995) The Britons were in a desperare mare's milk, and her eyeswide and
predicament and so Eftrisien,ar rhe proud and brilliant like the eyes of EME& a peerlessInsh maiden, inspired
EFNISIEN belw) inspectssaclu in cost of his li[e, destroyedthe magicFedelma, his favourite falcon". the lwe ol Ulster'sgreathero, Cuchulainn
Matholwch'shall. In each sachhefelt a cauldron. He hid among the Irish Emer's father was a chieftain from Shewasblessedwiththe sA gJB oJ
warior's head, which he cnshed between dead and was thrown into rhe boil- Meath and was against the match. womanhood:beaul, chasilry,wisdom,
his fngm The moody ticlster went on to ing cauldron, where he strerched He told Cuchulainn to travel to sweetspeech,songand needlecraJtWhen
prwohe a deadly contest,but than, in and burst its sides, bur rhe grear improve his fighting shlls and only thehero courtedher,shesmiledathis
remorse,sacnfced himself to save his effort involved hlled him. then would he consider him as a youth,and saidthathehad "deedsto do"
comrades (tuununov aySrrparru
Rno,l9i0) son-in-law. Cuchulainn survived (Iu-usrnqnox
BySrEpHEN
REID.
1912
)
EL,ffHA, in Irish myrhologr, w6 and retumed to claim his bride.
the son of Delbaeth, the leader of Indeed, Cuchulainn was forced to
the FOMORIIand father of BRES, atuck the reluctant Fogall's fortress
who was briefly the leader of the before the wedding could mke
TUATHADE DANANIV.UnIiKe the place. Although Emer was totally
other Fomorii, who were described enraptured by her handsome hus-
as being hideous and deformed, band, their marriagewas not with-
Elathawas fair and had golden hair. out its troubles, not least because
He met the goddessEri on rhe sea many other women also found the
shore and there they conceived Ulscerhero attrac[ive.Just before
their child Bres. When Bres was his final batde, when he fought rhe
removed from the leadership of rhe army of Queen MEDBalone, Emer
De Danann, he and his morher tried to persuadehim to remain in
went to Elathato ask for help, bur the fortress of Emain Macha, rhe
the Fomorii were defeated at the seat of King CONCHOBHAR MAC
second battle of Magh Tuireadh NE55A.However, he got on his
and dnven from lreland. chanot when it was broughr
t27
CTITIC MYTHOLOGY
128
Crlrrc MvrHoLocY
ous existence,Etain was loved both SCNIfor CUCHUIAINN, who CameTo of.cuctlui,AlNN As young men,
by the High King Eochaidh, whom her island and defeared her en- they were both taught ro fighr by
she married, and by his brother emies,and remainedfor one month SCATHACH During the war of the
AILILL This potendally difficult as her lover Before he returned brown bull of Cuailgne, Ferdia
situation wassolved by her sudden home, they arranged to meet again fought on the side of Queen MEDB
discoverythat she was alreadymar- in Ireland.But Cuchulainn's wife, and against Cuchulainn and the
ned to Midir, who had awakened EMER,found out about this secret men of Ulster Ferdia did his best
her memories High King Eochaidh meedng and took fifry of her maid- to avoid coming up against his
lost Etain to the god at a game of ens armed with sharp knives to kill friend, but eventually Medb taunt-
chess,but although she lived once Fand A confused argument then ed him into fighting the great hero
again with Midir for a period of took place between Fand, Emer, in singlecombat and he was killed
time, Etain decided in the end to Cuchulainn and Manannan Mac
retum to Taraand finish her morral Lir, who had also learned of the Frncus Mnc Leoa see
life as Eochaidh'squeen arrangement But in the end, Fand MAGIC AND ENCFIANTMENT
CTITIC MYTHOLOGY
wariors, guardedthe High King oJIreland and gfted child, enjoyeda specnl ffinity
and rovedup and down the countrysideon wtth the crenturesof the wods He was
vaious ventures Hand-piched,thq were raisedon the sbpa of Bloom Sliew by two
gftedinboth arms andthe arts Although warior women, who helpedhim darcbp the
ahazel stick. Then must nine war- was a druid. Hoping to become prowess as a warrior that he was his rival's morul wound, which he
riors, having nine spears,with a ten supremely wise, he caught the soon appointed over the head of had received when hunting.
furrows'width berween them and Salmon of lfuowledge, but unfor- Goll to lead the Fenians, as his The account of Finn MacCool's
him, assailhim and let fly at him lf tunately for his own ambitions he father had done. Goll accepted this own death is unclear. Some sagas
he sustained injury, he was not gaveit to the young FINNMACCOOL decision with good grace, a gesture tell how he fell attempdng to quell
receivedinto the band " to cook Finn bumt his thumb on that may explain why Finn an uprising among the Fenians
the flesh of the fish and sucked the MacCool did not challenge Goll
FINEGAS,theagedseerandpoet, bum. Realizingthat his pupil Finn over his father's death. Indeed, FINTAN, the Salmonof Knouiledge,bashs
humblyolfersFinn theSalmon oJ was the one destined to gain the Goll eventually manied one of Finn in Nechtan's weIIoJ inspiration, werhung
Knowledge, fulfillingthepropheqthata wisdom, Finegasgenerouslylet the MacCool's daughters, rhough he wtth theNuts of Knowldge Fintnn gained
mannamed"Fionn"wouldbeneftfrom the boy eat the whole fish also slew his son. This last act of hs wisdomfrom eating the nuts whichfell
miraculous fish On eatingthesalmon, violence was too much and the into the well, causingbubblesoJ inspiration
Finn becameas wiseas he was strong with FINN MacCooL, sometimes Fenians pursued him. Trapped, The wellts decoratedherewith Celtic
instant insight into the past andfuture called Finn Mac Cumaill or Fionn Goll chose to suwe to death rather heads,rymbok oJspintualpwer.
(lrusraerrorv
svH R MrtLAn, 1912) MacCumal, was the leader of the than surrender. Finn MacCool (Iuusrnertoru Lrrrepnu, 1994
avSrunRr )
r30
Celrrc MyrHoLocy
131
il'i';t'il *'iri' +
WoNDRous C,tuLDRoNs
IMCULouscAULDRoNS featureas a recurrenrmotif in Celtic myrh. Some
overflow with plenty, others restore the dead to life, while still others
contain a specialbrew of wisdom. Dagda'sgiganticCauldron of Plenty
overflowedwith abundant, delicious meats; no hero left his bowl
hungry, though cowardsneverhad their fill. From Bran'smassiveCauldronof Rebirth
waffiors emerged alive but dumb; another
Cauldron of Rebirth in Annwn was
guarded by nine maidens. Cauldrons of
Inspiration provided "greals" or brews of
wisdom. The most famous belonged to
the goddess Ceridwen, whose magi cal
broth endowed Taliesin with all-knowrng
insight. Some cauldrons, such as Dagda's,
combined the magical properties of both
plenty and rebirth. Similar mystery bowls
or cups fea[ure in Greek and easlern
myths as holy vesselsof spintual insight.
Ultim ateIy, the early Celtic cauldrons find
expression in the Arthurian Grail, which
overflows with spiritual sustenance and
leads the hero from death to immoruliry.
!! 'ii
!! 'i*
{, 1{
?\
'r,.
i
i". a\
" : :4i i" 1n
i t'fuo,u*.
t
,,,w ,#
,:i{l, r:,,i
CTITIC MyTHoLoGY
Gnf-tfmD was unique at the Camelot A mystenous lady then Bors when he encountered the After this, various miracles took
court of King ARTHUR, for he alone announced how the sacredvessel Grail. Together they had received place and Sir Galahad was even
saw the entire Grail, or SANGREAL would come and feed all the the sacrament from the long-dead obltged to become a hng for a dme
He may even have handled the knights This happened, although JOSEPH OF ANMATHEA, who told Sir while he waited patiently for his
sacredvessel,as one version of the none at the wonderful meal saw or Galahad to take a bleeding spear to requesr ro be fulfilled. When
Arthurian myth states that Sir touched the Grail When Sir the castle of the "Maimed Kirg" Joseph of Arimathea eventually
Galahad took "Our Lord's body Gawain vowed to find its home in and rub it on this crippled ruler's retumed, Galahad was at last
berween his hands" and then died order to see the Grail for himself, body and limbs Once this taskwas granted his wish to leave the
The quest for the Grail was an most of the t(nights of the Round camed out, and the strange king world Joseph first allowed the
important preoccupation of the Table followed suit, despite the restored to health, Sir Gaiahadsaw pure and humble knight to hold
K.,ghs of the Round Table One of efforts of King Arthur to dissuade the Grail in a vision. When he the Grail for a few moments, then,
the seas was alwaln left vacant as it them from undenahng what might prayed that "he might leave the as Sir Galahad knelt down to pray
was the place reserved for the prove to be their final quest world", a voice told him how his for his deliverance. his soul was
knight who would find the Grail Although they set off in different soulwould live in the next life with suddenly releasedfrom his body
Unril Sir Galahad sat there. no directions, Sir Galahadwas in the Christ the moment his request and "a great multitude of angels
knight had earned the right to company of Sir PERCIVAL and Sir could be granted. bore it up to heaven".
occupy the place wrthout being
instantly swallowed by the earth.
The worthy young Sir Galahad
was rhe son of Sir LANCEtot. the
secret lover of Queen GUINEVERE,
Anhur's wife. From the beginning
of Galahad'smanhood, however, it
is made clear that he is without
blemish. Twelve nuns. who had
raised Galahad, told his father thar
he should "make him a lceight, for
there is no man alive more desew-
ing of the order of knighthood" As
soon as Sir Galahad had taken his
rightful place at the Round Table,
the presenceof the Grail was felt in
GAIAHAD recav
esspiitual nouishment
from theGrail,followedby Percivaland
BorsTheideaof an all-sustainingand
all-inspiing"greal"or brauis rootedin
Celtic myth (How SrnGnLeneo,srRBoRsAND
134
CII-TIC MyTHOLoGY
GnwruN, in welsh Gwalchmai, present, the giant behaved as if At the meeting berween Sir GAWAIN, an activeand restlesshnight,
was the most courteous knight at nothing had happened. Calmly Gawain and his fearful opponent, lost interestin theGrail Questquite early
ARTHUR'scourt. He was a strict stooping, he picked up his head the Green lGright tumed out to be on Ahhoughone oJthe first to setJorth,
upholder of chivalry and the enemy and mounted his green charger. none other than Sir Bercilak him- inspinngthe restoJthe Knights,helost
of Sir LtNCELor. Sir Gawain's mosr Then, from the saddle, the Green self. Three times the axe was swung heart, laching the necessarydiscipline,
exrraordinaryadventure concemed Ktrght pointed his severedhead in at Sir Gawain's neck. Twice it was patienceand humility (Tnr.Fnrr
urir,or,srn
the Green lGright. Rather like the Sir Gawain's direcdon and told him deflected because he had not r pE.srRy,
nyWMrxnrs,
GnwRrr.r 1895-96
)
hazard faced by the Ulsrer hero to be at a lonely chapel ayear from abused his host's hospitality by
CUCHUIAINN,when a water giant that day in order to take a tum ar making love to his wife. The third Unlike Sir Gawain. Cuchulainn
came to test the courage of Irish receiving a blow from an axe. On time it made a slighr cut, at which had no hesitarion in slippingaway
warriors, the gigantic Green Kttrght the journey to this dangerous Sir Gawain flinched. It did not cut from the battlefield in order to keep
strode into King Arthur's hall at appointment Sir Gawain stayed off his head because Sir Gawain a secret meedng with a lover, even
Camelot one New Year's Eve and with Sir Bercilak de Hautdesert had only acceptedthe green sash during Queen MEDB's invasion of
challenged the ltuighrs of rhe who had a beautiful wrfe He was out of good manners Yet Sir Ulster. The magical transformation
Round Table to a beheading con- sorely tempted by Sir Bercilak's Gawain realized that courtesy was of Sir Bercilak de Hautdesert into
test. Sir Gawain accepted and cut wife but managed to resist her no equal to moral purity, and the Green lftright was explained as
off the stranger's head in a single advances for rwo days. However, thereafterhe alwap wore the green the work of the wirch MoRGAN LE
blow. fu the severed head rolled on the third daySir Gawain accept- sashas a reminder of his lapse FAY, King Anhur's half-sister.
around the hall, the royal courr ed from her a green sash, which This late Bridsh version of the
relaxed and thought the challenge was the usual token worn by Celtic beheadingcontest was quite GTNATNT SCC CELTICROMANCE;
"
over. But to the amazement of all knight to show his love for a lady. clearly influenced by Christianity SINGLE COMBAT
r35
CeITIC MYTHOLOGY
GOIBHNIU was the Irish smith by rhe Fenians But Diarmuid was
god and one o[ the ruerHA DE killed by a magic boar in a hunting
DANANN He could make a perfect accidentafter Cormac Mac Art and
sword or spearwith three blows of Finn MacCool had finally accepted
his magic hammer Just before the his marriage to Grainne Although
second battle of Magh Tuireadh, a Grainne blamed Finn MacCool for
FOMORIIspy came to see how Diarmuid's death and swore to
Goibhniu made such impressive obtain vengeancethrough her four
weapons, and even wounded the sons, the wily Finn wooed her until
god Goibhniu was said to preside she agreedto manryhim.
over an otherworld feast called Fled
Goibnenn,for which he brewed the GUtunvERE, whose welsh
aIe His Welsh counterpart was GOIBHNIU, the Insh smith god, wasan name, Gwenhwfar, probably GMINNE (abwe), a passionateand
named Govannon outstanding craftsmanand armourer means "white spirit", was the wife wilJulmaiden,JelIJor the iwesistible
Along wtth his glJtedbrothm, Cradhne the of eRrnuR and the secret lover of Diarmuid ,\s shewasbetrothedto Finn
THT GNruI SCC SANGREAL; goldsmith,and Luchtar, the carpater, he Sir LANCELOT. In the stories about MacCool, Diarmuid politely refusedher
was promised to FINNMACC))L, managed to escape from Tara, the those who loved them. ln role as Flovtu Bide, is crmnedMay
leader of the FIANNA,the body- Irish capital, with a rather relucmnt Guinevere'scasethe love affairwith Quear in abower of peals On May
guard of the High King Although Diarmuid Gradually, however, he Sir l.ancelot weakened the uniry of Morning Arthur and his hntghs celebrated
still powerful, Finn MacCool was came to love Grainne, although for the RoundTable. ltwas herbeaury wtth sportsand contestsLancebt,her
quire old and Grainne preferred sixteen years they had to keep that also atuacted Arthur's nephew champion, alwaysoccelled.o-,rncerorexo
DIARMT]IDUA DI,]IBHNE.WhO WAS moving in order to avoid capture Sir uoDRED,who seizedCamelot GUINEVERE.BY HERBERT DMPE& UNVES, 19c.o )
r36
Crlrrc MvrHoLocY
GUINEVERE (abwe), conilemnedto quarrel. He proposed that Gwem, and the builder of London. King GWYDION (abwe) and Gilvaethv,lyJlee
deathJorhu afair with lancelot, was though only three, should be futhur set out after Griddylad and from Prydm's castlewith his precious
rescuedby him. In the bbody contestthot placed on the lrish throne. But demanded that Gwyn ap Nudd *vine The danngtheJt was part oJan
ensuel,I-ancebt slrw many h"rghs. Arthur Branwen's half-brother EFNISIEN retum her to her rightful husband, ingeniousplan to help Gilvaethwy wtn
'thefairatJellovship
wept at theloss of of would not agree and threw the his loyal follower Gwythyr. The Gwan A resourcefulmaglcian,Gwydion
noblc tmights". ([-nncrLo,r
REscuEs
Gunrvmr rv child on to a fire. siege of the otherworld king's casde had tnclud hyde" into anhangpnghis
IVldrrHrnrtt.crNv s,c 1910.) proved to be long and difficult, so wineJor someilhsory honcs
GWYDION was rhe nephew of a strange compromise was agreed 0rrusrnrnourv fin Isz 1981)
and forced Guinevere to consent to MATH,lord of the Welsh hngdom by both sides Gwyn ap Nudd and
marry him during the hng's of Gwynedd. In order to help his Gr"nhyr agreed to meet in combat IRNAN (bela4/) was one oJthree sister
absenceabroad. The confronadon brother, Gilvaethwy, sleep with each May Day until the end of witches.Shespuna magpcwebto snare
between Arthur and Modred at the Gowein, the young woman who time; whoever was the winner on the Fenian waritors The wariors were
battle of Camlan brought to a was Math's footholder, Gwydion doomsday could have Griddylad. rescuedbyGoLwho slav two of thesistm,
bloody end the golden age of stirred up a quarrel beween Math but spared lrnan when shebeggedfor
Brirish chivahy, as hardly a knight and pnyprRr, which meanr that the HTIITWNS SCC SAGE5AND merE. Hmtato, lrnan instantly changed
wuls left alive. Arthur, mortally kingwent awaytowar. When Math SEERS intn a monstrr and Goll hilled hq.
wounded, was mken to AVALoN, rerumed and discovered the decep Rtto,1910)
0rrusrprnorvBySIEpHEN
while Guinevere became a nun at tion, he rumed his nephews into a IRl.lAI.l, in lrish mythology, was a
Amesbury, where she later died. It stag and a hind for one year, into a witch who once spun a magic web
is believed by some that herbody boar and a sow for the next, and to catch some members of the
was buried at Glastonbury, not far into a pair of wolves for the third. FIANNA,or Fenians, the bodyguard
from Arthur's tomb. (See also Later, Gwydion took charge of his of the High King of lreland When
CELNCROMANCE) sister ARIANRHOD's son LLEU. this plan failed, Irnan changed her-
self into a monster and challenged
GWfnN, according ro Welsh GwtoN BacH seeTAUESTN. any one of the Fenians to single
mytholory, w6 the son of the Irish combat. FINNMACCOOL,the leader
king MATHOLWCHand the Welsh GwyN AP NUDD, in welsh of the Fenians,stepped forward but
princess BRANWEN. A dispute mytholory, ws an otherworld hng wzrspersuadedthat itwould notbe
between the two royal families led who crossed swords with King heroic enough for a warrior of his
to Branwen becoming a cook, ART}IL/R.Gwyn aMucrcd Griddylad, stature to fight thag, even if she
which caused her brother, BRltN the daughter of Lludd Llaw Ereint, was in the form of a monster. So
THEBLESSED,to sail to lreland to on herwedding day. According to another Fenian, Goll, slew Iman
avenge the insult. Matholwch sug- one late myth, Lludd Llaw Ereint and as a reward Finn allowed him
gested a compromise to setde the was the son of the death god Beli to marry his daughter.
t37
CEI-TIC MyTHOLOGY
forcedto leavethelrish courtJor political come the dragon, its poisonous Comwall, lseult was deeply upset. lsoLDE ByJoHN DuNclN, uNvtts, 1912 )
reasons (ltLusrnertoru By EvELYlv Pettt, c I9A0 ) breath weakened him temporarily But her mother gave Iseult's maid
and an imposter claimed to have BMNGAINEa love potion which, if that King Mark found them asleep
won the contest. lseult and her drunk on their wedding night, with Sir Tristan's sword between
mother, however, suspected trick- would make the couple love each them, but he decided not to slay
ery and discovered the injured other forever. All would have been them there and then. Instead he
young knight While they were well had not Tristan accidentally exchanged Sir Trismn's sword for
nursing Sir Trismn back to health, drunk the potion and gtven some his own and left them sleeping.
Iseult nodced that his sword had a to Iseult on the joumey to King Overcome by the mercy shown by
piece missing exactly like the frag- Mark's court. Although Iseult did his uncle, Trisun persuaded Iseult
ment of metal found in the head of marry the Cornish hng, on the to retum to her husband and he
MoRHoLT,the Irish champion. Sir wedding night, under the cover of left forvoluntary exile in Brituny.
Tristan had monallywounded him darkness, Brangaine took her Place In Brittany Sir Trisun married
on the last occasion the Irish tried in the royal bed so that he would but without happiness. On several
to collect ribute from Comwall. suspect nothing. For a time the occasions he rerumed to Comwall
Iseult wanted to hll Sir Tristan lovers managed to meet in secret, in disguise and secretly met lseult
in revenge,but she found that her bur, like the love of culrur'rcnE and again, but war took up most of his
heart would not let her wield the IANCEL?T, they were eventually energies.A serious wound forced
sword against him. It came as a discovered. lt happened one day Sir Trisan to send for Iseult. It was
r38
CEI-TIC MYTHOLOGY
r39
CELTIC ROMANCE
HE LIVELyAND coMpELLINGcharacter of Celtic romance stems from the
heated rivalries and passionsof the lovers.Most, if not all, talesinvolve a
love trianglewith two men contestingone desirablewoman. Sometimesone
of the rivals is young and handsome,while the other is an oppressive
guardian, as in the tale of Naoise and Conchobhar; elsewhere,the two suitors are
simply rival admirers, one loved and the other despised,as in the caseof Pwyll and
Gwawl. This recurrent rivalry probably q'mbolizesa seasonalbattle betweena Lord of
Summer and a Lord of Winter for the Spring Maiden. Celtic love trianglescreate
tension, drama and colourful charactersof timelessappeal.The attractiveyoung
heroes,such as raven-hairedNaoise, or Diarmuid of the Love-Spot,are quite as
irresistibleas the ravishingCeltic beauties,Deirdreand Fand.While all the characters
are portrayedwith touching flaws, the heroinesemergeas sffong and independent
women, expressingwarmth and wisdom.
