2 Greek Myths Summerized

Phoenix

It appears that the Greeks took the idea of the Phoenix from the ancient Egyptians, who closely associated the red and gold bird with fire and the sun god Ra. The phoenix is a sacred creature and is said to live for either 500 years. It lived in Phoenicia next to a well and, at dawn every day, it bathed in the well and Helios (or Apollo, depending on the myth) would stop his chariot to listen to it sing.

At the end of its life, the phoenix would build a nest of cinnamon sticks and light them on fire. The bird and the nest would burn to ashes. A baby phoenix would rise from the ashes, and take the ashes of the dead bird in an egg of myrrh and bring it to Heliopolis (City of the Sun).

The Greeks and Romans were the first to call it by the name Phoenix, or φοίνιξ, because of its purple-red and crimson feathers. They and the Romans both pictured it much like a peacock or an eagle.



Orion and Merope

Orion was the son of Poseidon and the gorgon Eurvale. He was a man of gigantic proportions, and a hunter. When he was a young man, Orion fell in love with Merope, daughter of the king Oenopion. Oenopion did not approve of the match, and was rather slow in arranging the marriage. Impatient, Orion raped Merope. Oenopion was furious and decided to take revenge. He got Orion drunk, and when the young man fell asleep, the king put his eyes out and threw him out towards the sea.

Orion wandered about, blind, until Hephaestus, the smith god, saw and took pity on him. Hephaestus gave him a young boy to put on his shoulders as a guide. With this boy, Orion made his way east, where the rising sun restored his sight.

Angry and vengeful, Orion set out to punish Oenopion, but Hephaestus predicted this and built the king a hidden chamber under his palace, where he hid until Orion left out of frustration.


I did tell you I'd put them up after I finished summerizing them...
Anyhow, I love mythology, especially that of Greece and Egypt. Even though it's often violent and morbid, it just shows that the human race has always been violent and morbid. TV didn't make it worse, it just made it more apparent.

A few things I found interesting...
First of all, the Phoenix. There were stories of a Firebird in many cultures--Egypt, Greece, China, Rome...probably more. This shows a point that I've tried to make several times; why couldn't it be true? Humans like to have explainations for things, so why can't they explain why all these cultures, some of whom never met, (although the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians did meet) manage to have some of the same stories? Vampires, sea serpents (or the kraken), giants... you get my drift...
Also, Merope--The name Merope means 'beautiful,' or something like it. In Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, we learn that Voldemort's mother's name was Merope Gaunt. I find it interesting how Rowling took someone so ugly (eyes facing two different directions, dirty, ect.) have a name that means 'beautiful.' Actually, quite a few of the names in the Harry Potter series comes from mythology. Just a random train of thought I thought I'd post...

ttfn,
Brii333