[-ANcEtor (above)and Guinevere'sabidinglovet'or fatthful consort,and he was n6)er lessenedby thar Tnrsr,q.u(above)ond Iseult snatcha tensemoment togetherin their
eachother woundedArthur, shoohhiscourt and love Here, the couplehissat thar first meeting clandestineromanceThq had gown obsessively
attachedto one
split the Fellowshipof Knights Yet both loversare contnvedbyGalleotin an embroideredmedionl another after acctdentallydnnhing a lovephtltre intendedfor Iseultand
portrayed by Mallory as essentiallygood but traglc setting Althoughtheir lwe grew out oJ the courtly her betrothed,KingMarh of Cornwall Thedoomedlwersembarhedan
characters EvenArthur realizedthat Guinwere had tradition,it wentJar bqond what the courtlycode a desperateand traglc romance,Jraught with guilt and unrequited
beentrue to him inher way as a generousand would have allowed (MaNuscnrpr
ILLUSTMTToNc I 400) longrngs(Tmsren ByAwTuRNBArr,
isoLDE
AND 1904)
cnrvns,
CTITIC MYTHOLOGY
r42
CTITIC MYTHOLOGY
r t Flll Qigh}hail n fitrn intoan uflc Lamfhada ("of the Long Arm").
to a;apehismurilnouswlfe, Blodarcdd. Quite possibly this great victory
vwndcil and
Hc hidin tlrcfczla,t, represented the rise of youngergods
starnnguntil Gwydionlurdhimdmn amongst the Tuatha De Danann
andratord himn healtluBlodadd themselves, for the youthful Lugh
By
wasturnd intnan anl. otusrnefloN felled Balor with a more modem
44y I r.q1984) weapon than DAGDA's ancient
club. Indeed, an altemative name
LlR, or Llyr in Welsh, was the for Lugh was Samildanach ("the
father of T,IANANNAN lr{c uR, the many-shlled"). This ingenuiry may
Manx seagod, magician and god of account for Lugh's introduction as
healing. Althouglr Lirwas also a sea the father of Cuchulainn in the
god he is hardly mendoned in more historical sagas.The sun god
mytholory, despite Sving his name was believed to have fought along-
to nuilny places, including kicester side his hard-pressed son during
in England. Shakespeareprobably Queen MEDBof Connacht's inva-
had the Welsh LIyr in mind when sion of Ulster. After Cuchulainn's
he wrote his tragedy Kngl-ear. death his foster-brother coNALL
claimed to have received help from
LLEU, named Lleu of the Skilful Lugh when he chased Cuchulainn's
Hand, in Welsh mytholorywas the killers. On one occasion the sun god
son ofARIAwRHoD.His motherlaid another man and plotted Lleu's god GOTBHNIU,Cian's brother, appearedin a magic mist.
a series of curses upon him, includ- death. When the guilry lovers saved Lugh from Balor's wrath and Lugh's final claim to fame is that
i.tg th" promise that he was to have smrck him, Lleu rose into the airin raised him to manhood. his name became part of the term
no name unless she gave him one, the shape of an eagle. After a long Well before the final battle used to describe the fairy in lrish
no weapons unless she provided search, Gwydion found him, between the Tuatha De Danann folklore, because over time "Little
them and no wife of the human restored him to human form and and the Fomorii, Lugh's proweas tls stooping Lugh', or Luchorpain,
race. With the help of his uncle healed his wounds. a warrior had been recognized. The tumed into the leprechaun, the
GWYDION,who raised him, Lleu De Danann leader NUADAstepped tiny guardian of hidden treasure
overcame all these taboos, though ITUO SCCNUDD down in his favour, and at the and the expert cobbler.
the wife conjured by Gurydion and second battle of Magh Tuireadh
the magician lv0{TFIwas nearly his LUCH was the Irish name for the Lugh fulfilled the prophecy of LllGH, theraplndent Celticsungod,
undoing. For this woman, Celtic sun god, who was known as Balor's death when he killed him ledtheTwthaDeDatunnagainstthe
BLODEIIEDD, fell in love with Lleu in Wales and as Lugos in with a sling-shot. Before delivering Fotnuiibn W hisgranilfathu,Mbr,
France. He was alwala described as this decisive blow Lugh had circled whomhesW with hismagtrc As
sling-shot
IJR'Sfour lnely chrWrnwqe turnedinn a young and handsome wanior. the enemy host on one foot and gd oJartsandoafts,lwirwntedtlu
swansbykariulous stqmothq. For Lugh was himself pan FOMORII, with one eye closed, a magic circuit popularboard gameof fdchell,inwhkhhe
9A0yun tlvy adureilcoWandhunga since his grandfather was the lrish that copied the single-leggednessof ucelled,. 0uusrn rnor.r ByE wu:-:cousrrvs, I 912 )
in W waters,clnrminglXtenmwik tluir one-eyed god neroR, the Fomorii the Fomorii in general and one-
poignantsong.Whatat Lastranrd a champion. The Fomorii were sea eyed Balor in particular. It would
humanfomt, thq waebentandbony. gods who challenged the TUATFIA seem that, like the Ulster hero
(l-rn's Carlpnnt ByJorDrDuNcAN, ilNvtrs, I9I2) DEDANANNfor control of lreland; cUcHULAtNNand the berserkers of
theywere sometimes described as Germanic mythology, the battle-
having only a single hand, foot or frenzy gnpped Lugh in such away
eye. Lugh's mother was ETHUNN, that one eye disappeared into his
the only daughrcr of Balor. Because head while the other expanded into
a prophecy had said that Balor a hideous, paralprng stare. Balor's
would be hlled by his own grand- own single eyelid had to be raised
son, he locked Ethlinn in a cryatal by four servants, and Lugh sent his
tov/er on Tory Island, off the nonh- shot smashing into the eye the
westem cozlstof Ireland. But Cian, moment itwas opened. Balor's eYe
son of the Tuatha De Danann heal- was forced back through his head,
rng god DIANIECHT, succeededin with the result that its tenible gaze
reaching Ethlinn and she bore fell upon the Fomorii ranks behind.
Lugh as a result. Either the seagod Thus Balor died and the Fomorii
I&{NANNANlvt{C LIR or the smith scattered. Lugh became known as
r43
CTITIC MyTHoLoGY
IdAEI^DUNOeloul)andhrssailon
foundawondroussilvr columnrising
straightfrom thesea.lts summit,lostin
tlres}1.,wailrapeilwrtha silvqnet,
flungJarouttosea.Astheywiled
thrugh themah, Aurnan hached of a
pieceu proofoJke tale.(tuusrntnoN By
D,tpur,r ME{ER"1991)
L15
CTITIC MYTHOLOGY
MAIH was rhe brother of rhe IM,qrHoLwCH, in welsh myrh- IMruCN SCCFABULOI) S VOYAGES while she was bathing in a pool
Welsh mother goddessDoN and a ology, was the lrish kingmarried to Forbai had discovered that Queen
great magician At the time that BMNWEN, the sister of nRarutle MEDB, also known as Maeve,was Medb was in the habit of regularly
PRYDERI ruled over Dyfed in the BLESSED and half-sisterof rnvlsrEN. the wamor-queen of Connacht taking her bath in a Galway pool
southem part of Wales, Math was Efnisien, becausehe claimed that According to lrish mythology, no He very carefully measured the
the lord of Gwynedd in the north. he had not been consulted over king could reign in Connachr exact distance between the spot
Except during war, Math could Branwen's wedding, "cut off the unless he was married to Medb, where she bathed and the shore,
only live if his feet were held in the lips of Matholwch's horsesat their who was believed to hold the hng- then he returned to the Ulster
lap of a virgin. When Gilvaethwy, tecth, their earsto their heads,and dom's sovereignryin her person. ft stronghold of Emain Macha and
one of his nephews, fell in love their tails ro their bodies" Later. was also said that she "never was practised with a sling-shot until he
with the young woman who held when Bran took his army to Ireland wrthout one man in the shadow of was able to knock an apple from
Math's feet in her lap, his brother, to avenge the insult of Branwen another". Medb's most famous the top of a pole over the same
GWYDION, tncked Math into going being made a cook, Efnisien tossed action was the invasion of Ulster, distance Satisfied ar last rhat his
to war wrth Pryderi so that the girl Matholwch's three-year-old son when her forcescaptured rhe geat aim was perfect, he stealthily made
might be left behind On discover- GwERNinto a fire In the battle that brown bull of Cuailgne and killed his way back to the pool and hir
ing that he had been deceived, followed, nearly all the Brirons were the Ulster hero CUCHULAINNShe Queen Medb in the centre of her
however, the furious Math turned hlled and all of the Irish except for was herselfslain by Forbai, rhe son forehead using his sling-shot Thus
his nephews into animals five pregnant women. of King CONCHOBHARMAC NESSA, was Ulster revenged.
t+7
SINGLE COMBAT
N wAR,THEANCIENTCElrs relied on heroic single combat, rarher than all-out
warfare,as a meansof settling disputes.Shortagegf manpowerforbademultiple
pitched battles.Instead, chosenchampions,such as Cuchulainn or Morholt,
duelled to the death. Even in a large-scaleepic war, like the campaign of
Cuailgne, the Ulster champion fought in single combat every day with a different
warrior. In the Arthurian legends,single combat continued in the form of Ltghtly
jousts. While the Celtic heroes wore scant arrnour, Arthur's
mounted knights encased themselvesin glittering iron. In
addition to the basic weapons of spear, sword, sling and
shield, the hero of legend had recourse to magical skills
and a range of enchanted weaponS, such as Arthur's
Excalibur or Fergus Mac Roth's Caladcholg, the
originalExcalibur.
Cucnu-uttN Aeft), the Insh champion,
njoys a short rupite betweenbattles
fuhausted by continual combat, he suf ued
G o a c l e t lr r n h , t h c r r s e , o n d . s h o t h i h u m f r t r r r s
( ) w , u r n ' sh o n l c a p t t , ,
lldnl ilLisll'ilrntng untrl
()rrlrn s cir'ft'rrr
c \\'hcn rhc ,qrtrntconrp/rrrn,'.:/
t h a t h c r o u l d i r t t n d l t ' ( h r r r r r r r , c l l, ' n t , u , g hi / r r
l n t i r t l ' r ( f' ( r r 1 r a \ s h
, rrt rhc rnt'prrssrhl, rrc(iIr{r(
/t1l;.'1,,1,'1 thc forlress rrttlls anc/ rrt.:trrlt'Jthc
{ c i l r t t r r t l C c l t h l , r i \ r k 1 i i ,, . .i r i \ , \ \ l r , l , ) t ' +
CTITIC MyTHOLOGY
t50
CeITIC MYTHOLOGY
r5r
CTITIC MYTHOLOGY
r52
CTITIC MYTHOLOGY
r53
CTITIC MyrHoLoGY
t54
CeITIC MYTHOLOGY
155
HERoIC QTJESTS
HE THRILLING puRSUrrof a real or visionary goal forms the plot of many
compelling tales of advenrure.The goal is not alwaysthe most tantalizing
part of the venture and might seem like a redious or even trivial rask, but
servesto spur the travelleron his way. Other goals,such as the Grail, seem
barely attainable,bur serve as shining symbols of aspiration. The impetus is
sometlmes romantic, as when
Culhwch set our ro find fa:r Olwen;
or retributory, as when Geraint went
forth ro avenge a wrong; while
Peredur, Owain and rhe Grail l(nighrc
were inspired by o rherworldly
visions and ideals. Wharever the
goal, the quesr usually rakes on a
magic of its own, leading the hero
d o w n u n e x p e cr e d b y p a t h s o f
adventure and discovery. En route he
meets new friends and travelling
companions, learns much-needed
Iessons and carches sight of even
more tantahzrng quests ahead.
fairest fellowshipoJnoble
hnightswould nuer meet
again around thetable
at Camelot Hewas
nght,forJnt oJhis
companywuefittedJor
the questandmarry
pmshed (TneAnvtncaNo
DEPARTURE OF THE KNIGHTS BY
TAPESTRY,1895-96)
ffi
iiti
'ff
',. i
irri
CeITIC MyTHoLoGY
OfWfN, in welsh mythology, steal a maglc dog, leash and collar; sheer size and cornplexity of rhe
was the daughter of the gianr hire as a huntsman MABON. son of challenges, Culhwch said that
Yspaddaden and her suitor was Modron, who had first ro be "Ki.g Arthur will provide horses
CULHWCH,one of King ARTHUR's released from pnson; find a won- and men to help him win Olwen"
warriors Culhwch's stepmother derful sceed and swift hounds; sreal He also informed the gianr thar he
hated him so much rhar she cursed a comb, scissors and a razor from would retum to slay him. Culhwch
him to mary only Olwen, a girl berween the ears of a fierce boar; succeeded and married Olwen
whom rhe warrior came to love and persuade a number of unlikely "and she was his only wife as long
dearly. Yspaddaden was so upser gues6 to come to Yspaddaden's as he lived" The giant was killed by
by the obvious affecrion berween stronghold. Undaunred by the one of Culhwch's fellow knighs.
Olwen and Culhwch that he set his
daughter's lover a seriesof tasksin OLWEN QeJ),in flaming red, wanders OWAIN below)peersthroughthetangled
order to prevent the marriage through the otherworld,depictedhereas a branchesofthewtldwood,Iihe
a shy,wtld.
Among other things, Culhwch had vibrant, broodingwoodedidyll Olwenwas creatureOvercomewithshameafter
to uproot a forest, burn the wood lovedbyCulhwch,awarior of King wronginghkwtfe,heJIedintothe
for fertilizer and plough rhe cleared Arthur's court, who had to go to great wiWaness andlived
asawildman,wasting
land in one day; force AMAETHON, lengths to securehts bnde awayuntilrescuedbya nobluoman
the god of agricukure, ro nourish (lrrusrnenow
ByATAN
LEE,
1981) (IrrusrnenoN sv Au|v Lrc., 1984)
its crops; make the smith god
Govannon forge rools for the work;
bring four srrong oxen ro help;
obtain magic seed; provide honey
nine times sweeter than thar of a
virgin swarrn; get a magic cup and
a hamper of delicious mear;borrow
the drinking-hom of the under-
water king Gwyddbwyll and rhe
magc harp belonglng to Teirru (an
instrument rhar played irself);
caprure the birds of RHmNruoru,
whose song could wake rhe dead
and lull the living to sleep; provide
a magic cauldron; a boar's tusk for
the giant to shave with and shaving
cream made from a witch's blood:
r59
CTITIC MyTHoLoGY
PEREDU&raisedin rusticsecreqt, grav Rhiannon's rejected suitors and years eking out an existence on PEMDUR arousedthe rageof the Pnde
upstrongand agllebutdanidoJcourtly brought up by TEIRNON, a chieftain wild honey, fish and garne, they of the Cleaing whenhe suppedwith his
mannersWhenhesawthreeshining who discovered the infant in his finally decided to travel acrossthe wife The arrogant hnight assumedhis
hnights,hewasentranced Daisinga stable The chieftain's wife named border to Lloegp, present-day wrfe's guilt and punishedheruntil Peredur
saddleof twigs,
andarmedwith a the child Gwri, or "Golden Hair", England But the skill of JinaIIy challengedand werthrov him
sharpened hesetfonhJorArthur's
stahe, but when, aftersevenyears,he was Manawydan and Pryderi as crafts- Here, spladid as a peacoch,the proud one
court (IuusnarroN
BvAr,AN
Lrr,1984
) finally retumed home, Rhiannon men made them many enemies ides out to joust with Peredur
renamed him Pryderi, "Care", and they retumed to Wales ln a (lrlusrnqloru BYAIAN Lrr, 1984)
number, Peredurwas particularly becauseduring the child's absence ruined castle, Pryderi came across
adept at defeadngwitches, who in her life had been very careworn a golden bowl fastened by four PRYDERI, lord of DyJed,marchedinto
Wales took to the field like knighs She had been falsely accused of chains on a marble slab Pryden Gwyneddto awnge the theJtoJhis swineby
attired in full arrnour Indeed. his hlling her son and was made to do went to pick it up, but his hands the resourceJulmaglctan, Gwydion The
myth as it is told in rhe Mabinogon penance by sitting at the gare of stuck to the bowl and he found dispute was to be decidedby singlecombat,
ends with a terrible duel between hvyll's fortress and telling srangers that he couid not move or let it go but the matchwas unequalas Gvuydion
him and a leading witch. "For the of her crime, then offering to cary He was also struck dumb When bewitchedPryden with maglcal illusions
third time the hag slew a man of them on her back into his hall his mother tried to save him, (lrrusrnqrto,^l
nvAu^tLre,1984
)
futhur's before Peredur'seyes,and When Pwyll died, Pryderi suc- Rhiannon and Pryderi disappeared
Peredurdrew his sword and smote ceeded him as lord of Dyfed and in another mist
the witch on the cresrof her helmet gave his mother in marriage to It later emerged rhat all the
so rhat the helmet and all the MANAW)'DAN, son of the Welsh sea strange events had been causedby
arrnour were split into two And god Llyr, although in Pryden's a spell laid on rhe household by an
she raiseda shout, and orderedthe myth Manawydan appears as a enemy of Pwyll, Pryderi's father
rest of the witches to flee, and said morml warrior rather than a god At Manawydan discoveredthe trurh as
it was Peredurwho was destined to their wedding banquet therewas a he was about to hang a mouse for
slay all the witches of Caer Loyw " peal of thunder and a misr fell "No eating their corn The creature
(Seealso HEROIC QUESTS) one could seethe other, although tumed out to be the wife of Llwyd,
the great hall was filled wrth light " the old enemy of Rryll Other mice
PnYOfnI, in welsh mythologr, When the mist cleared, the land helping to devour the crops were
was the son of PWYLL,a notable was desolate People, animals and his wamors ransformed by magic
chieftain of Dyfed in south Wales, crops were gone Pryderi, his wife During their temporary disappear-
and of RHmruNoru Pryderi was Cigfa, Manawydan and Rhiannon ance, Pryderi and his mother had
snatched from his cot bv one of were the only peopie left After two been forced to work as donkeys
16r
CTITIC MyrHoLoGY
163
CTITIC MyTHoLoGY
EaT\TTT^^T-r \ T ^^\rr a ^ T- r-
rAI' U LTJ U ) V LJ YAtrl,)
during the Middle Ages. It was said Sanasby the three goodhnights,Galnhad,
to be the cup that Christ drank out Pucival and Bors,andwas celebratedin
believed ro have received the blood heaven (How rHe GMIL ABlDlrH tN A FAR
which flowed from the spear thrust Couurnv BY WTLLIAM MORRIS, ct'qss, c 1890 )
SANGREAL (abwe) wasattainedby three guardeda magrcree, which no one the night of her wedding to Connacht, Suaham Mac Roth
verydtlferenthnightsGalahad,the purest, dared approach However, during Sualtam Mac Roth, DECHTTRT had attempted to gather the men of
beheldits contents;Bors,the mostworldly, the sixteen-yearflight of GRelrurun swallowed a fly and fallen into a Ulsterwho had been weakenedbY
returnedto tell the tale: Percival,the and DieRMUIDuA DUTBHNE from deep sleep ln this state she went to MACHA'scurse So desPerateiYdid
simplest,becameits guardian {tae the FIANNA,the hard-pressedlovers the othervrzorldwith Lugh and he tum his horse that Suaitam cut
ATTAINMENT BYWILIJAM MORRIS, IAPE5TRY,C 1870) managed to become friends with there conceivedCuchulainn While off his own head with the sharP
Searbhanand he allowed them to Cuchulainn was single-handedlY edge of his shield. But the severed
SCOfnwas said to be the earliest shelter in the branchesof the magtc defending Ulster againstthe invad- head continued rhe call to arms
known ancestor of the Scots tree, which made it difficult for ing forces of Queen MEDB of long enough to rouse the warriors
According to one version of the FINN MACCIIL to find them
myth, she was the daughter of an However, Searbhanand Diarmuid
Egyptian pharaoh A wrse teacher came to blows when Grainne
named Niul, who had settled in attempted to eat some of the maglc
Egypt, became her husband and bemes that grew on the tree, and
they had a child, Goidel, who gave the Fomorii wamor was slain
his name to the Gaels In another
tradition. she was the wife of CI.]CHULIAIN
SNTENTN SCC
MILESIUSand was killed fighting
TheTUATMDEDANANN Sunrrnu Mec RotH, i',
lrish mythology, was the brorher of
ancient sea gods This one-eyed, owrr son, although the hero's real
one-arrnedand one-leggedfighter father was the sun god LLIGH On
r67
Crlrrc MyrHoLoGy
TRISTANandIseultAef),enchantedby a
lwepotion,gazeat eachotherin rapture
In onelegend,theuo hadJallenin love
beforesippingthepotion,whichonlyserved
to quashtheirscruplesTheVictonan
designcapturestheextremenatureoJ
courtly lwe luusrntloN ByEvELTNpeut, 1900)
169
CTITIC MYTHOLOGY
170
CTITIC MyTHOLOGY
17l
ru.:
INTRODUCTION
INTRoDT]CTIoN
HE MYTHOLOGYOF NORTHERNAND River Dnieper was a by-product of Viking isolation from such Slavonic influences did
eastem Europe is essentiaily that of exploration. It is rherefore likely that the Slavic not bode well for Balkan mythology As rhe
two main groups, peoples of thunder god Perunu had already absorbed mphs were never wntten down, the influence
Germanic and of Slavic descent Today the much of Thor's mythologr. Although a nadve of Christianiry and lslamic rule replaced the
former group includes Germans, Dutch, hammer-god undoubtedly existed before the native story-telling Of Baltic myrhologlr next
Danes, Swedes, Norwegians, lcelanders, Vihngs arrived in the 860s, the imponance of to nothing now exists, although some idea
English, and any of their exracdon, while rhe northem wariors in Novgorod and Kiev made can be formed of the pantheon The brutal
Slavs are made up of Russians,Serbs, Croa6, it inevitable that the Russian god would be truth is that European mythology has escaped
Bulgarians, Rumanians, Slovacs and Poles. identified wrth his Germanic counterpan The the Baltic fate only where by historical acci-
Other peoples have also contributed to the strength of the Vihng presence can be judged dent it was written down In the case of Celtic
mythological tradition of the region, such as from the Arab raveller Ibn-Fadlan's accounr
the inhabitanrc of rhe Baltic shore: the of the ship cremadon of a "Rus" Ieader on the Ootw,theleadingwarior godoJtheVihings,
atleft,bears
Prussians, Lithuanlans and Letts. Further Volga river in922. theweaponsofhiswarcraft,an axeandspearThestylized
north there are conrriburions from the Finns treedepicted
beside himrymbolizes
Ygdrasil,the WorV
In the Balkans the Slavs not only encoun-
TreeAt centreis thethundugodThor,wieldinghisfiery
and the Lapps of Sweden and Norway The tered Onhodox Chrisdaniry, but were later for
thunderbolt,
Mjollnir;whileat nght,Frqrbearsanearof
northemmost people of all, the Lapps of a time under Islamic rule also This long corn to represent hts Jmtlity (Taprsrny.t2rH cENruRy)
174
TNTRODUCTION
them mastery of rivers and seas,and enabled doom of the gods. These dead warriors, the
them to travel far and wide. warriors loved hearing about the exploits of Einheqar, were desperately needed for the
The lrish lamented the Viking onslaught one-eyed Odin. This chief of the Germanic final battle on the Vigrid Plain, where nearly
most. "The sea spewed forth floods of for- gods exened a special fascination as "father of all would fall in an encounter between the
eigners over lreland," noted the Annals oJ the slain" He shared those who fell on the gods and the frost giants. Odin himselfwas
IJlster, "so that no harbour, no beach, no battlefield with Freyla, the goddess of fertili- desdned to be killed by the wolf Fenrir, the
stronghold, no fort, no casde, might be ry. He also inspired the frightful berserkers, monstrous offspring of the fire god Loki and
found, but it was sunk beneath waves of the shield-bidng fighters who rushed unheed- the frost giantess Angrboda. Whether Harald
northmen and pirates." In 836 the Vikings ing and naked into the fray. When the Danish Wartooth accepted this as an adequate
had decided to set up a permanent raiding king Harald Warcooth complained about answer is uncertain, since Odin, who was act-
base on the site of present-day Dublin. Odin's fickleness, the way he gave luck in ing as his charioteer, flung the old king down
It is hardly surpnsrng that aggressiveVihng battle and then suddenly withdrew it again, and slew him with his sword as he fell.
175
INTRODUCTION
Vttnqu-e, helow), the splendid,many-spiredHaIl of the The "axe-age,sword-age", which was the colonisrs, either as farmens or traders, an alter-
Slain,housed Odin's phantomarmy oJheroicwarnors,
age that would lead up ro the carasrrophe of nadve god ro worship was Thor, Odin's son.
gatheredtofight at Ragnaroh- thepreordaineddoom of
Ragnarok, must have seemed like a descrip- Although "allergic" ro frosr giants, Thor is rep-
the gods On the right, the massiyeWorld Serpenr,
Jormungand, was destinedto werwhelm the world at tion of contemporary times to rhe footloose resented in the sagas as an honest and
rnovTnr pRosEEDDA,
Rngnaroh (Irrusrnerrorl 1760) Vikings. But for rhose who settled down as straightforward person. He was very popular
with lcelandic colonisrs, who had fled south-
em Norway to avoid the Odinlike acdvities
of leaders like Erik Bloodaxe. Thousands of
them revealed their allegiance in the choice of
family name: Thorsten or Thorolf were most
common. Thor was indeed a reassuring
supematural presence in both divine and
human crises, be they encroachmenrc by frost
gians on gods, or local tyrans on farmers, or
even overzealous Christian missionaries on
pagan temples. Ever handy was his rhunder-
hammer Mjollnir, a magic instrumenr wirh
powers of destruction, fertiliry and resurrec-
tion. It was hardly suqprising then that Thor
became a greatergod than Odin ar rhe close
of the Viking era, jusr a cenury or so before
Scandinavia was converted to Christianiry.
L76
INTRODUCTION
ARCTIC OCEAN
NORWEGIAN SEN
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ISLANDS
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ISLANDS FIT.TLAND
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rF
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)
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i B LACK
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f\r c:
D \"r'
NonsE MyrHoLoGY
AEGIR, or Eagor,was a Germanic handles reached his ankles Hymir The goddessesof the Aesirwere
sea god, the husband of MN and tned to stop Thor leaving with rhe FREYJA, rhe fertiliry goddess and
father of nine daughters, rhe waves cauldron, but the god's hammer twin sister of Freyr; FRIGG,Odin's
He seems to have belonged ro an saw off Hymir and his gigandc wife; SIF, the wife of Thor; and
older generation of the gods rhan friends As a result, a humiliared IDUN, who was the keeper of the
either the erSlR or the VANIR, Aegir had to accepr the cauldron apples of youth
although no details of his descent and supply ASGARD,rhe home of Almost all the Aesir were to be
survive Aegir was sometimes the gods, with ale hlled at Ragnarok(the doom of the
depicted as a very old man with It was at a subsequentfeastfor gods), when a terrible battle was
whire hair and claw-like fingers the gods held by Aegir rhar r-oxr destined to nke place berween the
Whenever he rose from his under- showed how evii he had become forces led by Odin, and the forces
water hall, he broke the surfaqeof Ar.cm (above),a tempestuousand when he insuhed rhe assembled led by Loh
the sea for a single pulpose, rhe powerfuIgod of the sea,residedin a company and stabbedAegir's ser-
destrucrion of ships and rheir glisteningunderwaterpalacefrom where vant Fimafeng AlnrntCH seeANDyART
crews To ensure a calm voyage, he directedthe swirlingwavesthroughhis
prisoners would usually be nine daughters,who werehnownas the THf AESIR, in Germanic myrh- ALUS ("All Wise"), in Germanic
sacrificed to Aegir before a Viking billow maidens The hissing,seething ology, were one branch of rhe myrhology, was a dwarf who was
raiding parry set sail for home Nordtc seawascalled"Aeglr'sBrauing family of the gods; the other branch outwrtted by ODIN'sson IHOR,the
One myth tells how the proud Kettle" (lrrusrnnrroru
ByJAMES
ALEx,Aruorn,
1995) were the VANIR.At one time thre possessorof a magic hammer of
sea god was ourwirted by THOR was a war between the younger inesistible force In pq/ment for rhe
Aegir had been ordered by Thor ro Aesir and the older Vanir. which weapons Alvis had forgedfor them,
brew some ale for the gods, but he AnGIR'ssister-w{e,Rnn,wasJamous ended in a peace thar left the Aesir the gods promised that he could
pretended thar he had no cauldron t'or her drowningnet, which sheusedto dominant Both branches had in marry Thor's daughter THRUD.
large enough for rhe task In fact he snatch unsuspectingsatlorsfrom the dechs fact grown weary of fighting, and However, Thor was displeasedwith
disliked being told what to do But oJ shipsand dragthan down to theseabed were pleased to come to terms In the arrangemenr and so devised
undaunred, Thor acquired a vast Sheentertainedthem in her coral cayes, order to cement the peace,several a test of knowledge to srop rhe
cauldron from the frost gianr which were lit by gleaminggold and where of the leading Aesir wenr ro live dwarf from marrlnng his daughter.
HYMIR k was so big that when he meadjowed asJreelyas inValhalla among the Vanir, while a number When Alvis came ro ASGARD, Thor
hoisted ir onto his shoulders. the (llli/srunoN By PErER HURD 1882 ) of important Vanir wenr ro ASGARD, questioned him all night long
the Aesir's home becausesunlight rumed dwarfs to
The Aesir, under the leadership stone
of opll. included his sons BALDER
("the bleeding god") and BRAGI, Arws,a dwarf
famedforhiswisdom,
the god of eloquence;rhe jusrice hoped to marryThor'sglantdaughter,
god ronsETI, who resolvedquanels Thrud,butftrsthehadtoprovethathis
in a splendid hall supporred by greatwisdom madeupforhissmallstature
pillars of red gold and coveredwirh Thorquizzedhim andprolonged thetest
a roof inlaid with silver, the fertiliry until sunisewhenthefirstraypetnfied
god nnnrR, once a leading Vanir; Alviswho,liheall dwarfs, turnedto stonein
the vigiian r HEIMDALL, whose dury daylight (Iuusrnenoru BvJAMEsALFxANorn,i995 )
it would be to summon everylirirg
creature to MGNAROK,the day of
doom, with his hom; blind HoDR,
the unwitting killer of Balder; rhe
trickster LOKI,god of fire and ally of
the frost giants; the seagod w.Jono,
one of the gods exchangedwith the
Vanir; another of Odin's sons,
THOR,whose mighty magic ham-
mer was the only weapon the frost
giants feared; the god of war T1?,a
son of H;rmir; VILI and VE, the
brothers of Odin; and wpaR, a son
of Odin who was desdned ro
avenge his father's death at
Ragnarok
r78
Nonsr MvrHoLoGY
AXOVnru, or Alberich, as he was would not have come straight to the of Ran, wife of the seagod eEGtR, passedit on to the farmer lndeed,
known in later German legend, was farm had they known the otterwas Loh descended through amaze of. Hreidmar was soon after killed by
a craftsman dwarf who lost his the farmer's son. So, eventually, dripping tunnels to an under- his son Fafnir, who then ran away
hoard of treasure to the fire god Hreidmar settled on a death-price: ground lake, where he caught a with the cursed treasure
LoKt. On an expedition to Midgard enough gold to cover Otter's skin, large pike. This fish, like the otter The hero SIGURDwas later Per-
(the land of men), Loh killed a inside and out. Becausethe flayed before, tumed out to be more than suaded by his foster-father Regrnto
sleeping otter with a stone. skin was endowed with magic it firsr seemed For it was in fact the pursue Fafnir, who had bY this
Carrying the dead otter, he, oDIN powers, it was capable of being dwarf Andvari, who was the nchest time become a dragon The hero
and noNlR came acrossa farm and stretched to a great size and so no of those who dwelt underground duly searched for the creature and
offered to share the otter's meat ordinary amount of gold could be Only because of Loki's terrible eventually found it in its lair and
with the household in retum for a acceptedin compensation. threats, Andvari sunendered all his slew it. However, when Sigurd
night's lodgings. To the horror of Loh was allowed by Hreidmar immense hoard of gold, including reahzed that for the sake of the
HREIDI4AR,the farmer, the offering to seek this great treasure, while his magic gold-making ring. But in reasure Regrn intended to kill him
was none other than his own son Odin and Honir (in some versions his anger the dwarf laid a terrible in tum, he made sure that he slew
OTTER.Finstof all, Hreidmarchant- just Honir) remained at the farm as curse on the ring which would his foster-father first. Thus it was
ed aspell toweaken his guests and hosuges. The fire god was not per- causethe doom ofwhoeverwore ir. that Andvari's curse continued to
then his two suwivingsons, FAFNIR mitted to wear his sky-shoes,how- When Loki retumed to the farm cling to the stolen gold and
and Rrcnv, bound them hand and ever, and these were also kept as with the gold and Odin and Honir brought about the death of all
foot. Odin protested their inno- security against Loki's return. were released, he told Hreidmar of those who attempted to Possessit
cence and pointed out that they Having borrowed the drowning-net Andvari's curse and in this way (Seealso RINGSOFPowER)
179
NoRSE MyTHoLoGY
r80
Nonsr MvrHoLocY
r8t
Nonsr MYTHoLoGY
BeI-nEn, somerimes Baldr or Betoen, alwingand gentlesoul,spread god rerumed to the assemblyof the
Baldur. was rhe son of oDIN and light and goodwillwhera,er he went but, gods and found everyonethrowing
FRIGGand rhe "bleeding god" of inevitably,evohedthe enry of the things at Balder, except blind
Germanic mythology His wrfe was bitter godlnhi, who plottedhis Hodr. Pretending to help Hodr
'' ..,W-
Nanna and their son, FORSETI,
was tra,glc death and impisoftment in enjoy the sport, Loki gave him the
the god ofjustice Hel This romantic portrayal captures the branch of mistletoe and directed
As a young man, Balder sacred,Chnst-lihe goodness
of the god his throw, with the result that the
was tormented by night- (BALDER BY B FOGELBERG,uenalf, 1840 ) branch passed right through
mares, all of which indicat- "i',;.' Balder,who immediately fell down
ed that he was about to die gods decided to test Balder'snew dead At Frigg's entrearyHERMOD,
A sense of foreboding, rherefore, invulnerabiliry by throwing srones Balder'sbrother, was sent to HELin
settled over ASGARD,the home of and spearsat him wrth great force, order to oflfera ransom for Balder.
the gods, as the divine inhabitants he remained unharmed All in He used the eight-legged Sleipnir
tned to understand rhe meaning of fugard were delighted except LOKI, for the joumey While Hermod was
Balder'sdreams Theywere deepiy the god of fire He was so annoyed away, the bodies of Balder and
puzzled because the genrle god by Balder'sescapefrom danger that Nanna, who had died of gnef, were
least deservedto suffer such tor- he transformedhimseif into an old placed on a pyre in a longship
ments. So Odin rode his eighr- woman and vrsited Fngg's hall. ln which was allowed to drift buming
leggedsreedsLEIrNIRto the land of conversation with the goddess, out to sea.
the dead and by means of magic Loh leamed that she had received
Ieamed from a seeressthere that a promise of harmlessnessfrom all BALDER's bodywaslaidona pyrein his
Balderwas to be killed by the blind things except the misdetoe, which longshipandhewasthencweredin
god ruoon, his own brother, wirh a travelled through the nine worids was a plant too small and too feeble treasureanddecorated wtthflowersand
branch Although depressedby thrs and got each and every thing ro to bother about thoms,theemblems ofsleepHisshipwas
news, Odin retumed to fugard and swearan oath that ir would do her Armed with this information, setaflameandpushed outtoseawhereit
found that his wife Frigg had a son no harm To Odin's relief this Loki went off to cur some mistle- shone bightly,bejoresinhingintodarhness
plan to save Balder The goddess plan seemed to work When rhe toe In his normal shape the fire (Fuurner oF A VIKNG By F DrcKsEE, ceNvrc, 1893 )
182
Nonse MvrHoLocY
Bru-oR seeBALDER
Bru.OUNSCC BALDER
r83
Nonsr MyrHoLocy
unwelcome company at their feast even more threatening He finallY THT BruSNTNGS BRisINGs
SCC
Enraged, Loki called Bragi "the prophesied the destruction of the
bragger", whereupon Bragi threat- gods and then fled from fugard BNUNHILD SCC
BRYNHILD
ened to twist off Loh's head as the Possibly Bragi was a lare addi-
only sure method of stopping his tion to the Germanic pantheon It BNYNHILD WASAVALI<YRIE WhO
Iies Although Odin tned to calm is not unlikely that Bragi was added defied oDIN and so was banished
the gathering, the effect of Bragi's through the dMne elevation of a to earth and imprisoned within a
words on Loki was to make him poet, since in Germanic courts ring of fire When SIGURDbraved
poets were venerated second only the fire and broke her charmed
Bnecl (aba,e)wasbornin a glitteing Tnr BTsruGAMEN below) wa.san to kings. Bragi was portrayed as an sleep, they fell in love. He gaveher
stalactite cave, wherehts mother, Gunnlod, uquisite nechlacecraftedby dwarJsso old, bearded man carrying a harp, his nng, Andvannaut, unawareof
guarded the Mead oJPoetry, until seduced fnely that it shonelllu liquid jome The and when oaths were swom they its curse. On his travelshe was be-
by Odin The dwarfsgavethet'air child a goddessFrqja, besideherselfwith longng were solemnized by speakingover witched by Grimhild into berapng
magicalharp and sethim aJloaton one of treaure An
pad dmrly Jor possessingthe a vesselcalled the Cup of Bragi Brynhild, first by marrying Gudrun
thar fne-craJted vessekJrom whichhe sang emblemoJthe stars,it so enhancedher and rhen by helping Gunner win
hrspoignantSongoJLifewhichroseto the beauty that shewore it continually, night BRTSTNCNMEN SCCRINGSOF Brynhild On discoveringSigurd's
hem,ar (luusrpcnoN HyRD,
ByPETER 18f,2) ByJPENRosE,
and day 0uusrnrnoru c 1890
) POWER betrayal, Brynhild planned his
death, but then killed herself in
THr BruStNcS, also known as despair (Seealso THEVALKfRIES,
the Brisdings,were the mysterious LOYERS)
TRAGIC
owners of a golden necklace,called
the Brisingamen, that the fertility BURI, in Germanic mythology,
goddess FREYAcraved To ODIN's was rhe ancestor of the gods He
disgust she slepr on four successive was released from the ice by
nights with the dwarfs Alfrigg, AUDHUMIA.the primeval cow One
Dvalin, Berling and Grer in order to day Buri's hair appearedwhere she
acquire it. When she retumed to licked; on the secondday, his head
ASGARD,Odin accusedher of de- was free of ice; and, on the third,
basing her diviniry by payrngsuch his entire body He had a son, BoR,
a price As a penance he made her who married a frost giantess,and
stir up war in Midgard, the worid of their sons were ODIN,VILIand \rE
men Freyja and Odin shared those
slain on the battlefield BRvNHILD, VallEies,
oneoJtheleading
No agreementexistsabout the waspunished byOdinJor meddlingwrth
meaning of this strangemyth, not hiswill inwarfareThegodputhutosleep
Ieast because the identity of the andimpisonedherin a nngoffre, where
Brisings is unknown It has been herofreed
shewouWremainuntila peerless
suggestedthat necklaceswere the her OnlySigurdbravedthescorchingJire,
specialadomment of mother god- sleep
wahingho from hr enchanted
desses,but this hardly does more (llrusrncno^i BYARTHUR
RAcKtl M, c 1900)
r85
l
NATTJRE SPIRITS
HE DRAMATTc LANDSCApE of scandinavia,with is electric skies, icy wastes
and seethingsprings,was easilypeopled with nature spirits. such spirits
roamed the mountains and snow slopes as fearsomefrost, storrn and fire
giants, personi$dngthe mysteriousand menacingforcesof nature. So great
were the telrors of crushing ice and searingfire rhat the giants loomed large in the
Norse myths as evil and ominous forces.Yetother less dramaticbut no lessimportant
spirits were the invisible landvaettir,or land spirits, who imbued the land and guarded
its welfare. Helpful and timid, the landvaettir easlly took fright, shyrng away from
Viking dragon ships. In the undergound cavems,dark dwarfs unearthed glittering
gems and metals,while light elvesinspired the forestsand lakes.In Slavonicmyrh, a
host of vital forces filled
the world and imbued
the forests, fields and
rivers wi rh whirling
spirits of nature.
nar 0eft), a stormyspint of the seu,reflectedthe shfting Denx DwaRr-s @elow) -*te lotmed from mup4ots tn tht
h.elpful,
somettmes
moodsoJ the ocean, somettmes rottrngfesh o/ the siarn .Eant, Ymtr Thc gods thought them
harmful Shegatheredsatktrsrn her drowntngnetand too ugly to be sten, howa'er, uncl condemned them to a lfe
rlrag4edthemdown to thedepthsoJ thesta There,wtth undergound Lrire ganr-s. tht,- tttmecl to -stoneIn dctr-hght,
her husband,Aegr, sheenttrtainedherviclim.srn her thus aplatmng the mam srnaller stons-s and r ochs scattered
gleamrngcoral caves,whichwerelx Lrythe shrning goldol across the Nordic landscape The twin pettks ofTrold
Ran'sfovour wiselypochetedsone goldJrv rhe tnp v'hrspmngbehtnd rochs, the mttuntuin tthoes v'er( knott'n us
-':
S-'r L :1.
time Best sutted to mrst and fog the mountaln gants. Lrkc
187
Nonse MyrHoLocy
DTNTruCH SCCRINGSOFPOWER
EECON SCC
AEGIR
Fnrn seeFREUA
FNTY SCCFREYR
Fnryn seeFREYJA
r89
Nonse MyrHoLocy
Fnrrye, the voluptuous,blue-eyed Frefa's greatest treasure was Fnnn ("Lord"), somedmesFrey, Fnru,l helow) Jla,t over the earth,
goddessof lwe, rode in a chaiot drawn the BRISINGS'necklace. which she was the twrn brother of the spnnhling morning don and summer
by cats, which were rymbolsoJ her warm obtained by sleeping with irc four Germanic ferdlity goddess FRDgA. sunlightbehindher She shoohsping
alfections Accompaniedby a JlochoJ dwarf makers Her beaury won her Their father was NJORo,the god
flowersJrom her golden hair and wept tears
airborne love spiits, shetoured heavanand many admirers, including OTTAR, associatedwirh the wind and the which turnedto gold,or to amberat sea
earth in searchof her rovinghusband, whom she changed inro a boar sea Freyr, with ootN and THOR, Shewasso beautlful that shewas wooed
Odur, sheddingtears of gold all thewhile She was said ro be a sorceresswho was one of rhe principal gods He and pwsued by all liwng creatures
(Fnrv;n av NJ O BLoMMER, c,qrvvns, 1852
.) could fly in a falcon's skin Some was marnly concemed wirh feniliry, (IlrusrncrroN
syF voNSressH.r,
19t4 )
tradirions state that, on her arrival having conrrol of sunlighr, rain,
Fnfv;A ("Lady"), somerimes in fugard, she taughr the gods the fruitfulness and peace His
rirle of
known as Freya or Frea, was the spells and charms of the Vanir Skin means "shining", and the
daughrer of rhe sea god NJoRDin Both Odin and Frefa took an name of the frost giantess he mar-
Germanic myrhology and sisrer of interestin rhe heroic dead, dividing ried, GrRoe, derives from "field"
FREyR.She was an importanr fertil- the slain berween rhem ar the end As late as 1200, Freyr's statue in
ity goddessand a member of rhe of every battle Odin's share wenr his temple ar Uppsala, Sweden was
YANIR,one of the two branches to live invALIIALI q, while Frefa's noted for the size of its penis
inro which the Germanic gods were lived in her hall, Sessrumnir [t is Possiblyfor this reason the Romans
divided After awar the Vanir seem possible that Fref a's losr husband had always identified him with
ro have been supplanted by the Odur, or Od, of whom norhing is Priapus, the virile son of Dionysus
younger AESIR,who were led by known but his name, was Odin. and Aphrodite Although a mem-
ODIN When peace was agreed For she was rhe goddess of lust as ber of the VANIRby descent, Freyr
benveen rhe rwo sides, Njord wenr well as love, a suitable partner for moved ro ASGARDro live with the
wirh Freyr and Freyja ro ASGARD, Odin who was rhe farher of barrles AEslR,the younger branch of rhe
where they lived with the Aesir as a and the lover of destruction (See gods under the leadership of Odin,
token of friendship also SORCERYAND SPEUS) alongwith his father Njord and his
190
NOnSr MYTHOLOGY
Fnrn (ndrl), a gatb godofsummtrsun plant that she did not bother about
waslordof theJairyrealm
and.shouters, it This proved to be a mistake
oJAlftam,homeoJtheLtghtElvesHere, because the fire god roru got the
hets sailinghisship,Shidblndnir, blind god uoon to throw a branch
persontfyng thecbudsHs Jlnshing *vord, of mistletoe at Balder which killed
symbohznga sutbeam, foughtoftx wn him. Frigg's subsequent effon to
accord0uusrnenox ALE&{N
ryJ^MEs DER,1gg5
) have her son releasedfrom rhe land
of the dead also failed, because
sister Freyja, as a gesture of good- Loh refused to moum on behalf of
will that had been ageed at the end Balder Thus it would seem that
of the war between the Vanir and Frigg was a ferriliry. goddess not
the Aesir. unlike the Sumerian deity Inanna,
Freyr's myth is about his woo- though she lacked rhat goddess's
ing of Gerda, the daughter of the ability to enter the netherworld
frost giant Gymir When Frep first F.igg has much in common
saw Gerda he immediately fell in with nnrY_1aAlthough her role as
love with her, and becausehe did consort of Odin shows her to be a
not lcnow how to gain her affection devoted wife and mother. she roo
he became ill Njord became so possessesa falcon skin and has a
worried about him that he asked great passion for gold ft is quite
his faithful servant Skimir to find possible that the two goddesses
out what was amiss. Having had their ongins in a single earth-
leamed of this love, Shmirwent to mother deiry
JOTUNHEIM, rhe land of the gians,
taking two of Freyr's greatest FruCCN SCCFRIGG
treasures,his magic horse and his
magic sword The servant was declare her love for Freyr in retum the fertiliry god with an agreement FruJn see FRrGG
instructed to bring Gerda back to for "eleven of the applesof youth" to meet Freyr in a forest in nine
fugard, whether her father liked it She refused both this gift and days' time In this way the passion FruTHIOF SCCTMGICLOYER5
or not. On reaching Gymir's hall, Skimir's second offer of one of of Freyrwas fulfilled, though ir cost
Skimir tned to persuade Gerda to Odin's arm-rings Gerda'sresolve him his horse and sword which he GNTNTNN SCCGEFION
was only strengthened further gave ro Skimir At nacruaRoK,the
Fnrcc belout),a datyoJtheatmosphue, when Skirnir then threatened to doom of the gods, he sorelymissed FRrGGenloyed thepivilegeoJsittingbeside
spunlongpearlywebsoJcloudfrom her decapitate her with Freyr s sword. his mighry magic weapon, since it herhusband, Odin,onhisJabulous throne,
jovelleddistaffwhichshone in thenightslE Finally, Skimir said that he would could fight giants on its own (See ,fromwherethedivinepaircould
Hlidshialf
astheconstellation of Fng's Spinning impose on her an unbreakablespell AND TALISMANS:
also TREASURES viav the nine worlds, witnessing events
\Mheel Herheron plumes rymbolizehu that would make her a perrnanent TMGIC LOYERS) present andfuture Aparagon oJ silence,
discretion,whileherhrys stgniJy herdivine outcast and it was this that per- she nqer rqealedher forehnowledge
l9t
NoRSE MYTHOLOGY
L92
NonSr MYTHOLOGY
GINNUNGAGAP, in Germanic
mythology, wd a "yawning emPti-
ness" at the time of creation, which
lay berween the realms of fire and
cold. As the warrn air from the
south met the chill of'the north,
the ice of Ginnun1agap melted and
from the drops was formed Y,fIR,
the frost grant, and.auPnuMLA,the
primeval cow. By licking the ice,
Audhumla uncovered nuru, ances-
tor of the gods. Buri's three grand-
sons,ODIN,vIU and Vr, killedYmir
and took his body to the centre of
Ginnungagap There they made
Midgard, the world of men, from
his body Ymir's flesh became the Grnpa (above),a Jrostybeaury,inspired
earth, his bones the mounuins, his the lne of Frqr who sent Shirnir to wn hu
teeth rocla and stones,his hair the hand Althoughheoferedher the applesoJ
treesand his blood tumed into the youth,and ra,ealedhu master'sglowing
lakes and seas The brothers used portrait reflectedin water, sheremarned
his skull to form the sky, with four unmoveduntil Jorcedby threat of magc to
dwarfsnamed Nordi, Sudri, Austn consent (l[usrnqnoru c 1920
BYH THEAKER, )
and Wesrn holding up rhe comers
GlerY (nght) stirsup a iver into a great
GJAIP ("Howler") was a frost flood, ng,tlfngThor as he wadesacross
giantess, daughter of GrrRRoo, Thor managedto stem the tonentby
who, along with her sister Greip, stihingGjalp with aboulder He then
tned to kill rnon, the Germanic heaved himselJashoreby graspinga
thunder god When Thor, accom- mountain ashnamed "Thor'sSalvatton"
panied by the fire god LoKt, came (lrrusrncrroN' 1995
ArcxeNotn.
ByJAMEi )
to the hall of Geirrod, Gjalp did
what she could to harm the visi-
tors Even before their arrival she
added a torrenl of her menstrual
blood [o a river in order ro drown
Thorand Loki Awell-aimed stone
stopped Gjalp and sent her howl-
ing home However, she and Greip
then med to ram the head of sleep-
ingThor againstthe raftersby sud-
denly raising his chair The thunder
god woke just in time to force the
chair downwards by using a maglc
sraff.lts massiveweight broke the
backs of rhe rwo giantessesand
they died in agony on the floor
(nght),thepimal abyss
Gltvruuncacap at
theiq
between
thedawnofcreation,lay
northandfery southTwelve swirling
streams gushedintoitsvacuum andJroze
intomassive iceblocluIn thesouth,fiery
sparhs slowlymeltedtheice,andfrom the
slowlyanerged
iry droplets afrostglant
(ir-rusinarrorvByNICK BEALE,
1995)
193
Nonse MyrHoLocy
L9+
Nonsr MYTHoLoGY
HNNAOET.N, SCCHEIMDNL
r95
Nonse MyrHoLoGy
TneESURESAND TALISMANS
HE MosT cELF-BR{TED (.zuql-
fsMhN of the Norse world were wise and gifted
dwarfs who laboured underground in ca'erns studded rvith gems. With
superhuman artistry and secretwisdom, they lashioned fabulous treasures
and tahsmans for gods and heroes. Some of their creationswere exquisitely
beautilul, such as the Brisingamen necklace; others were supematurally powerful,
such as the silken thread which fettered the fierce wolf, Fenrir. Most indispensable
\.ryLlL.LlrL
..,^,^ L^ -^l^' ---^- l--^--^
wulluruuS
---^
\,vcaijUrrs
Tl
lrrol
' I
5 DOOmcianS nammer, NUollnlr, and udins
I r .. rl
5uu5
infallible spear, Gungnir. The tireless dwarfs were aiso innovarive engineers who
crafted a collapsible, fl1,ingship for Frelr and a sword that fought of its own accord
once drawn. Most amazing of all, perhaps, were their living rreasures,the gold-
bristled boaq Gullinbursti, and Sif's golden hair which grew narurally. Some precious
marvels were created by nature, such as the golden apples of youth. Among morrals,
only Volund the smirh
r&
could match the dwarfs {ffi
in artistry and crafr
while, among sorcerers,
the Finnish Ilmarinen
excelled in magical crafr
and produced a peerless
talism?il,the Sampo.
196
NoRsr MyTHOLoGY
Hflwas the daughter of trickster the animal's vast size, and used itsgod rorc leamed about rhe mistle-
LOKI, the fire god, and the frost head to bait his hook Jormungand toe, however, and guided Hodr's
giantessANGRBODA. She was ruler rose for this delicacy,bur the head hand when he threw it at his
of the Germanic netherworld (also stuck in his thr,oat. Thor would brother. The branch of mistletoe
called Hel), ro which she had been have landed the prize had not the went straight through Balder, who
banished by oDIN, rhe chief god sight of the serpenr rising from the
fell down dead. Once it became
Once there, however, her powers depths of the sea terrified Hymir clear that Balderwould have ro suy
were stronger than Odin's, for In the confusion that ensued in the land of the dead, Hodr was
when Odin's son BALDERwas Hymirwas able ro cur the greatsea sent to join him as a punishment.
hlled Helrefused to retum him to serpent free. In a very different version of rhe
his parenrc Her brothers, FENRIR story, Hodr and Balderare rivals for
the wolf and;oRlzutrcAND rhe ser- HOO SCC HODR the hand of Nanna, and Balder is
pent, were as terrifying as she, Her, the gim goddessoJthe dead,listens portrayed as a hateful figure. Their
though it was Hel and her ghastly unimpressedto Hermod'splea to release HODR, somerimes Hodur or conflict is finally resolved when
home which were adopted by the the much-lovedgod BalderJromher dismal Hod, the son of optl and FRIGG, Hodr kills Balder wirh a magic
Christians as rhe name for rheir realm Behindher,hneeling, thereore rows was the blind god of Germanic sword. This Danish version shows
realm of etemal damnation. of her sad subjects- soulsof the old, sichor mythology. In the Icelandic tradi- the brothers in averydifferent lighr
The unpleasantnessof Hel's ciminal who suferedceaseless
cold,pain tion, Hodr unintentionally killed
realm standsin marked contrast to andhunger in thar cheerless,
dreary home his brother BALDER. When Balder Hrnuop below)spurshisJabulaus steed
the pleasurable and enviable after- (luusrnerrolByJAMEs
AlrxAruoen,
1995
) was noubled by dreamsof his com- to assailthebaredgateoJHeI Within,
life that was enjoyed by the heroic ing death, his morher Frigg exacr- Baldercanbesmt waitingstoically beside
dead who dwelt in Odin's won- HnnUOD, in Germanic myrh- ed a promise from each and every an alarmingcreature, whois possibly oneof
drous hall veulerte. However, ology, was rhe son of oolN and thing not to do her son any harm. thestawedinmates of HeI Balder,who
Hel's subjecs were little more rhan FRIGG,and brother of netorn A sole exceptionwas the misdetoe, kna,tthefuturewell,hnattthathewas
silent attendants of rhe semi- Rather like the Greek god Hermes a plant the goddessconsideredto destined to remainin cheerless HeIforner.
decomposed queen She was only and the Roman Mercury, he acted be too insignificant. The rickster (ILLUSIMTIoN FRoM THE PROSE EDDA, I 760 )
HtUtNn;OT, or Himinbriorer,
("Sky Bellower") was the head of a
giganric black ox The ox belonged
to HY 4/Rwirh whom THORwenr
fishing foTJORMUNGAND, the sea
serpent. Thor had no trouble in
breahng Himinrjot's neck, despire
r98
NoRSE MyTHoLoGY
r99
NORSE MYTHOLOGY
all the gods, except FREYJAand StR number So they made out of clay
At this point the grant-slayerTHOR a man so huge that the thunder
retumed and waved his magic god would shake with fright when
hammer ar Hrungnir, but the frost he first caught sight of him. The
giant, understandingthat he would heart of a dead mare was used to
be easily killed without his own animate the clay grant, whom they
weapons, challengedThor to a duel called Mist Calf Alongside Mist
on the border between fugard and Calf stood Hrungnir, awaiting the
Jotunheim No one had met the anival of Thor. The frostSantlnew
thunder god in single combat rhat he had to avoid his opponent's
before. Thor acceptedeagerly,even hammer, and he held his sharp
though Hrungnir's head, hean and whestone in readiness.As soon as
shield were made of stone. Thor was in range, he hurled his
When the frost giants heard magic weapon at Hrungnir, who
about the forthcoming duel, they swiftly launched his own sharp-
were both proud and anxious: edged, three-comered stone in
proud that Hrungnir had chal- Thor's direcdon. The weapons met
lenged Thor, but anxious lest the in mid-air. Although the hammer
god slay the most powerful of their shattered the whetstone and went
200
Nonse MvrHoLocY
201
NORSE MyTHoLoGY
202
Nonsr MvrHoLocY
LrurruxerrurN (abwe) was slain and doing to listen to him. He was Kvesln(nght),a characterendowedwith
dismemberedduingone of his uploits But killed by two dwarfs, r'|,+reR and wondrous ww created
wisdom, Jromthe
his maglcianmothr gatheredhimup and Galar, who wanted his wisdom spittleoJthegodsHetravelledtheworld
restoredhim toliJe Hue shecallsuryn a They mixed his blood with honey inspinnggods and mortalswithhts sense
bee to bing lrfr- Slr'lrn1honeyfrom bq ond in order to make awonderful mead andwisdomAfterhisdeathhisbloodwas
the highestheavm (Lrurrxeruru's MoTHER which gave the gift of poerry ro usedto mahea meadof inspiration
avA GnurN-IGr r FLq, cqNvAs, c 1890 ) everyonewho drank it (IrrusrnenoN
FROM
THEPnosr
Eoon, I 760
)
KUIITRVO SCC5ORCERY
AND L-EB-OLN4AI ("Alder man") was with a talent for song. A carefree
SPELIS a Lapp bear god. At bear festivals young man, many of his adven-
hunters used to sprinkle their faces tures involve the pursuit of women
KVnStn was a wise man in with an exrract of alder bark. As the and he accompaniedvAnvavoINEN
Germanic mythology. His name protector of bears, Leib-Olmai on ajoumey to the land of Pohja in
means "spittle" and recalls his cre- required certain prayers before he search of wives. His most danger-
ation when the gods spat into a jar would allow any man to hll a bear. ous exploit was an attempt to kill
to mark the end of conflict beween the swan of TUONI,the god of the
two branches of the divine family, LgutNxnINEN ("Lover") was dead. Failing to protect himself
the VANIRand the AESIR.The Aesir one of the heroesof Finnish epic. with magic, he was tom apartby
then took the jar and Kvasir was As a child, he was bathed by his Tuoni's son and his remains were
made from the spittle. Renowned mother three dmes in one summer scattered in the river. But his ma-
for his great wisdom, he travelled night and nine times in one gician mother put his body back
the world and wherever he went autumn night to ensure that he together again and restored him to
people stopped what they were would become a wise adult, grfted life. (Seealso woRSEHEROES)
203
NoRSE HERoES
He MrcNcs were famed for their fighting spirir, facing death and doom with
vigour and courage.Their hardy heroism was doubtlessshaped by the
crushing Nordic climare, but also by a sroic fatalism.while acceptingthe
inevitabiliry of death on the field and doom at the end of the world, the
Norsemen fought with undiminished spirit. For the vikings, word-fame was
everything, redeemingand surviving a hero's death. After death, the bravestheroes
went to Valhallawhere they awaited the fated and fatal showdown at Ragnarok.No
less than the heroes, the Norse gods were heroic, facing doom at Ragnarokwith
fighting spirit. Finnish heroeswere quite as determined and brave in their way,
though perhaps less grand and stoic. Armed with magical forces,they battled with
incantadons rather than force of arms. For the Finns, death was not always final:
Leminkainen had more than one life, while agedVainamoinencould alwaysslip out
of a dght comer by shifting shape.
Guvxrnexo Hocrr AeJ), the
N ibelung brothers,died gallnntly
thoughnatherlived aJlnwlessltfe
Drawn into the web of tragedy
wovenbya cursednng thE sleuy
the
peulesshero Sigurd,andhoarded
his gold When sazedby AtIi,who
covetedtheir gold, thq refusedto
sunenderunder threat of death
Hogni died laughing as his heart
wascut out; and Gunner, here, cast
into a serpent'spitwithbound
hands,plqedhis harp with hisfeet,
defuingdeathto thelast
(Wooo c,qnvtNc, 12TH cENr.)
c 1890)
Nonse MvrHoLoGY
Slcutrlp rHE VoruNG (nght) prwedhis heroicstdtus by drawngJorth a maglcalsword thrust into the Branstoch
Mh by Odin With this word he wonJame throughout Scandinavia,but alsoprovohedtheenvyoJ his brother-rn-law,
Sigan who resolvedto slay all the Volsungs All ten sonswere tied to forest trees, prq to the beastsoJ the Jorest OnIy
Sigmundexapel, by biting of a wolf s tongue,and soughtvengeance Jor his hinsmen (ruusrncrro,N syp wlsox, c 1900 )
245
NORSE MyTHoLoGY
206
NORSE MYTHOLOGY
simply could not help plapng care. His son Vali was changed into
tricks and exposing the gods to a wolf, who immediately attacked
danger, although it was often his his brother Nawi and hlled him.
quick-wittedness that afterwards Narvi's intestines were then used to
saved them. Loki, for insance, bind Loki beneath the dripping
brought about the loss and rerurn mouth of a venomous snake. In
of toul and her apples of youth. this dreadful prison, the god await-
Without these maglc fruit, the gods ed Ragnarok. Then he was to
were subject to the ra\xagesof time emerge to lead the army of evil in
like everyone else. On occasion their final battle with the gods,
lohwas even prcpared to riskseri- when Loki would meet his own
ous harm to his companion THOR, end at the hands of.unnqout, (See
the thunder god. When Loki led also MGNAROK)
Thor unarmed to the hall of the
frost giant GEIRROD, only the loan Lopr seeLoKr
of weapons from the hndly frost
giantess GRID saved the thunder LUONNOTAR (which probably
god. toh tricked his friend because means "Daughter ofNature") was
the price of his own release by the creatorgoddessof the Finns. At
Geinod had been delivery of the the beginning there was only
thundergod into his power. Luonnotar "all alone in a vast
Yet it was Loki who devised the emptiness". Later she floated for
novel scheme to get back Thor's cenuries on the cosmic ocean,
magrc hammer after it was stolen undl one day a bird made a nest on
by dwarfs and passed into the her knees and began to hatch some
hands of the frost gianr TlIRrM. The eggs. But the goddess became
price for the hammer's retum, Loh excited and upset the nest, with
discovered, was the hand of mEtnA, the result that from the broken
the fertiliry goddess. He therefore shells of the eggs the heavens and
persuaded Thor to go to Thrym the earth were formed. The yolla
dressedin Freyja'sclothes. When became the sun, and the whites the
Thrym took out the magic ham- moon. Scatteredhagmentsof these
mer, Thor seized it and laid low all eggs were transformed into the Lolrr (abwe), the tncluta god,,was atfrct Luorworen @elo,n),a primal goddas,
the frost grants present. stars. Afterwards Luonnotar fash- just a pwful pranlutr, but becameso ilarh grat restlrssin theheawns and sltppd into
Loki was manied twice, first to ioned the continents and the seas, and twrstedtlllr;tthe godsrealQedhewas the cosmicua, whue shednful unnl an
the giant ANGRBODA and then to and gave birrh ro vAINAMoINEN, evil and resolvedto imprtsonhim l-ohi was eagb built a neston her hnee Wat she
SIGI?,/,with whom he had two the Finnish hero. amnlrrrlly bound to a ruh, wtth hisface acadentally upset the nat, its egsbroht
sons, vntt and Narvi. His mon- atposd to thefay drops of a snaltc's andformed the urth and slE, stn, moon
207
Nonse MyrHoLoGy
MeCNt ("Mighry") was the son Mert Syne Zevrye, ("Moisr MNNUUS SCCMENU
of rHoR, the Germanic rhunder Earth Mother") was the Slavonic
god, and the grantessJamsaxa, and earth goddess Archaeological evi- MIMIR, in Germanic mythology,
brother of Modi Afrer his duelwirh dence suggests that her worship was awise god sent by rheAEsIRro
HRUNGNIR,the strongest of rhe may have originated in the basin of the VANIRin order to seal the peace
frost gianrs, Thor fell wounded ro rhe River Don as much as 30,000 after these rwo branches of the
the ground, as fragmentsof whet- years ago Believed ro possessrhe divine family tired of war. Because
stone had lodged in his.head He abiliry to predict the future and ro the Vanir felt that rhey had been
was also unable to move because settle disputes wisely, she was an cheated,they cut off Mimir's head
one of Hrungnir's lifeless legs object of veneration up to the early and sent it back ro rhe Aesir. ODIN,
pinned him ro rhe ground Even years of the rwentieth century, however, smeared the severedhead
worse, Thor wetted himself when when Russianpeasantwomen were with herbs so thar it would never
he noticed the clay gianr Mist Calf still performing elaborate rires in rot He then recited a charm over it
Insult was nearly added ro injury order to summon her presenceto to restore its power of speech
when, at the age of three years, protect them from disease [-ater,Mimir's head was placed by
Magni proved strong enough to Odin to guard a magic well under
free his father Thor, even rhough MENU, or Menulis, was the Mecm andhisbrother, Modi, stide across the root of the cosmic ree
none of the gods had been able to Baldc moon god The sun was the sunlit Plain of lda at the dawn oJo YGGDMSIL To gain Mimir's wis-
shift Hrungnir's leg. "ft's a pity I imagrned as the goddessSAULE,the Jreshgreenage,after the world destruction dom, which comprised "many
didn't come sooner," Magni com- patroness of green snakes The of Rngnaroh Magni ("Mighty") swings truths unknown ro any other per-
rnented "lf I had met this gianr Letts believed that the stars were Thor's sacredhammer, while Modi son", Odin gaveone of his eyesfor
first, he would be fallen to my bare the children of Menu and Saule. ("Courage") Jollowsbehind (Iuusrnnrroru
ny permission to drink at the well
fists " Akhough oDlN was rather The Moming Star, however, was Jaur.sArrxtr,roER, 1995
)
put out by young Magni's inrer- said to have been the child of a love MJOt-l-NIRwas the magic ham-
vendon, Thorshowed his gatitude affair berween Saule and pnRKUNo, Men Sne Znurvewa invohedby Slavic mer of the Germanic thunder god
by giving the young frost giant the thunder god For this reason farmersathawest time Thq enteredthar THOR Made by the dwarfs Brokk
Hrungnir's magnificent horse, the moon god, in shame and anger, fields at dawn andblessedthe earthwith and Eitn, it was an instrument of
Golden Mane After MGNAROK,rhe avoided his spouse, and appeared libations oJhemp oil Bowingto the eut, destruction, fertiliry and resurrec-
doom of the gods, Magni and Modi only by night, while the sun god- west,north and south,thq invohedthe tion. In Thor's hands Mjollnir was
togerher would inherit Thor's dess was huppy to be seen all pnmal daty, eachtime soahingtheearth the gods' certain protection againsr
magic hammer, MJOLINfR through the day. wth oil (Iuusrnenoru
nyNrcxBr,qu,1995) their enemies,the frost grants That
is why the gods were so worried
when the frost giant THRy,I stole it
The price for its retum was the
hand of rRnY,p, the fertility god-
dess Dressed in Frefa's clothes
and accomDanl
NoRSr MyTHOLOGY
MYgSYefS was rhe moon deiry where the dragon lived, ripping NIOnO was rhe Germanic sea
of Slavonic myth. Some raditions corpses apart and eadng them. god, a member of the divine race of
represent him as the cold, bald- Between mouthfuls he would send VANIRand father of the fenility gods
headed uncle of rhe sun god the squinel Ratatoskup the cosmic FRELRand f'nrrye. When peace was
DAZHBOG.In others, Myesyars is a tree on an errand of insult, for the agreed between the AESIRand the
beaudful woman, the consort of agile animal periodically disturbed Vanir, the nvo branches of the
Dazhbogand morher by him of rhe two birds, an eagle and a hawk, divine family, Njord, Freyr and
stars. Every spring the divine pair who were perched at the very top. Freyla came to live with the Aesir as
are remarried, but in the autumn When momentarily dred of the a sign of goodwill. According to
Dazhbogleaves his bride and only tasteof dead flesh, Nidhoggwould some versions of the myth, the
retums to her after the cold winter gnaw at the root of Yggdrasil iself, mother of Freyr and Freyja was
months have passed. presumably hoping to inflict dam- Njord's own sister NERTHUS,bur
age on fhe cosmos in some way.
NenfnUS was a Germanic god- Both Yggdrasil and Nidhogg were N.yonobelw) linesup wtththegodsto
dess,whose cult was described by destined to survive the final cata- havehuJeetinspected whowas
W Sll;aldi,
the Roman writer Tacitus in the strophe of RacrueRoK,rhe doom of obliged tochooseafutsbandJrom theshape
first centuryAD.According ro him, Nrnrnus ides in a tiumphalprocession, the gods and the end of the world. of htsfeet What Sludipiclzed Njord,she
she was an important morher god- dunngherbiannualJmilityfestival Neither fire nor flood could deter foundthatshehadwon a *t)eet,oA smgod
dess who had a sacred grove on a BedechedwithJlowen, hq chariotwas the dragon from its ceaselessfeast- with passions quiteopposite to herwn,
Frisian island. At regular inrervals drawnW t*o hafm, whichsymbohzed ing on the vast and inexhaustible andso shesoontoohto hr chillyhilk
Nerthus travelled inland along a pimal motherhood andabundance The supply of dead. alone Auusn.tnoN BvJHuARD,1g3O)
recognized route, her image placed peoplehonouredhetW layingasideall iron
in an ox cart and attended by a toolsandweapons and donningfestiv
e
priest. During these sacred jour- dress0uusrnrTroN
EvJAMEsArxqtprn,1995)
neys peacewas expected to prevail
because "all iron was put away".At and afterwards slaves who had
a cenain lake the goddess bathed, helped in this ritual were drowned
in Nerthus' honour. Sacrifice by
drowning was a pracdce also
favoured by the ancient Slavs in
eastem Europe. The name of the
goddess may have meant "power-
ful one" because it refers to
suength. Quite possibly Tacitus
was describing a local cult of
FRafA. Someversions of the myths
of .asceRo,home of the gods, sug-
gest that Nerthus was sister and
wife ro NJORD,the sea god, and
mother of Freyja and rRna.
2r0
N"Jonocalmedthe stormsraisedby the nighrs in each place they decided Tan Nonrys, akohnown as the Nordic called Urd by the name of Wyrd,
tempestuous
god, Aeglr A gentle soul, to live apart Skadi went back to her Fates,decidedthe destintesof both gods and in Engiand there was main-
Njordlwedhis sunlit covesand creehs, favourite pastime of hunting on and mortak ds thq wove the Web of Fate tained a belief in rhe tremendous
homeof his sacred seagullsand swans shs and the weather-beatenNjord Here, atleft, wiseold Urd readsfrom the powers of rhe three sisters long
Popular with sailorsandfishermen, he retumed to a life at sea The appar- scrollof thepast,whileyoungVerdandi after the arrival of Christianity For
aided shipsin distress,blo,vfavourable endy unbridgeable gap between the present,andvaled Shuld
symbolizes instance, in Shakespeare'stragic
windsand causedsummer showers them probably reflecs more than claspsher closedscrollof thefuture play Macbeth,the Three Sisterson
(Irrusrnenoru
ByIAMES
ALEXAwoTn,
.1995) personaluste Njord was certainly (lu-usrnarroru ALrx,lrorn,1995
BYJAMES ) "the blasted heath" obviously owed
seen as a god of fertility, since he somerhingro rhe Noms
since the Aesir disapproved of mar- provided to those who worshipped THg NOnNS, or Nomir, were A clear parallel of the Noms are
riage between brother and sister, him not only safe voyagesat sea, the Germanic fates, the goddesses the Moerae, or "Fates", encoun-
Nerthus did not accompany her but alsowealth and good fortune in of destiny. The original Nom was tered in Greek myrhologr. fu in the
husband and children to fugard. the form of land and sons Skadi's undoubtedly URD ("Fate") The Germanic mythic tradition, they
Njord's second marriage was to associationswere quite differenr, Well of Urd, which was situated were seen as three sister goddesses:
the frost giantess SMDI, who chose however She came from a range of under one of the roots of the great Klotho ("The Spinner"), Lachesis
him on the basis of his beautiful frozen mountains, where heavy cosmic ITeeYGGDMSIL, was the site ("The Decider") and Atropos ("The
feet However, the coupie could clouds masked the sun and harsh where the gods heid their daily lnevitable") lt would seem more
not agree about where they should rock made the ground as barren as assembly The rwo other Noms than possible that the Noms were
live Njord found Skadi's home in death [n her wild and unforgiving known by name are Verdandi also originally thought of as
JOTUNHEIM, the land of the frost land, where nothing was able to ("Present") and Skuld ("Future") spinners Howevet, in Germanic
gianrc, too cold and barren, while grow or prosper at all, there was It was believed that the Noms mythologr the Greek and Roman
Skadi disliked the noise and bustle hardly any scope for humankind decided the destinies of gods, concept of the Fates spinning an
of shipbuilding around Njord's hall gians and dwarfs, as well as of individual length of yam for each
of Noatun in Asgard After nine Nonrqtn seerHE NoRNs humankind The Anglo-Saxons mortal life does not appear
2tt
THE V.TLKYRIES
ALKvRIES wEREoRrcrNALLy srNrsrER
sprRrrsof slaughter,dark angelsof death
who soaredover the batrlefieldslike birds of prey, meting out fare in the
name of Odin. Chosen heroes were gatheredup and borne away to
Valhalla,the heavenlyabode of Odin's ghostly army. In later Norse myth,
the Valkyrieswere romanticizedas Odin's shield-maidens,virginswith golden
hair and snowy arrns who served the chosen heroes everlasting
ff,mead and meat in the greathall of Valhalla.On the battlefield,
they soared over the host as lovely swan-maidens or
splendid mounted Amazons. This far more appealing
;:'ffi;ffi:
n d I , li e b e l u n g en l i e d , w h e r e t h e
heroine,Brynhild or Brunhild, was a
beautiful, fallen Valkyrie. Ide ahzed
Vallcyries were infinitely more vulnerable than
their fierce predecessors,and often fell in love
with mortal heroes. Swan-maiders, especially,
were at risk as they might easily be trapped on
earth if caught without their plumage.
r 1 1I ttt,r1,11 11
r,r
/ , 1 1l t t L r i r i l I f l t , l
I J t ' 1 g i , : / r , , : 1( , t i , / t i t t t lr(
/)l
\() rlll{( il
) r t t i , l l l r , i r \ l l ( r / 1 , , 1r , , f 1 1 ri 1 , , 1 1 1 1 , f '
r , 1 1t l t , q i t , , . t l t t i i i r r \ \ \ i t r , l t / / , 1 { t 1 , , j
( ) i l t r tr l t , r r q , , 1 1 r 1 1 , ,l f1 1r , , qt
i , l r , , t r , r t , , l r i f l r rr t , i t , ' / t g / i t . t i
' 1 , 1 rr t , / r , 1i r , r 1 l . l l , L i r r t t L it t l f i l
1 r , l l {l . t r l , l l , r . 1 ,, , ) l . l l t , i \ r I l / l
r \ i I / i i r i r l l l ! ' r / 1 (, i , l . i t t , i
L t r i l L l r l i l l . 'r i r , i l r 1r 1 i , i i ' 1 1 i 1 i
j., \ , l l l , ,, t , . 1t i , i i , r , 1 ,
l,,it
i 1 , , r 1 1 , . i 1 1l l, t r , , ' , r r i l r i \ \ (( f , , \ ( l
/ l r r i t l l l i i t , (\ littr\fll.{\r /,,,,1
NonsE MyrHoLoGY
OPIX, alsoknown as Woden or Odin was looked upon as the inspr- "madness" It indicatespossession,
Wotan, was the chief god of ration for hard-bitten warriors He as in the battle-frenzyexhibited by
Germanic myrhology, the son of alonehad rhe power ro inspiremen rhe Irish hero Cuchulainn
BORand grandsonof nuru He was in battle to a stateof berserkragein That Odin becamerhe foremost
particularlyfavouredby the Vilcngs which rhey fearednorhing and felt god shows how important wartare
a n d ro se to p ro mi n e n ce in the no parn The terrible berserkers always was in Germanic tradition
eighth and ninth cenrunes These would rush naked into the fray, It should be noted. however.that
seafarers and raiderswere attracted biting the edgesof their shieldsin he did not embody martial esctasy
b y Od i n 's l o ve o f b a trl e as the a maddened frenny Odin's name himself; rather he inspired it in a
"lather of the slain", for in meanssomethingahn [o "fury" or devious manner Odin was ever
VALHALIA.an immense hall in rhe
diwne forrressof ascaRo, the one- OorNQep,thelughest
oJgods,
srrsonhrs OorN(below),
astheWtldHuntsman,
e;vedgocJwas said Lo prresi,Je erv.
er uunite,i th"nno Hi;irb,nii t^,hrrh t^,n< n ieudstheheratchostcn c, ghostli'hunt
the EINHE(/AR ("glorious dead") Ar mighrywatch-toweroverloohrng
thentne throughthe stotmymidnight slry In the
rhis penod it seemsrhat Odin drs- worlds Hovenng nearbyare his tteless roar and rumbleof thestorm clouds,
placed TtR, whom rhe Romanshad rayens,theavbornen(ws reporters,Huglnn Norsemen fanciedthq heardOdin's
identified as the sky god of rhe and Muninn, while at hisJett crouchhis phantom idrrs sweepacrossthe sIry,
north European peoples Tir pet wolves,Gen and Frekr,omcnsot'good darh omensoJdoom (THe
wl DHuNroF
rerained his interest in war. bur luch (Onr^-
arE BuRNI-/r.rvrs,
c ,I870.) ODIN, ry I'NAruo, ctNves, lB72 )
214
Nonsr MYTHoLoGY
ready to stir up strife, and on one voluntary death, and his subse- heyday, hanging formed an impor-
occasion commanded the fertility quent resurrection by means of tant part of Odin worship, even
goddess FREUAto "find rwo kings magic, gave Odin greater wisdom being regarded as a shortcut to
and set them at each other's than anyoneelse. Valhalla. The great Viking raid of
throats" so that their vassalswould It is possible that the obvious 842 on Nantes in north-western
wade through torrents of blood on parallel between this myth and the France can thus be seen as the out-
the battlefield. The Danish King Crucifixion gave Christianity a come of a barbarouspledge to the
Harald was supposed to have been head-smrt in northern Europe. god. Most of the ciry's inhabitants
instructed in mctics by the god and Odin's own worship appears to were slain and hanged naked or
granted manyvictories. ln his final have gone into decline in the early clothed from trees.lt was "an axe-
battle, though, Odin took the place eleventh century, at the close of the age,sword-age", a violent interlude
of the hng's charioteer and drove Viking age. Violent times were prior to the end of the world that
Harald to his death. When asked passingasVihng colonists settled would come at Ragnarok
about such withdrawals of luck, down as peaceful farmers and In addition to FRIGG,his wife in
Odin used to reply that "the grey traders. But during the Vikings' Asgard, Odin had many other
wolf watches the halls of the gods". wives, and he fathereda number of
Gathering to Valhalla heroic war- Oow belm), in a timelessbattle scene, OorN (abwe), a god of vision,sacifced children. Among those said to be
riors slain in battle was the only clasps hiswtJeIongngly,beJoredivinginto one qe Jor a draught of Mimir's Fountain his sonswerc THOR,BALDER, HODR,
policy he could adopt under the theJray Armed Jorbattlein eaglehelmet oJWisdom His singleqe symbohzedthe and v,qu.
constant threat of RecrueRoK,the andbluetunic,symbolizngthe slE,heis radiant all-seang sun, while his lost qe, Odin kept himself informed
doom of the gods. These Einhe4ar armedwithhisinJallible spear,Gungnir, floatingin Mimir's well,signtJiedthefull about the affairsof the nine worlds
were desperately needed for the andhiswondrous in g Draupnir,which moon Odin hung himselfJrom Ygdrasil, with two faithful ravens As Vihngs
final battle on the vIGRID Plain, wastherymboloJhispwu andwealth the cosmictreeJor nine dEs, tolearn the at sea sent out ravens in search of
where nearly all would fall in a (Opru's Lrrve-rnKNtc ByF LEEKE,c,ANVAs,c 1875) secretsoJthe dead (Bnoruzr
ncurl c 1950
) Iand, Odin's own ravens HUGINN
struggle berween the gods and the and Muninn flew about and then
frost giants Odin himself was to be "whispered into his earsevery scrap
hlled by the wolf nr'ruruR,the mon- of news which they saw or heard
strous offspring of the fire god roro tell of" The birds' names mean
and the frost giantessANGRBODA "thought" and "memory" respec-
Besideshis authority over the tively Becauseof his wrsdom and
battlefield and the glorious dead, his knowledge of events, Odin was
Odin was a god of magic and wis- oppressed by the approach of
dom. fu the oldest of the gods, the Ragnarok. Just as the cycle of
first-bom son of Bor, he was treat- Germanic mythologystarted with a
ed by the other gods as their father. cosmos awash with the blood of
Shifty-eyed and flaming-eyed he the original frost giant YMIR,when
might be, but Odin also had a Odin and his brothers vtt andvr.
strongly posidve side to his charac- carved the world of men out of his
ter as the most learned god. His dead body, so the final scene was
conflicting negative and posidve to be a batdefield, where the gods
aspects are indeed very similar to were predestined to gush out their
those of the Hindu god Shiva, the own blood. Ragnarok,the doom of
great destroyer-saviour of Indian the gods, beganwith the death of
mythology. For Odin's love of wis- Odin's son Balder and the realiza-
dom was so profound that he was tion by the gods that in Loki, the
prepared to sacrifice himself to god of [ire, rhey had tolerated the
plumb its depths. Odin was often growth of evil. There was nothing
ponrayed as a grey-bearded old that Odin could do to prevent the
man with one eye, his face hidden catastrophe.His only consolation
bya hood orabroad-brimmed hat, was the foreknowledge that his
because he had cast an eye into resurrected son Balder would be
MIMIR'swell in retum for a drink of worshipped in his stead in a new
its "immense wisdom". He gained age and a new land which would
insight in another way by hangrng rise from the sea. (See also rHr
himself for nine days from VALKTRIES; AND SPELLS;
SORCERY
YGGDMSIL,the cosmic tree. This MGNAROK)
RINGSOF POWER:
215
NoRse MyrHoLoGY
Orrnn wasdisguised asa boarbyhis PnfOfJ-O was the Bakic war god,
divinelover,Frqja Here,Frqtjarideshim
the equivalent of Germanic ODIN,
to theseerHyrdla,seehingprooJof Ottar's
the one-eyedgod of battle, magic,
hingshipTheseerimpartedto Ottarhis inspiration and che dead He was
familytreewithsomeMemoryBeerto help depicted as an old man with a long
himreciteit correctly
in a contestfor
the
green beard and dearh-like pallor,
throne(lu-usrnarroN
ByJAMES Arcxeuorn,
1995
wearing a turban. His sacred
)
objects were the skulls of a man, a
Offen was rhe human lover of horse and a cow
FREYA,the Germanic fertiliry god- Patollo was the chief god of rhe
dess, and was said ro be a disunr Baltic region He bestowed good
descendantof the hero SIGURD fortune and, like Odin, he took it
The wamor caughr the goddess's awaywhenever he had a desire ro
attendon through grand sacrifices tasrehuman blood Ar some point
He buih a srone altar and tumed ir before the advent of Christianity
into glassby rhe consranrhear of Patollo seems to have taken on a
the fire he used in preparing his more pronounced role in respectof Orrrn wasturnedintoanottu byhis appearsin a surviving myth about
bloody offering Fref a transformed the dead. This would explain why Jathutocatchfshfor dinner.
Here,he SAULE, the sun goddess, and the
him into a boar so rhar she could Christian missionariesimmediately nibbles
a salmonwithhisqes closed to moon god vrruu. According ro rhis
keep him with her in ASGARD, the idendfied him with rhe Devil. avoidseeinghisdinnerdimintsh witheach tale, the moon chosenot to appear
home of the gods. She even used mouthfulBlindto theworld,hewas easy in the sky with the sun becauseof
the disguised Ottar as a mounr PrnxoNIS see pERKUNo prEJorInhi whocaveted theotter's
Jtne Perkuno, who had an affair with
Ottar may have been a leader of a Ju, (t utrurroN
BYNlckBr-qrc,
1995) Saule. Their love-child was rhe
warrior band, a lover pleasing to PgnxoNS seepERKUNo Moming Star. Whereas the sun
Freyla who shared rhose fallen in worshipped at Uppsala in Sweden. goddess carried on as if nothing
battle with Odin. In the myth ir is PnnxuNAS seepERKUNo There'the war god ODIN,rhe rhun- had happened and conrinued to
suggestedrhar he is related ro rhe der god THoRand the fertiliry god show herself to all humankind
berserkers,waniors who, "howling PrnxUNO (which probably FREYRwere revered, whereas at during the day, Menu made him-
and foaming in frennl,lefr a uail of
meant "striker"), known as Romowe in Prussia,Baltic peoples self visible only by night.
terror and leaped like wrldfire over
Perkunasin Lithunia, Perkons or gaveworship ro PAT)LL), Perkuno
land and sea". Perkonis in Latvia, was the Baltic and potRIMPo. The young, beard- Prnuu seepERUNU
thunder god. He was obvrously less god Potrimpo was the Baltic
OTTER, in Germanic mythology, connected with rhe Slavic god Freyri grim Patollo was the Baldc PfnUNU, known as pyerun in
was the son of rhe magician-farmer PERUNU, although Perkuno was rhe Odin: and the Baltic Thor was Russia,Piorun in Poland and some-
HREIDMARWhen rhe fire god rOrcr standard European god of the Perkuno, as quick to anger as the times Perun, was the Slavic thun-
killed him by mistake, for he had storrn He was depicted as an giant-killing Germanic thunder der god. He was the chief god and
taken the shape of an orrer, angry-looking middle-aged man god. A late account of the Balts a creator god. At Kiev in Russia he
Hreidmar demanded compensa- with a fiery face and a curly black even supposes a migration from had an important temple until the
don The otter's flayed skin was to beard. An order of priess is known Sweden in the sixth cenrury. tenth century. Perunu's supremacy
be covered inside and out with to have mainrained a perpetual fire Unfortunately, next to nothing was ended byVladimir, rhe ruler of
gold Loki succeededin taking as as part o[ Perkuno's worship of Baltic mythology has survived, Kiev who was later raised to rhe
much gold as he needed from rhe Bahic mythology appears ro apart from the names of gods and sainthood. After living rhe qpical
dwarf ANDyARI,and insisted that have possessedthree main gods, goddesses. It is of considerable life of a Slavic prince, wirh numer-
he also be given a ring which not unlike the Germanic rrio interest, therefore, that Perkuno ous wives and misresses, Vladimir
216
Nonsr MvrHoLocY
"rired of the desire forwomen" and Moslems. His choice fell on rhe Prnxrno can be seenherendingwith his Elsewherein Europe the Slavic
sought a newway of living He sent Bfzantine form of Christianiry and divinecompanions:on theleft,young peoples also revered Perunu, as
out ambassadors to witness the thereafter the Russians and the Potimpo, crownedwith Iruitful wheat; place- names still indicate In
religious ceremonies of both the Greeks shared the same form of next, veteran Patollo bears a shull Slovenia there is Perunji Ort, in
Catholic and Orthodox churches, Chrisdan worship. rymboliztnghisffinity withwar and death, Croatia Peruna Dubrava, in
as well as those of the Jews and Prior to this conversion in 988 whilehis hornedturban recallshis sacred Bulgaria Perin Planina, and in
though, the "Rus" owed more to cow Perhuno,at right, Jlasheshis lightning Poland Peruny as well as Piorunow
Pnncnvuroamedthe tkundery sly onhrs north-westem Europe, for the (llrusrnerroru By IAMES ALExANorn, I 995 ) According to Procopius, secretary
milktone,jnshing shaftsof lightning Jr om esmblishment of the Russiansrare to the Greek general Belisariusin
htsthunderboltInhis efiig atKia,,he resulted from Viking trade and PERL.TNU,
as afertility god, wanderedwer the sixth century, the Slavs wor-
appearedwith a silver head and golden settlement on its greatrivers. The the earth, spreadingsummer sun, chasing shipped above all the god of light-
moustncheHe was transjormedinto St Viking leader Oleg had captured awaycloudsand meltingthe snow A god ning, and sacrificedcatde and orher
Elijahwtth the arival of Chistianig, Kiev in 882 and raised its status to with a socialsense.he bombardedthe lands animals to him. In Russianfolklore
nvNrcxBFr''ts,
orrusrpcnoN 1995
) "mother of Russian cities". With oJthe wrchedwith hailstorms The oah, his the memories of Perunu's great
this Germanic influx, it is hardly sacredtree. was burned in his honour skill with the thunderbolt can
surprising that there are obvious (lLLUsrMiloN ay Nrcx BE/,u. 1995 ) doubtlessbe found in stories that
parallels berween Perunu and tell of dragon-slaylng and other
THOR Oleg was referred to as a supematural deeds rhat required
"wizard". It seemsquite likely thar "..::i
enorrnousstrength
Thor provided the native Slavic
thunder god with a developed PERUNU
PTONUN SCC
mythology, since surviving details
of Perunu's worship suggest that POTTUPO was the Baltic god of
he was originally believed to be an fertility and the equivalent of the
aid to agriculture. lndeed, rain- Germanic fertility god FREYR,
making ceremonies are known to though he was also associatedwith
have involved a chaste girl, naked rivers He was depicted as a happy
and decked with flowers, dancing young man without a beard and
in a magic circle. Whirling and crowned with ears of grain
drinhng seem to have been impor-
tant in his Russian worship. PYENUN SECPERUNU
217
Nonsr MyrHoLoGy
218
Nonsr MvrHoLocY
2r9
SORCERYAND SPELLS
oRCERY AMoNG THENonsrMEN was
a unique and precious art practised
essentially by Odin and rhe Vanir
deides of nature, bur also by dwarfs
and some privileged mortals, Llsually
women. Although disringuished heroes,
such as Sigurd, were blessed with magical
weapors, they usually lacked any magical
powers. Odin, the arch-sorcerer,developed
his skills over a lifetime of search and
sacrifice, much like a morml shaman. Ever
thirsry for wisdom and power, he wandered
the nine worlds as a vagrant, clad in a blue
mantle and slouch hat , gathering and
garnerirg every snippet of information he
could find. After hanging himself on the
World Tiee, he learnt rhe secrers of the
dead and restored himself ro life. By
contras[, the heroes of Finnish myth were
often gifted from birth with asrounding
magical powers and arcane wisdom.The
wise wtzard, Vainamoineh, was a born sage
and sorcerer,while debonair Leminkainen
was bathed as a baby ro imbue him wirh
wisdom and sorcery. Equipped with a
repertoire of sacred songs, the Finns
penetrated to the roors of life. Finnish
sorcerers were so famous that in medieval Kurrrpvo cursesllmannen'swichedwtJewho had tauntedhim bqond endurance,
glvinghim a dry loalJor hts lunch,stffid with a rochwhich shatteredhis hntJe
times Norwegian kings forbade people ro In response,he tumedher gentlecowsinto bearswhichdevouredherat thefamily milhing
Kurrrnvo (above),doomedJrom birth, setout 0n his last Fnrl7a (nght) was renownedfor her maglcal crafts,along
journq, ptpingloudly onhis cowhorn,his mother'sBlachie l,rJh the otherVanir deitiesoJJertiliry and nature Shewas
dogrunningbehindEn route hepossedablastedstretchoJ the Jirstto teachthe wamor Aesir the practiceof seroror
greenwherehe had unwittingly despoiledhrs long-lost maglc SerorwasuseJulbutcould be dongerous,glvrngrts
bemoanedthe maiden's
sister Here the meadow grasses practitilnersforehnowledgeand power overliJeand death,
terible fate Feelingthe crushingweightof guilt and a loveand intelligenceOdin quichly learnt all that Freyja
liJetimeoJ bitterness,Kullemoeventuallythrew himselfon couldteachhimand, ewr thirsryJorhnowledge,surpassed
his sword Although a powerfulsorcerer,Kullewo was the Vanir in maglc arts ln later myth, Frqja wasrdentiJied
deniedlovethroughouthis lit'eand nner learnt theway of oJSpnngwho guardedthe maglcapples
with ldun, goddess
things {xuttERVCl ByA GaLLrN-KeLLnq, cANVAs, c 1850) BYARTHITR
ofyouth,seenhere0lrusrn+nos c 1910)
RAcKrlAM,
Brynhild,
A RrrucoF FInE (far left) enctrcledthe ValLeyne,
sleepfrom all but the
protectingherin an enchanted
bravest OnIy Sigurddared theJieryctcle of Jlamesto win
the sleepingbeauryHrs fearlessspiit camed him through'
mysteiouslyunharmed,as predrctedby the brrdswhose
songheunderstood(liI t/.srmrr()N r 1920)
B)IJTHF.A(ER,
221
NonsE MyTHoLoGY
222
Nonsr MvrHoLoGY
caverns where the dwarfs lived, Slctw (nght) Queenof Gotaland, rushes
Loki also met the dwarf brothers down the glacialfiord to greether hinsman
Brokk and Eiti. They were so jeal- Shewamsthem oJan ambushplanned
ous of the workmanship that had W hn vengefulhusband,Siggar,a sore
gone into the wig, the boat and the losn, who bittuly resentelher brother
spear that Loh persuadedthem ro Signund's victory in a maglcal strord
make something better; he even contest 0rrusrncflor'r
ByJAMES 1995
Atrx,qvoen, )
smked his own head on their
inabiliry to do so. fu a result, the he tried to flee, which caused Loh brorhers about Siggeir'splot against Signy helped Sigmund to plot
dwarf brothers fashioned the magrc to plan a revenge against Thor (See them, but they were ambushed in revenge She even slept with him in
hammer known as MJOLLNIR,the also TR&{SURESAND TALISMANS) a forest and bound to a fallen ree disguise and bore a son named
scourgeof the frost gians. Each night a wolf devoured one of Sinfiotli When Sinfiotli grew up
The gods were delighted with stcuut tD seeNoRsEHERoEs them in lum, until only her she placed him in Sigmund's care,
the treasuresLoh and Brokk had youngestbrother Sigmund was left but they were both captured by
brought back. However, Brokk SIGI IY, in Germanic mythology, alive. Signy got a slave to smear Siggeir.A magic sword freed them
demanded Loh's head. The gods was the unfortunate daughter of Sigmund's facewith honey so that and killed Siggeir and his sons
would not agree,but they had no VOLSUNG,supposedly a descen- the wolf would lick him instead of Signy chose to die herself in the
objecdon to Brokk sewing up dant of ODIN.Married againsther biting him Sigmund was thus able burning Gothic palace, but not
Loh'slips with a thong when Thor will to the Gothic king Siggeir, she to catch the wolf's tongue in his before she had told Sigmund the
dragged the god back home after nied to wam her fatherand her ten teeth and overcomethe beast truth about Sinfiotli'sparenmge
223
Nonsn MyrHoLocY
StcuNN seesrcrN
224
Nonsr MyrHoLocy
bound him in a cave. First they Slcvl (abwe), the danted wtJeoJInhi, SKADI, or Skade (which means SrtnNtR ("shining")wasa ser-
took hold of rhree slabs of rock, stoodbyhim uen afterhehadben "destruction"), was a figure in vant of FREYR,
the Germanic god of
stood them on end and bored a banished to an iq prison There she nofihem Germanic mythology. She fertiliry. When Freyr wished to
hole through each of them. Then lessenedhis pain by catchingthefery was the wife of the sea god tryOno marry the frost giantessGERDA,he
the entrails of Loki's son Narvi venomdnbbledby a serpenttied abovehis and daughter of the frost giant promised Shmir his horse and his
were employed as a rope which face Wen shewent to empty the bowl, he THIASSI. When the gods ofascenp sword and senr him ro;oruNHEIM,
bound the fire god to the stones. writhedin agotry,shahingtheearth trorc killed her farher for srealing IDUN's the land of the frost giants. Skirnir
When the gods had tied the Iast ANDSrcYN ByMEWrNcE, c NVAs, c 1890) apples, Skadi armed herself and had some difficulry in persuading
Iqrot, the enrails became as hard as went to the gods' srronghold to Gerda to agreeto the match, how-
iron. To ensure Loh's discomfort Despite all that her husband had seek compensation. Refusing an ever. Eleven apples of youth, the
the frost gianressSIi{DI, NJORD's done, Sigrn remained rrue to him offer of gold, she demanded a magic fruit that kept the gods
wife, fasteneda snake ro a sulactire and did what she could to lessen husband and a bellyful of laughter. young, were no temptation to her
above the god's head and there he his sufferingbycatching the venom This was agreed, provided thar Nor was one of Odin's arm-rings
wuls to remain undl RAGNARoK dripping from the snake in a wood- Skadi chose her husband by his Gerdashowed no fearwhen Shmir
en bowl. However, whenever she feet only. Thinking that the mosr threatenedto beheadher, but she
went awayto empry its poisonous shapely feer must surely belong ro began to panic the moment he
contents, the venom fell on Loh's handsome BALDER,ODIN'S Son, started to recite a powerful spell It
head and causedhim to wirch vio- Skadi made her choice only to dis- promised to deny her any joy or
lently. According ro rhe Vihngs, it cover that she had picked Njord passion, for the beautiful frost
was these compulsive movemens The merrimenr was provided by giantesswas to be transformed into
that accountedfor eanhquakes. L2KI, who tied his resticles io a a lovelessoutcast,a companion of
goat. fu the couple were unable ro the "unwonhy dead". As a result of
sxenn seesK{Dr stand the conditions in each this threatened fate, Gerda at last
other's hornes, Njord and Skadi consented to meet Freyr and so
Src{Dt, a cnl anil indqndnt huntress, decided that ir was best to live Skimir received his promised
roamed the mountainsonhq snow shoes apart. Her relationship with rhe rewards. On another occasion.
A Wirit ol winta, shewasJar happir on gods continued, however, and it Shmir acted in his role as messen-
hn o! slop tlun in hq husband'ssunlit was she who placed the venomous ger by going to the dwarfs on
cwa. A deity oJhuntm and mountain snake above Loki's head when the Odin's behalf to order a magical
climbs, sheguidcd thcir sleigla am the gods eventually imprisoned the fetter so that Odin could resrrain
snox4 0ulstttnoN cf l/o.iEsAwxtxoen195 ) troublesome god in a cave. the terrible wolf FENRIR
225
Nonsn MyrHoLocy
Sol seeNATURE
sPIRITS
226
Nonsr MyrHoLoGY
Sunr belwD, afircefire g1ant,roseJrom dead, the living, monsters, dwarfs, The building contained a four- SVnnnZIC, sometimes Svarozic
thefurnaceoJ Muspellat Pagnarohtolead elves and animals were all to be headedsmtue of Svantovit that was or Svarogich (which probably
hisfiay hordes against the diine host reduced to ashes.Then the eanh nearly thirty feet in height Multiple meant "hot" or "torrid" - a mean-
With hislnming sttord, he set the nine would sink into rhe sea,before ris- headswere indeed a feature of the ing that can sdll be found today in
worlds ablaze, burning them to blactcned ing again, fresh and green. It may Slavicpantheon. lt is thought rhar the Romanian language),was the
cindm which sanhbeneath the boiling be that the view of the end of the Svantovit may also have been wor- Siavicfire god, especiallyof the fire
oceanonly to nseagainJresh,greanand world as an immense conflagadon shipped as a supreme deity and that was used to dry grain. He was
nqt tlJ,usrnAnoN
BYJAMES
ArD04Noe*
1995
) was influenced by the volcanic seen as a father to other gods the son of Svaroz,or Svarog(who
nature of lceland, from where Prior to the Danish destruction was identified with the Greeksmith
many of the wrirren myrhs orig- of the temple in the Christian era, god Hephaistos) and the brother of
inated In I963-7, a new island, the worshippers of Svantovrt at DAZHB)G The fire god was depict-
formed by a volcanic eruption off Arcona believed that the god would ed wearing a helmet and carrying a
the coast of lceland. was named mount a sacred white horse and sword, and on his breast was a
Sursey after the god Surt nde out at nights against those who black bison's head Human
denied his diviniry In the moming sacrifices were made to Svarazic.
SVNNTEUT SCC5VANTOWT the horse was often discovered to including, after his capture in
be covered in sweat Omens for 1066, the German bishop of
SVANTOVIT. also known as successin war were read from the Mecklenburg In some traditions,
Svantevit, was the war god of the behaviour of the sacred horse as Svaraztcwas idendfied with the
Slavic peoples of central Europe well Human sacrifi.ces,which were flame of lightning
His temple at Arcona on rhe Baltic a widespread custom throughout
island of Rugen was destroyed by the Germanic and Slavic peoples, SVNNOCICH SCC
SVARAZIC
King Valdemar of Denmark and his were made to Svantovit before any
Christian advrserAbsalonin I 169 great undertakings, SVNNOZIC SCCSVAMZIC
TRAGIC LOVERS
TMELESS TALES OFTMGICLOVEare common everywhere,yet rarelyso stark
and bleak as in Norse mythology. Sometimesa curselies at the root of the
trouble, as in the tale of Sigurd and Brynhild, where a cursed ring wrecks
the lives of severalpairs of doomed lovers.Sometimesthe trials of love
symbolze the battles of naure. Sigurd,for instance,might be seenas a sun lord who,
armed with a sunbeam, dispels darl.mess;while his lover, Brynhild, symbolizesthe
dawn-maidenwhose path he crossesonly at the start and closeof his shining career
In other tales,obstaclessimply serveto test the lovers' honour and courage,as when
Frithiof faithfully guards his sleeping rival,
Sigurd Ritg. In their love affairs, the gods
seem Iuckier than mortals, though
friction is rife, if short-lived, ?s when
Odur flees Frefa or Skadi lives apart from
Njord. Such conflict might symb ohze
seasonalchanges: Njord's sunny love can
only hold wrntry Skadi for three months
of the year. By contrast, in the heart-
warrning tale of the summer god, Freyr,
he wins his frosry bride by sheer warmth
of love which melrc her icy heart.
THNZT SCCTHIA5SI
23r
Nonse MyrHoLoGy
232
Nonse MYTHoLoGY
of such enorrnous sZe that Thor pinned to the gound by one of the
would be struckby tenor on seeing dead frost giant's legs and with a
him. Named Mrsr C,trn, rhe clay piece of whetstone lodged in his
giant was animated by the heart of head. None of the gods could
a mare and, slow movrng though releaseThor and it was fortunate
he was, clouds gathered round his that his own three-year-old frost
towering head. On the day of the giant son IvfiGNI tumed up after
duel Thor wet himself at the sight the fight. The son of the frost giant-
of Mist Calf, although his chario- ess Jarnsaxa, a mistress of Thor,
teer had the good sense to topple Magni also told his flattened father
the clay giant by attachng his legs how he could have dealt with
with an are. Mist Calfs fall shook Hrungnir with his bare fists. Thor
Jotunheim, the land of the frost was delighted to see Magni's
grants ln the fight with Hrungnir it strength and gave him the dead
was Thor who came off best, frost giant's steed Golden Mane
although the thunder god was left as a reward, much to Odin's
233
NORSE MyTHoLoGY
234
NOnSE MyrHoLoGY
235
RTNGSoF PowER
MONGtrtr VrrcNcs,the ring was a potent symbol of power, fortune and fame.
A gift of honour and form of currency,it was also sometimesa royal
heirloom, such as the swedish sviagriss.The magicalrings of Norse myth
were also symbolsof destiny and, in their bleakesrform, symbolsof doom.
One famous examplewas the cursed ring, Andvarinaut, which blighted many lives.
Another ring of doom was Thor's Domhring, formed by a circle of stone statues
surrounding a punishment pillar in front of his temple. The Domhring possibly
symbolizedthe inevitability of retribution. Much morejoyous and fabulousrings were
Odin's astoundingDraupnir which literally dripped eight similar gold rings everynine
days; or Thor's Oath Ring, a s;'mbol of fair play and good faith. The rings of heroes
inevitably brought wealth and power, but not alwayshappinessand somerimes
tragedy,Lfcorrupredby greed.Yetthe pure nngs
of Onhnit, Wolfdierich and Dietrich were
symbols of a ring-lord's circle of
power and everlasdng fame.
Dneuprurn,
Odin'sfabulousing,
wasan emblemof abundance
and power Preciousbqond compare,it
dnpped eight similar gold ings every ninth night, consolidating Tur, Goto Rtrltc among the Vlhings wos
his vastwealthand dominion overthe nine worMs Draupnir a precioustohenof power,fame and
was crafted by the dwarf, Sindn, while his brother, Brohh, fortune Sometimesbequeathed as an
pumped the bellows ln an extrayagdntgestureof gnef, Odin heirloom,it was alsooften buned with the
castthe ing upon Balder'sJuneral pyre, but later retnevedit nng-lordJorthejournry to the otherworld,
when Hermod ventured to Hel The return of the nng rymbolized suchas thisbunal treasure Exquisitely
the promise ofJertiliry afbr winter bleahnessHere, the dwarf wrought, the ing's clear,bold lines express
Sindnfashions the magnificent ingwithfre and arcanemaglc the vigour and strengthof Vihing craft
in his undergroundforge (luusrnanovayAr,qru
Ler,:j84) (Gtr strvrn,1Orncrrurunv
)
Nonse MvrHoLocY
ffi
r.1
t{
+H\
AlrrRrcH ioflnc), u dwarJ rf rhe Nrebelungen[cd, lorged u nngol pctwer DtffRtCH ( a b o t ' c ) a G o f h r C h t t o , l | O i l a t r r r r r d r o u . sr r n f r r , r i r f h c r / r r c r r l I - . i L l r - u l l l t r r n i f t c / r l f . l h t l / ( ) t { s
fronr thc Rhrncgold stolen lrom the Rhrnc I'latdcn.s \t1r\ rr/ rhc sold rohben J r r r q c l o r n/ r r h g e n r s A f r t ' r r u r r r , r r . sh r r r r l e sa r t J i r t t r r q r t c s f ) t t t t t r i t r r t r ' t . . : , r t a1 i 1 1r l i / r
uricio,Ec,rurth
untl nng of pour incied gotlsantl grants tthLze[o octt()n Ihc .4ant-sFalner and r t c { . l 1 r1tr /t t t r t s t b t l t o r t
d v , t t r l. a n c l L l a t m u l h r - s m a g r a / g o l d n n g a s r . . r , e lal . s c r g r r l i c o / . s t r r ' r r g f i e
t t l l s e a r c h r - / r . s p u r n n g lol r t h t h t c l k n t r e a s u t e lrir .ittir,,\ IlrI i')\ -\ii\-\r\ l'll+ r L i r ( / ( ' t tb, e . f t r t t t ' t n n t n . { l h t r r n $ t l i ' d s i i r e s r i i l r . ' t i i i
l - ( ) sg '\ i|-1rtr lrt ,'rs+
S l a ; ( , R D ( r r g h f) l \ ( r n l h ( '
Lt i l . \ t ' c jn n g . { n c l rc i l l l l c l L { l
n'ilrtricrlf hrm-self.ha
be:nttchttl h Gnnhila
r n t t r h c t r c i , r ' i n gB n r r h r l c ih
s u | | t t c c lf r o m q r i i l t a r r c l
c r t r i r c c ir h c c i r r r r r f t h c
tttm|.tl by rhc hrrrer c ur.serrl AnrJlarr Hrt'rclntttr t^,,hohucl dunundetl the nng t() dsst/dgr' hcr h()ll()llr ,4.s
/r.rncl.s
r,/ lris st,rr Firiirrr rrho lLr.stc,iafto tht qrrirl \c.rt Fu.fnn ttn.nt'tlhrnr-sel/ ht &d r c r l l r n gr r , B n r r h r i c /
- S i q u r L(/ r r h o r t ' ,s l c r t t h c d r r i g r r n h r n r h c r r r e ( l l h t / r t h r r / r r t t n
s ng-hoard hur xtth
l , lliir,irrrt) '
, ; ' 1 1 pr 1
tf tt trrrrhlcttilrc \\ r1
237
Nonsr MyrHoLocy
238
NonsE MyTHOLOGY
Tvn Qeft),JamedJor htsbraveryand might, Tvn (aboveleft),a popularswordgod, was Llno (above),awrse Norn,persomt'ied
the
wasassignedthe taskoJfeedtngFennr,the invohedbeforebattle,honouredwrth sword present
past, whrleher ststersrepresentecl
ftercewolf-sonof Lolzi Yet Fennrhepton dances,andhadhis rune engravedon andt'uturefate The Nornswatnedthegods
growrng,strongerandt'terceruery day, blades He losthrs nght hand in a t'ight from the
oJJuture evtland drcw lessons
unttl all-seeingOdin reahzedthe danger with Fennr, but was lustas shrlfulwith hrs past Urd fer)two swenson the IJrdar pool
and thegodsdectdedto brndthebeast left,and at Ragnarohslewthe hell-hound whogavebtrth to theswansoJ theworld
underground(luusrnerrrx 1930
ByJ HL)ARD, ) Garm (lt-tt,srn,arioN B) JAME-SAt ExqNI)IR, .l 995 ) (lrrr.stnarror llr /,l rrrsAtExlroi,n ,l995 )
early sly god whose powers were mouth as a sign of goodwrll When URD, orWpd (meaning"Fate" or
later passed to Odin and Thor the wolf discovered the chain could " Pas t" ) , w as one of thr ee s i s ter s
6UNGNIR, Odin's maglcspear,may not be broken, he bit off Ty'r's who were the Germanicfatesand
once havebelongedto Tyr, since it hand Although Tyr was in agony, were }crown as the NORNSThe rwo
was customary for the Vikings to the other gods just laughed The other sisters were Verdandi
casr a spearover the heads of an downgrading of Tyr may not be ( " Bei ng" or " Pr es ent" )and Sk ul d
enemy as a sacrificebeforefighting unconnected with the loss of a ( " N ec es s i ty " or " F utur e" ) U r d
commenced in earnest,and over hand A Cehic god by the name of gaveher name to the well thar was
recent years archaeologistshave Nuada was forced to grve up the situatedbeneathone of the roos of
found numerous splendidly oma- leadership of the lnsh Tuatha De the c os m i c tr ee, and
YG G D R ASIL,
T\T, also known asTiv and Tiwaz, mented spearsdedicatedto Tyr Danann ("the people of the god- that was where rhe gods would
was the Germanicwargod, and the The myth of Tyr relatesto the dess Dana") after he lost a hand at hold therr daily meetrng As was
son of ODIN and his wife nrucc binding of rhe wolf nrruRtRThis rhe first battle of Magh Tuireadh also the casein Greekmythology,
The Anglo-Saxonsusually called monstrous creaturehad grown so But Tyr was still able ro light ar the gods w er e not s upenor or
him Tiw and gave his name ro powerful that rhe gods decided to MGNAROK, dunng whrch it was beyond the infiuenceof the fates
Tuesday (Tiwesdaeg in OId restrain it No ordinary chain was destined that the hound Garm, Indeed, U r d w ar ned the c hi ef of
Englsh) He was closely associated strong enough, and belore Fenrir which srood at the gates of HEL, the Germanicgods, ODIN,that he
wirh Odin and, Iike that god, would consent to a magic one acting as watchdog to rhe land of was destined to be krlled by rhe
receivedsacrificesof hanged men being placed round his neck, Tyr the dead, was [o leap at Tyt't throat remble wolf nrrunlRat RAGNAROK,
Ir is not unlikely that Tyr was an had to put his hand in rhe wolf's and they would hll each orher the doom o[ the gods
239
Nonsr MyrHoLocy
UfCnRO ("Ourer place"), in VnnrHnUDNIR, in Germanic present and the future. After an UTGAu, theiq atadel oJ thefrost gwnts,
Germanic mythology, w6 the huge mythology, w6 a wise frosr giant. impressive display on the part of wu cawed out of snowblocls and f,ittmng
gians' stronghold in JOTUNHEIM, He was believed to have gained his both Odin and Vafthrudnir, the icicles The Norse poets,whohnant all about
where LOKI,THORand Thor's ser- impressive store of wisdom bycon- giant was eventually defeated by a the terorc oJ the ice of thar northern
vant THIALFIfound themselves in sulting rhe dead. Possibly like quite unanswerable question, homes,ina'itably portrayed the ail gianu
contes$ against unequal oppo- ODIN, the chief of rhe gods, who when the god asked the giantwhat in just such aharsh realm, whtre numbing
nen6. Loh failed to consume more voluntarily hanged himself for nine he had whispered to his dead son coWfroze the muscla and paralyseilthe
food than wildfire; Thialfi could nights on YGGDMSIL,the cosmic BALDERbefore he lit the pyre on will (tuusrntnoNByAr.AN
I-EE,
I9g1)
not keep pace as a runner with tree, in order to become wise, which he lay. It is implied in the
thought; and Thor was unable to Vafthrudnir had also temporarily story that Odin's forelano';vledge Now Vafthrudnir recognized
drink the sea dry, pick up the sea died. Seehng to test his knowledge allowed him to assure Balder of Odin and admitted that no one
serpent JORMUNGANDor wresrle againstthe gianr's, Odin decided to future resurrection and worship on could tell what the god had whis-
old age.When they lefr, the gods journey to Vafthrudnir's land in the new earth, "risen out of the pered into the ear of the dead
realized that Uqard was an illusion disguise. There he challenged the water, fresh and green", after Balder. The frost giant's last words
made by the frighrened frost grans gigandc "riddle-master" to match MGNARoK, rhe doom of rhe gods were: "So I have pitted myself
to deter Thor, their greatestenemy. their knowledge of rhe pasr, rhe and the end of the world. against Odin, alwap the wisest.'
210
NoRSE MYTHOLOGY
2+r
Nonse MvrHoLocy
vnlnellA, or Valholl, in
Germanicmychology,
wasrhehall
of the EINHER/AR ("heroic dead"),
those warriors slain on rhe battle-
field and chosen by ODIN himself as
his followers Buik in,aSGARoby
Odin, Valhalla was enormous It
had over five hundred doors, each
wide enough to allow up ro eight
hundred men to march through
abreast These wide doors were
designed to allow rhe chosen war-
riors to pour fonh ar rhe first sign of
MGNAROK,the doom of rhe gods
Then they were destined ro fall
again,alongsidethe gods, in a grear
battle on the VIGRIDPlain.
242
NORse MYTHOLOGY
243
RAGNARoK
AGNARoKwAS THE preordained doom of the gods, and the climax of the
cosmic drama. The seedsof doom were sown at the dawn of time when the
world and its first creatures emerged from the violent
extremes of ice and fire. Inherently fragile, the
i
universe was beset by forces of destruction and flawed from
the outset. The inevitable climax was precipitated by a Sj
series of disasters.Loki, a catalyst of evil, spawned three
fearsome monsters against whom the gods were {'
o
ultim ately powerless. Consumed with hate ,
Loki went on to slay Balder, symbol of
goodness and beauty. Beyond Asgard, the
::: .F
i"'i'i" q'!
, 1 1 1 1 r \ . i l t . /i h t . ' . t t t t t r L r r h t r r t f l t l t t . : l t , t t r t t t l , t ( ) c l r n
111,,1 .il
/'rr.,r I tt i - , ,ll i- I .-
i f i
l. .
t / l / l \ 1 ( l l - a ( ) i r L ( c a i l i i \ r l i ) i t t i r i L r t r r t ' ' ! r { :
f
/ r r r , q t t l | r l r. r n J . / r r c r r f s q r r c j s, t n r / n l t r r l r t l s t ) d t r t l c u r r t r f h t '
l r t s c J r r r(l)tf t h r r l r r t r ' \f r r r n t f h t , l t , t , l r r h , t t i t , l n 4 r t g / r r r r nt h t
4 f R f C , X C n , r * . t b r r r c rt h r r n r q h n r r r t / l r, r / { r t t i l r l htrmr ,rl
/ r r t r n t r t t t i l r t , Jf l t r 4 g c t n l t , \ f , , r l c i: t ' r l t r t t h L r r s l/ r r r r r ti h t
w h t r l t r t q r t ' i t s l , r l i t \ r t l l c L !l i ' t t h l t t t { t , l r l l h t r s l r r h r l t h t r
. i r . t t t g l t t t l l t / r , r r t l t t , t n t n t s f \ \ r / / h t r r r rt r t t / t l t 1r | 1 1 f 1
. l r - l l l \ r r / l h , , i t , t , J , U t L .f lh t , l r r t l r l i ) 1 t . li l , ' t l t t r L t , c ,/ lr r t t l t r r t r
245
NORSE MyTHoLOGY
beachat thedun of ttme Odin created into the Christian faith by idend-
(r-r-usrpcnoN
rvJeursAuxrNoen,1995) saint are expected to protect and
increase flocks of sheep and goats
217
NORSE MyTHoLoGY
MCruO, in Germanic myrhology, Our of counesyVolsung invited waming, Volsung and his ten sons
was the name of a plain that was his son-inJawSiggeir to rryhis luck walked into Siggeir's trap when
destined to be the sceneof the final first. But Siggeirdid not succeed. they accepted an invimdon to visit
conflict berween the gods and rhe Nor was anyone else able to pull his coun. Theywere ambushed on
frost gians. There ar MGNAROxthe out the sword, except the youngest the way and left in the forest,
two sides and their allies would of Volsung's sons, Sigmund. When bound to a fallen nee. Each night a
engage in mutual destruction. A Siggeir offered to buy the magic wolf came and ate one of them,
huge expanse of land, Vigrid was weapon, Sigmund refused ro parr until only Sigmund was left alive.
said to stretch l20leagues in every with it atany price. Sig.y succeededin rescuing him.
direction. Even so, it was predicted This refusai made the Gothic As a result, Siggeir wrongly
that the assembled hoss would king really angry.Despite Signy's believed that no one had escaped
cover it completely. the attentions of the wolf He
Tnr Vtcnrp Pr,cN (abwe) was mapped Votsulc's fuelwv) greathall,built relaxed his guard and Signy was
MLI, in Germanic mytholog/, was out as the battlefieldoJ Ragnaroh Wlrcn arounda sacred oah,wu thescene ofa able to brry her family and help
the son of noR and Bestlaand the Hamdall soundedthe call tobattle, the maglcalarcntwhen Odinappeared one Sigmund. lt took a long dme to
brother of opll and yr At the warringhosts convergedJromall corners of nightond thrusta sword,hilt-deep,intothe prepare a revenge,however. First.of
beginning of creation he helped his the earth; godsandherocspouredover the geat oah Hechallengedthehroes to pull all Signy rried to have her own sons
brothers ro slay the frosr gianr yMtR BtJrostBridge,while Lohi and thefi.eryhost it out,oferingthedivineglftto thewinner. trained by Sigmund, bur they
and form the world from his car- swarmedinfrom the swirlingseas Signundwasthemuch-enwed champion lacked courage A second attempt
cass. When they later created the qnory
(It-t-usrR ByJAMES
Arcxeuorn,
1995
) (lrrusrpqnoru ByAtaN Lre, 1984) to reinforce her brother involved
first man and woman from wood, incest. Without his knowledge,
Vili's contribution was sharp wits Signy slept with him and bore
and feeling hearts.Odin gave rhem Sinfiotli, a warior with double
the breath of life, while Ve added Volsung blood. When Sinfiotli
the powers of sight and hearing. In grew up, Signy sent him to her
one Icelandic poem Vili is given rhe brother to be trained as a warrior
name HONIR. Although Sigmund and Sinfiotli
were captured bySiggeir, the maglc
VfXOOIAKwas the Slavic wolf- sword secured their release and
man. More a figure of folklore than allowed them to take revenge on
mythology, he exists becauseof the the king and his sons. Afterwards
ancient respect accorded to the rav- Sigmund reumed home, and had
enous wolf, which in the forestsof another son, SIGURD,known in
northern and eastem Europe was German legend as Siegfried.
the animal most feared.According
to Germanic myrhology, the chief VoruuD seewAYr,{ND
god ooll was destined to be hlled
by rhe wolf FENRIRar MGNARoK, WnYf-,tND was the smith god of
the doom of the gods. the Anglo-Saxons. The son of a
sailor and a mermaid, he was
VOIOS SCCVELES renowned for mahng coats of mail
and swords. In Scandinaviahe was
VOTSUNG was the subjecr of a known asVolund, orVolundr, and
late Germanic myth. He was said to in Germany asWielund.
be a descendanr of ODIN. When Wayland's myth is a srory of
Signy, Volsung's only daughter, revenge King Nidud of Sweden cur
was married against her will to the Wayland's leg sinews and placed
Gothic king Siggeir, a one-eyed him and his forge on a remote
stranger appeared among the wed- island. The smith god avenged this
ding guesrs. k was Odin, chief of mudlation by hlling Nidud's nvo
the Germanic gods. He sruck a sons, who came to see his trea-
sword deep inro an oak and told sures, and sending their heads
the company that the weapon studded with preciousjewels and
would belong to the man who mounted on silver to King Nidud.
pulled ic out. Whoever wielded rhe He may also have raped Nidud's
sword could never be defeated. daughter, but this is not cenain.
2+8
Nonsr MYTHoLoGY
df
.i?
,i
Werr-ctvp helow), captlveon a desolate Wen-aNp (abovenght) and hts brothers Afterwards Wayland is said to
WArLAND's (above)smithywasvrsitednot
tsland,Iabouredinhis underground bathtngtn a
chancedupon threeVallrynes have flown to vALHALt-,q, like the
lust by wariors seehingarms,but by Jorge,
and lahe Thq tooktherrplumagelet'ton the Greek inventor Daedalus, on wlngs
noblewomen wanttngdain\ tnnh.ets oJ fashtoningwondrousornaments
weapons master,I'lidud bankandkeptthemon earthJor nlneyears, he had made for hrmself Near
purestgold Waylandwas alsoa craJtsman Jor his oppressive
oJSwedenLtheDaedalus,Wayland unttl thq escapedFashromngwrngs Jor Uffingron rn Wiltshire, a long bar-
on thegrand scale,designtnga Jabulous
htmselJ,Waylandflew aJterhis wtJe,Alvrt, row has ancient assoclations with
Icelandicmaze,hnownas Volund'sHouse fashtonedwrngsandflew away toJreedom
cARVING, 8rH crxruRY ) 0i/ELqND By M.dx KocH, uarrnc.orrrttn, i 904 ) to ,AlJhetm (lLLL,srRA il()N sv H THEAxEn, / 900 ) Wayland, and is locally known as
0VmrrnoruE
WOPEN SCCODIN
WOT,qX SCCODIN
249
NOnse MyTHoLoGY
YGGOnAStt, or yggdrasill,
(which means something like
"dreadful rnount") was the cosmic
ash nee in Germanic mythology. Is
name is a reference either ro the
gallows or ODIN's horse. Not only
did Odin hang himself on Yggdrasil
for nine nights in order ro leam
wisdom, but sacrificial hangings
from gallows trees were also a
favourite Viking way of worship-
ping the god. An archaeological
find that reveals the extent of this
ghastly ritual is rhe Tollund Man,
found in a Jurland peat bog in
1950. The corpse was so well pre-
sewed that it was possible ro
deduce that he was a prisoner of
war who had been sacrificed as a
thank-offering after a batde.
The parallel beween Odin's
volunmry dearh on Yggdrasil and
250
Nonsr MYTHoLoGY
-q*-.,.,-*-o-*
sickness and despair. In a number another sacred tree. How much his armpit. Ymir fed on the milk of unbroken bones mountains, his
of tales these magic branches of rees were once revered can be seen the primeval cow AUDHUMIA.He teeth and jaw rocks and boulders,
silver or gold were brought by mes- from the reactions to early Christian was slain by the brothers 1DIN,wLJ his blood rivers, lakes and the sea,
sengers from otherworld lands. missionarieslike St Boniface.ln the and yE, who were the gandsons of and his skull the slcy, which was
Thus the fabulous voyage of Bran eighth cenury he cut down sacrifi- BURI,whom Audhumla had licked held up at its four corners bY
b"g* with the sound of music that cial trees, to the telror of the free of the ice. dwarfs Sparks were used to make
caused him to fall asleep. lt came Frisians, until he himself was felled Growing dred of the brutality of the sun, the moon and the stars'
from a branch of silver with white at Dockum by an outraged pagan. Ymir and his ever-increasing band Such an extremelY violent
blossoms, which a beautiful lady of frost giants, Odin, Vili and Ve creation myth is by no means
took away after telling of the YCCOMSILL SCCYGGDRASIL took up arrns They slewYmir and unique The Babylonian chamPion
delights of her world beyond the then drowned all the frost gianr in of the gods, Marduk, slew the
sea. Hins of such maglc are also YMIR, in Germanic mythology, his blood, with the exception of chaos-dragon Tiamat with raging
present in Germariic mythology. was the first living creature. He was BERGEI^fiIRand his wife, who man- winds and an alrow, before sPlit-
The obvious example must be the a frost giant who emerged from the aged to escape by sailing on a dng her carcassinto rwo Parts. One
apples belonging to the goddess ice in GINNT/NGAGAP ("the yawning hollowed tree trunk. he pushed upwards to form the
IDUN. Only this magic fruit pre- empdness"). He was evil and the Odin, Vili and Ve then threw heavens,the other he used to make
vented the gods from gowing old. father and mother of all frost gians, Ymir's carcassinto GinnungagaP. a floor above the deep, the emPti-
They were clearly the gift from who first came from the sweat of His flesh became the earth, his nessat the bottom of the universe.
25L
P r c r u RE Ac xN owLE D G E M E NTS
252
INorx
INDEX
I58, I59, 160,16I, r87, I95, r95,215, I34, 135, r36, 156, Clotho 41,42,42 Cyprus 19,78
Pagenumbersin bold Amma2I9
r 6 6 ,r 7 I , r 8 3 , 2 2 4 246,248 t57, t66 Clymene 25,73 Cythera 28
type refer to Amphion 20
Amphitrite68,74 fucanius14, 14, 21,24 Billing,King l8a, I84, Camlan, Battle of 100, Clytemnestra 10, i5,
illusrranons
tuclepius19,24,25, 222 I12, I37, I42, I5I 26,28.32,32,38, +2, D
Amphitryon16,f6,79
29 BirhI12 Camulos I I1 46,54,57,64,67 Da Chich Anann 98
A Amulius17,17,78,79,
Asgard178,I80, lB0, Blacklftight121, 14I, Caradawc I I I Cocalos, King of Dabog see Dazhbog
Abana96 85
18l, I82, I84, 18,1, I 5 6 ,I 5 9 Carbonek Castle 105, Kamikos 34,62 D a e d a l u s2 3 , 3 + , 1 5 ,
Abundanti60 Anchises14, 14, 15,
I85, r88, I90, 191, BlackSeaI l, 17,22,23 t42,159 Coeus 57, 86 62,7r,82,249
AchillesIl, l2-13, 12, 19,56
r95, 198,200,202, Blathnat I03, 120, I2I Caia 46 C o l c h i sI I , I 3 , 2 2 . 2 3 , Dagda7,97, 98, 106,
1 3 ,r 5 , 1 7 , 2 8 , 2 9 , 2 9 Andhrimnir2i3
207.2t0, zll,211, Blodeuedd I06, 106, Cama 54 31,54,60 t2l, 12l, I32, 133,
30,3r, 32,+5, 4s,51" Andromache 17, L7,4+
242,245,250,25r I,+3, 143 Carthage 14, l+,37 , Colonus18,66,67,83 I43, 150, 154, r70,
6 4 , 6 9 , 7 r , 7 5 , 8 68, 6 , Andromeda18, 18, 72,
Asterius39,79 Boann98, 106,106, 50,84,85 Colosseum 85 T7L
8 8 , 8 9 ,l t 8 73
futerope 73 1 3 I ,I 5 2 Cassandra 15, 28, 28, Colossus of Rhodes 46 Daman 129
Acrs74 Andvarii79, 179,188,
Bodmin100 Conaire Mor I I2-I I3, D a n al 2 I , l 2 l , 1 2 3 ,
Acrisius3+.73 200.216,224,237 Astraeus26 +0,56,64
Aulanta 24-25,25 Bolthur I84 Cassiope I8 l13, I52 170 and seeAnu
Acaeon13, t3,23,23 Andvarinaut185,I88,
BolverkI89 Casde of the Fountain Conall Caemach 96, D a n a e2 I , 3 4 , 3 4 , 7 3 , '
Admeus 16, 16 188,199,205,216, AthenaI5. 19,22,25,
2 5 , 2 6 , 2 8 3
, I , 4 0 , 4 3 , Bor l8I, 184,i85, 156, 1.59 1I0, II2, ll6, r16, 153
Adonis19, I23, 183 2r8,228,236,237
4 7 ,4 8 , 5 4 , 5 6 , 6 1 , 6 2 , 2 t 4 , 2 4 6 , 2 + 8 Castor 22,38,38, 46, t19, t2I, 142,143, Daphne 31,34
Aeaea32,64,65 AngrbodaI75, I80,
6 4 , 6 5 , 6 7 , 7 r , 7 3 , 7 1 , Boreades 27 57,222 I53, i7I Dazhbog 188,210,227
Aegeus i3, 13,60,82, 180,r88, t98,202,
Boreas 22,26-7,26, 69 Caswallon I I I Conchobhar Mac Nessa, D e c h t i r el 1 2 , 1 1 8 , I 2 2 ,
83 207,215 84.86
6, I0, 13, 18, Bors, Sir 131,167 CathbadlI2, ll2, Il+, King of Ulster I12, L22, 167
Aegrr178,I78, I79, Annwn97,97,98, 98, Athens
2 5 , 2 6 , 2 7 , 3 8 , 4 5 , 6 0 , Boyne,River98, 106, 116, ll8, r22,129, i16, l16, lI7, I18, D e i a n i r a6 , 3 0 , 1 9
r87, r97,20t,207, r 0 2 ,r 0 5 , 1 3 2 , 1 6 2
21r,2+5 Anueus 48 6 7, 7 0 , 7 3 , 7 4 , 8 2 , 8 3 , I l 7 , r 3 0 , 1 5 2 r52 I t9, 120, 122, 127 , Deimos l9
Bragr178,I84-185, cauldrons, magrc 93, I29, I3I,140, I44, Deirdre of the Sonows
Aegrsthus I0, t5, 26, AntigoneI8, 18,30, 84,84
t85,202,242 r00, r04, 107, I09, t47, t52 lI2, I16,117,122,
32,38,54,67 33, 66,66,67,83 A d a s2 5 , 2 5 , 5 2 , 7 3 , 7 6
Atlas,Mount 52 Bran97, 104,106-107, I 32-133 Conlai 6, 98, 98, ll6- t22,129,140, 152,
Aegle52 Antiope20
I 0 7 , 1 0 9I,l 1 , 1 3 2 , ofplenry f04, I32, ll7, I16, l18, I19 r52
Aeneas I1, 14, I'1, 15, A n u9 8 , 9 8 ,I I 0 , 1 2 I Aili r99, 205
Atreus10, I5, 26,26, 132,I33, 114,l+6, i66, I70 Conn of the Hundred Delbaeth I27
I 7 , I 9 , 2 + , 2 4 , 3 7 , 4 2 . A o i f a6 , 9 8 , 9 8 ,I 1 6 -
L6+,164,25r of rebinh 132,132, Battles 99 Delbchaem 99
5 0 ,s 0 , 7 9 , 8 0 , 8 7 8,8 ll7, n8, il9, I66 54,56,60,7l
Connacht 96,144, I47 Delos 50, 57
A e n a dT, h e1 1 , 5 0 , 8 8 Aonghus98, 99, I06, Atropos+1, +2,42,211 Branthe Blessed92, I66
r07, r07, r08, 109, Cecrops 25,84,81 Corinth 23,26, 54. 56, pelphic Oracle 13, 19,
Aeolus65 ur, nt, ll8, 122, Anica27,83,84
1 2 6 - 1 2 7 , 1 3 l7+,6 , Celeno 73 60, 66, 8l 22,27.28,33,40,41,
Aerope26 1 2 9 ,1 3 0 ,r 3 6 Attis 49
Aonghusof theTenible Audhumla18I, l8l, t47 Cellach I 17 Coriolanus 32, j2 +9,5+,56,66,67,82,
Aesir178,I79, I80,
r 8 5 ,r 9 3 , 2 4 6 , 2 5 r Brangaine I08, f08, Celdc otherworlds, I04- Cormac Mac Art, High 86
I89,I90,I9l, I99, Spear117
202,203,208,2I0, AphroditeI8-19,I9, Augeas46,48 r38 r 05 King of Ireland 99, Demeter33, 36, 36,37,
Branwen 92, 107,f08, Celtic romance 140-141 1I7, ll7, I22,130, 43,+5,68, 71, 72,79
246 2 2 , 2 + , 2 5 , 2 8 , 3 9 , 4 1 , A u l i sI 2 , 1 5 , 5 4 , 6 4
1 0 9 ,I t l , 1 2 6 - 1 2 7 , cennurs 6,12,21,28, I36 Derbforgaille 122
Aeson22, 23,54,60 4 6 ,4 7 ,4 9 , 5 2 , 6 1 , 7 1 , Aurora38
r37, 146,147 29,48,58,59,62 Cormac, King of Ulster Dia22.23, 54,83, 83
Aethra13,82 7 5 , 7 8 , 8 3 , 8 71,9 0 AurvandilI94
Breg168 Cepheus l8 I12,t12, li7 Dian Cecht 109, 122,
Aetna,Mount46,87, Apollo13,13,16,19, Autonoe13
Brendan 104,109,f09, Cephissus, River 63 Comwall92, 138, I52, r23, 143,153,154
88 1 9 ,2 t , 2 3 , 2 4 , 2 5 , 2 8 . Avalon94, I0l, l0l,
164,165 Cerberus 28,28, 15, I65, 169 Diana 23, 38, 59
AfagdduI 12 2 9 , 3 4 , 3 4 , 4 0 , 4 r , 4 7 , 1 0 2 , 1 0 2 , 1 0l3l 4, ,
B r e s
I 0 9 ,I I 0 , I 2 2 , 49,67,87 Coronis 24 Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
Afi 2r9 5 6 ,5 7, 5 7 ,5 8 ,6 I , 6 1 , r 3 7 , r 4 2I,5 I , 1 6 Q
r 2 7 , 1 5 3 ,1 6 3 Cercyon 82 Craiftine I I7 98, 122,123, I30,
Agamemnon I0, II, 6 7 , 6 8 , 6 8 8, 0 ,8 5 ,
Bnan, High King102, Ceres 36 Creidhne ll7, 136 136,136, l+0,142,
1 2 ,I 5 , 1 5 , 2 3 , 2 6 . 2 8 , 103,144,I80 B
I8I, 18l I09,165 Ceridwen tl2, ll2, Creon 18,33,33,66, r67
?l ?a 4) 4q 46 \4 AppiusClaudius88 BabaYaga
1 1 , 3 7 Briciu I I0 II5,132,168 86 Dicrynna 27
5+,57,60-66 I ,4 , 6 7 , Apsyrtus23 Bacchus
Brigantes I I0 Cemunnos I I2, I13, Crete6, 7, 13,20, 23 , Dicrys 2I
1 1
t l Apulia4I BadbI02, I14,152,
153 BrigantiaI l0 I33 27,28,33,34,39,43 Dido, Queen o[
Agave 1I,28,37 Arawn,I(ng of Annwn
Brigid109,lI0, 163 CenTneian hind 48 4 7 , 4 8 , 5 0 ,6 I , 6 2 , 7 r , Carthage 14, l'+, 15,
Agenor, King of Tyre 96,97,98-99,98, BalderI78, I82, 182,
I82-183,184,i89, BrigrndoI l0 C e s a i rI 1 2 , I 1 2 , 1 3 1 73,71,76.79,82,89 36,37,84.85
28, 39 I05, 162
Brisingamen 185, 185, Chaeronia, Battle of 39 Creusa14, 14,21 Dietrich 220, 236,237
Aglaia 44 Arcadia24, 18,70 1 9 I ,1 9 8 - I 9 9 , 1 9 8 ,
t 9 9 , 2 0 7 , 2 0 8 , 2 r 5 , 190,196,196 Chaos 43 Cronos L9,29,33,36, Diomedes, mares of 48
Agravain, Sir I42 Arcas 20
Britomartis 27,27 Chanclo 86 42, 43, 44, 45, 47, 70, D i o n y s u sI l , I 9 , 2 1 ,
Ai 2I8-219 Arcona227 2t8,222,225,231,
236,240,243,244, Brokk208,222-223, Charities see Graces 74,76,79,86,87, 89 23.28.37,37,46,53,
Aietes, King of Colchis Ard-Greimne98
2++ 236 Charon 28,45,67 Crucifixlon 215,250 61,67,79,81,86,
23,31,60,6r Areopagus 25, 43,66,
Balius 69, 88,89 Bron 139,166 Charybdis 32,65 Cu Roi, King of Munster I90
Ailill96, r29 67
Brutus,LuciusJunius Chimaera 26,26,29, 103,120, 120, l7l Domhall I I9
Ailill Mac Mam 96 Ares17,19,19,28,34, BalorI02, 102,105,
r 2 0 , 1 2 9 , 1 4 3I,5 3 , 27,27,60,82 58, 71,87 Cuailgne, Brown Bull of Domhring 236
Aillil OIom, King of 3 9 ,4 6 ,1 7 , 5 4
Brynhild185,185, I99, Chiron I2, 13, 22,2+, 96,119,129,1+7, Domnu 154
Munster 96-97 A r g 0 2 2 , 2 2 , 2 3 , 5 I , 5 4 I70
t99,2r2,2r3,221, 28,29,29,54,59 i48 Don 97, 99,123,147
Nne 96-97,96 tugonaurc 22,22,23, BanbaI28
102,102,i2l 228,229,237 Christ I34, 139, 160, C u c h u l a i n n6 , 7 , 9 2 , Donn I26, 126
Aino 24I 2 1 , 3 1 , 3 8 , 4 7 , 5 0 , 5 4 , Banshees
Baucis56 B u r il 8 I , 1 8 l , 1 8 4 , 166,194 9 3 , 9 8 , 1 0 3 , 1 0 4 ,i I 0 , Dons 86
Airmid 122,123 60
BaugiI89 I 8 5 ,I 9 3 , 2 1 4 , 2 4 6 , Christianiry 67,92, llI, l12, I16, l16, Draupnir 197 ,2I5,
Ajax 12, 15, 15 A r g o s1 5 , 2 6 , 3 4 , 1 7 ,
BeFind 13I 25r r00, r07, ll0, ll7, ll7, lI8-119, ll8, 225,236,236,237
Akka 202 48,53,73
Bebo,Queen139 Byrsa85 r35, r44, I50, 155, l19, 120, 120, 1.2I, Dryads 69
Alan 139, 166 tugus22, 53
BecumaCneisgel 99 r66, 168,r70,171- t22,122,127, r29, Dubh Lacha 126, l5l
AlbaLonga 17,24,54, Ariadne 6,7,22,23,
79,85 62,73,83,83 BedwyrI03, f03 c 176,I83, I98,2lI, 129, 133,I35, l4I, Dublin 126,I75
Belenus103,103,I04 2t5,216,2r7 ,218, t42, r43, r+6, 147, Dvalin 185, 195
Alberich 237 and see Arianrhod99, 106, Cacus 77
B e l il l I , I 2 3 , 1 3 7a n d 222,238 148, 148, 152,152, Dyfed 99, 125,147,
Andvari r23, 126,137,r43 Cad'Goddeu 96,97
seeBelenus Cadmus13,28,28,37, Chrysippus 10, 26, 56, 1 5 3 ,1 6 6 , 1 6 7 , r 7 1 , l6l,162
Alcesds 16, 16 Arion 50
Bellerophon I1,25,25, 56,66 183,214 Dylan 99, 126,126
Alcippe 34 tut 99,99 39, 53, 84, 86
Artemis13,13,15,15, 2 6 , 2 6 7, r , 7 r C a e r 9 8 ,I I l , l l I Ciabhan II2, l13 Culann 118, 120, 120
Alcmene 16, 16, 48,
Cian 102, 109, I29, Culhwch 96, IO3, 120, E
79,86 r 6 , r 9 , 2 0 , 2 3 , 2 3 , 2 4 . Bellona60 C a i l t el l l , l l l
120, 139, r44,156, Eagor seeAegir
Alcyone 73 2 5 , 2 7 , 3 2 , 3 4 , 4 8 , 5 4 , Beltaine103,I03, I04 Cairbe lI7, 159 t43,170
Beothach 150 Caladcholg I48 Cigfa I46, I61 157, 158,I70 Eber 97
Al{heim 191,202 57,57,64,73,77
Beowulff3i, I83, f83, Crldydd l2O Cumae 80 Eber Donn 126, I27
Alfrigg 185 Anhur,King93, 91, 94, Calais22,27
194 Cimon 83 Cumal 120, I30 Eber Finn 126
Alvis 178, 178, 238 1 0 0 - r 0 1r,0 0 ,l 0 l , C a l a d nI I l , l 1 4 , 1 1 9 ,
Bergelmir 181,184, Cincinnatus 29,29 Cupid 33, 33, 87 Echidna 28, 8l
Nvir249 I02, I03, 103,I07, r27, 153
184,25I Circe 32, 3/, 46,58, Curtius, Marcus 34,34 Echo 63,63
Amaethon 96,97,123, nI, ll2, lI4, ll5, Calchas 41,54
Berling185 6+,65 Cybele+9,6I Edda 218-219
158 t 2 0 ,t 2 1 , 1 2 5l,3 I , Calliope 63,67
berserkers 2L1,216 Clio 63 Cyclopes 33, 5I, 65, Eetion l7
Amairgen 97,97, IL4, I 3 4 ,I 3 5 ,1 3 6 - 1 3 7 , Callisto 20
Bestla18I, 18+,246, Calydon 25 Cliodhna l12, I13 74,76,77, I80 Efnisien 107, I09, 126-
126, t27, t29 I 3 8 ,I 3 9 , 1 4 0 , 1 4 2 ,
248 Cloelia 3I Cynon I21, 12I, 156, r 2 7 , 1 2 7 , 1 3 7, 1 4 7
Amazons 17, 17,26, r 1 4 ,1 4 6 , 1 4 81 ,4 9 , Calypso 65
Bifrost18l, 184,184, Clontarf 102 159 Eibhir 159
48,73,83 1 5 0 ,I 5 I , 1 5 7 ,I 5 8 , C a m e l o tI 0 I , f l l , I I 4 ,
253
INorx
Ireland 97, 126 Fauni 42 189 193, r93,246,25r G u n n e1 r 8 5 ,1 9 9 , 2 0 5 , +6,+7, 48,60,65, 68, Iliad, The 89
En 109, 127 Faunus 12,42 FotlaI29 GiollBridge 198 229 71,73,77,86 llium 84, 85
Erichthonius 25,47 F a u s t u l u sI 7 , 7 8 , 8 5 Founders84-5 Gjalp I92, I93, I93, GunnlodI84, 185,189 HellawesI l5 Ilmarinen 196, I97,
Erik Bloodaxe 176 Febal 106 Founrainof Wisdom 232 Gurtorm199 Hephaistos 13, 15, 19, 220,24r
Eriu I26, I28 Fedlimid 129 2 0 9 ,2 r 5 Glastonbury l0l, I02, GwawlI25, l+0, 146, 2 5 ,1 6 - 1 7 , 4 7 , 6 9 , 7 0 , l l u s 4 3 , 8 4 , 8 5
Ema 219, 219 Fenians seeFianna FraochI3I i37,139, 166 r62 7 6 , 7 7 , 8 2 , 8 8 , 2 2, 7 Imbolc I I0
E r o s2 0 , 3 4 , 3 9 , 7 5 , 7 5 , Fennr I75, 180, 180, Freki2I4 Glauce 54, 60 Gwentls Coed168 249 Inachus 53
99 I88, I89, 194, I96, Freya175,178,179, Glaucus 26 Gwem107,I09, 137, Hera14,16,19, 19, Indech I54
Erymanthian boar 48 198,202, 207,215, 1 8 0 , 1 8 51, 9 0 , 1 9 0 , Gleipnir 188 I+7 2 0 , 2 2 , 2 2 , 2 5 , 3+33, , Indra 232, 235
Erytheia, Island of 77 218,218,225,239, I 9 I , 1 9 2 ,1 9 6 , 2 0 0 , Glitnir I89, I89 GwionBachI 12, t 12 4 5 , 4 6 , 4 7 , 4 7 , 4 8 , 5 2 ,lngeborg 228,229
Erytheis 52 245,247,248 207, 208,210,2 15, Goewin 99 and seeTaliesin 5 3 , 5 1 , 5 5 , 5 7 , 6 I , 6 3 , Ino 53, 53
Ecain96, 128,129, Fer Cherdne 103 2 1 6 ,2 1 6 ,2 2 t , 2 2 8 , Goibhniu 102, II7, Gwyddbwyll158 7+,79,81,86,89, Io 53, 53
150, 150, I54 Ferdia I29, I29 2 3 5 , 2 3 7, 2 4 6 . 2 1 6 r29, 136, 136, 143, Gwydion97, 99, 106, 249 Iolaus 48
Emin Oig I12 Fergus Mac Leda I24, Frey1 r 7 4 , 1 7 5 I, 7 8 , r 63 1 0 6 ,I 2 3 , 1 2 6 , r 3 7 , Heracles 6, ll, 16, 17, Iolcus22, 51, 54, 60
Etar I29, I50 I24, I39 r 7 9 , 1 9 0 - r 9 1t ,9 t , GoldenFleeceI l, 22, I 3 7 , I 4 3 ,L + 3 , 1 4 7 , 2 2 , 2 5 , 2 7 , 2 8 , 3 0 , 3 0 , Iphicles I6
Eteocles 33, 66 Fergus Mac Rorh 96, I 9 2 , 1 9 4 ,1 9 6 ,I 9 7 , 2 3 ,3 I , 3 8 ,5 0 ,5 t , 5 4 , l6I 1 4 , 4 7 ,+ 8 - 4 9+, 8 , 5 2 , Iphigenia 12, 15, 15,
Eterscel, High King of I16, lt7, ll8,124, 2 1 0 , 2 t 62, r 7 , 2 2 2 , 60 Gwynap Nudd 137 53,86,89 23,32, 51, 54,64
Ireland I 13, 152 I29, 148, t52, 167 225, 228, 229, 237, GoldenMane200,208, Gwynedd137,147 Hereydd162 lman i37, 137
Erhal98, III F i a n n a9 6 , l l I , l I 7 , 2+6,246 ./_55 GwythyrI37 Hermaphroditos 49, 49 lseult I08, I08, 124,
Ethiopia I8 120,t22, I30,130, FriggI78, 182,l9l, Goil I30, 137, 137 Gylfi, King of Sweden Hermes I0, I6, 26,32, 138-139, I38, I40,
Ethlinn I02, I29 I36, 137,154, 159, t 9 I , i 9 2 ,I 9 8 , 2 I 5 , Gordius 6l t92 4 4 , 4 5+ , 9 ,+ 9 , 5 0 ,5 3 , I+6, 1+6, 152, 169,
Ethne 129, I29 163, 167 215,237,239,2+6 G o r g o n s1 8 , 2 6 , 2 9 , 3 I , Gymir191,I92 5 3 ,6 1 ,6 4 , 6 5 , 7 0 , 7 1 . 1 6 9
Etruscans 52, 56, 80, Fimafeng I78 Frithiof220,228,229 44,7t,73,74 7 3 , 8 1 , 8 71, 5 4 ,t 9 8 Isle of Menimenr 106
82, 88 Findbhair i3I Fuamnach 96, 150 Gorias I70 H HermodI82-I83,198, lsle of Women 106,
Eumenides see Furies Findchaem I 12 Furies10, 13,25, 38, Goronwy 106 H a d e s1 2 ,1 5 ,2 I , 2 8 , 198,236,242 t07
Euphrosyne 44 Finegas 130, 130 42-43,42. 4+,66,88 Govannon I23, I26, 2 8 , 3 1 ,3 3 ,3 4 ,3 6 . 4 3 , Hero52, 52 Ismene 66
Europa 20, 28, 39, 39, Finias I70 136, 158 4 + , 1 5 , 4 9 , 4 9 , 5 05,3 , Heroes 30-31 Ith 139, I44, l5l
62,79 Finn MacCool92,96, G Gowein I37,I17 5 1 ,6 2 , 6 5 , 6,77 2 , 7 4 , HeroicQuessI56-i57 I t h a c a2 5 , 5 I , 6 4 , 7 2
Eurus 26 98, I00,104, Ill, Gabhra,Bartleo[ 159 Graces 44,45 7 7, 7 9 , 8 0 ,8 t , 8 6 ,8 9 , Hespera 52 lubdan, King I39, I39
Eurydice 19,50,67 lr7, 120, t22, I2+, Gae-bolg166 Graiae 73 9 2 , 1 0 5 ,r 5 1 Hesperides 25, 48, 52, Iuchar 109
Eurymome 44 130, r30, 13l, r36, G a i a1 9 ,2 5 , 3 3 ,4 2 , 1 3 , Grail, Holy seeSangreal Halicamassus 49 52 Iucharba I09
Eurystheus, King of I37, t54-I55, I59, + 3 , 4 4 , 4 5+, 8 ,5 2 ,5 8 , Grainne 98, 122, I30, HaraldWartoothI75, Hesperus 52, 63 Ivaldi, sons of 194,222.
Tiryns 48 I63, 167, t.68 6 3 , 7 9 , 8 68, 7 136, 136, I67 215 Hestia33, 45, 79, 88 232
Eurytion 77 Fintan I 12 Galahad, Sir93, 134, Gram 219, 224 HarbardI94 Hippodameia 26,7I I - : n o n2 8 , 5 4 , 5 + , 5 9
Everes 86 Finnn, the Salmon of 1 3 4 , 1 3 9I ,5 0 , 1 5 9 , Green Iftighr 135 Harmonia 17,28,37, Hippolyta 17,+8,73,
Ewawg 160 Knowledge 106, I30, 1 6 0 ,1 6 6 ,1 6 7 Greip 192, 193, 232 53 83 J
Excalibur I00, l0L, I30, l3I, t54, r68 GalarI88-I89, I89, Grendel I3I, I83, I94, Harpies14, 59 Hippolytus 7,73,73, Jadhg I20
102, 103, r24, tZ5, Firbolg 109, Il0, 122, 203 194 Hati 226 83 Janus 54, 54
I48,151 I29, 13I, 13l, 168 Galarea71 Grendel's morher 183, Havgan99, I05, I62 Hlidshalfi9l,2l4 J a r l2 I 9 , 2 1 9
254
INorx
255
INoex
256