Dolphins and their mystical importance

			DOLPHINS AND THEIR MYSTICAL IMPORTANCE               …these references seem to point to a deeper association with the processes of life, death and rebirth, perhaps linked to the dolphin’s ability to pass between the air-breathing, living world of humans and the suffocating, terrifying world beneath the waves, which for the Greek sailors could easily be identified with the kingdom of the dead…     Dolphins teache us that when we live in tune with the patterns and rhythm of nature, we learn how to truly be in touch with, resonate and communicate with All That IS and how to share this sagacity with anyone interested. There are those that believe Dolphins are more intelligent than humans. Especially when it comes to love. They have large brains, superior intelligence and are often associated in mythical lore with higher forms of consciousness. Some believe they are far more evolved than we are, especially on a spiritual level.Dolphins are connected with the power of breath and with emotional release, which are also both deeply connected. One of the most important factors in spiritual growth is to give ourselves the freedom of full experiencing our feelings and emotions. Often negative emotions are suppressed as we don’t want to be a part of them, so we try to stay apart from them. Some of these emotions are,  sadness, pain, anger, grief — we need to stop doing this, as this only lays the foundation for disagreeable outcomes. We need to feel our feelings, by suppressing these feelings, of course they DO NOT go away. They are still there, subconsciously, manifesting blocked energy with-in, and if these blocks aren’t removed, this can go on to physical imbalances, with-out. On top of this, by blocking these so called negative feelings, this can result in losing the quality of being able to feel at all, losing much of life’s joy. Becoming dead to the world. Simply stated breathing is conversing with the outside world. When people feel that the outside world is a source of pain, they learn, very frequently at a young age, to constrict their breathing. The diaphragm is built to assist us in breathing and to feel deeply, but it becomes suppressed. When we learn to breathe deeply we can learn to feel deeply, in turn letting go of stifled feelings. One way of doing this is to copy the dolphins pattern of breathing, a superb tension reliever!. Dolphisn breathe deeply, hold their breath underwater, then breathe out forcefully. Living in water is an important characteristic of Dolphins, as in many belief systems, including astrology, water is related to feeling and emotion. If a dolphin swims into your life, he/she is asking you to relish water both physically and mentally, swimming freely and going along with your natural feelings. He/she is showing you how to enter the waters of life and then with breath and sound call forth what you most need or desire. Dolphins use a variety of whistles, grunts, clicks, and body postures to communicate. They have unique, personal whistles they give out. If they want to get the attention of another Dolphin, they give out their personal whistle. Sound is the creative life force and a big part of dolphins life, therefore this needs to be a part of your life. Communicate. With those around you and All That Is. Creating inner sounds creates outer manifestations. If a Dolphin is your power animal, you may do well using your voice for healing or communicating, whether incorporating this into a job or just as a hobby or in day to day life with those nearest and dearest to you. Dolphins have a wise, innocent, purity of being which reaches out to our inner nature. Follow their lead and open yourself to the energy of love, harmony and balance. Express your inner truth, be true to yourself. follow your inner joy. Dolphin is asking you to go back to your roots, to the depths of your being and rediscover the Love that you truly are. Dolphins spend most of their day playing. Their life is lived in joyful harmony with each other and their world. Apparently they have learned the lesson that love is the most important factor in life. If dolphin is your power animal he may be there to teach you how to love yourself and your world more. A big part of Dolphins medicine is living in balanced, harmonious communities. They live in big groups of up to 100. Females will give birth to a single offspring, with several dolphins around her, helping with the birth, pulling the newborn out by its tail. They then protect him or her from any imminent danger. If a dolphin is hurt or ill, other dolphins will tend to them, lifting them to the surface to breathe. Dolphins mystical symbolism includes: knowledge of the sea, change, patron of sailors, harmony, wisdom, balance, communication skills, freedom, trust, understanding the power of rhythm in your life, use of breath to release intense emotions, water element magic, unselfishness. Dolphin reminds us to get out, play and most importantly, to breathe. DOLPHINS IN ANCIENT GREECE Like the people in ancient greece, people who spend their lives at sea are superstitious. The sea itself tempts seafarers to become irrational. Before the days of the compass and the shipping forecast, the sea was indeed wildly unpredictable and dangerous. It is still terrifying and awesomely powerful, even with today’s satellite positioning and sonar. To frightened, suggestible sailors, an inquisitive dolphin frolicking in the bow-wave must have seemed like a messenger from the gods. It is those seafarers, whose families never knew whether they would return alive, who gave us the first myths about the creatures.The Greeks were among the first great seafaring nations, and the wealth of their civilization was built largely on their forays across the Mediterranean. It is not surprising, then, that dolphins appear frequently in Classical mythology – they are depicted, for example, on frescoes on the bathroom wall in the Palace of Knossos in Crete, which dates to 1600 BC– but it is through the writings of the Greek poets that most of the myths about dolphins are known to us today. One of the earliest dolphin stories is Homer’s ‘Hymn to Apollo’, which describes how the God Apollo founded the temple at Delphi after a journey which took him all over Greece in search of a suitable site. Eventually he chose a lonely cave nestling at the foot of Mount Parnassos, which was guarded by the dragoness Python, whom he slew with an arrow from his silver bow. After killing the dragoness, Apollo set off to hijack a Cretan merchant ship, leaping aboard the boat in the guise of a dolphin. Terrified, the crew huddled below deck while the dolphin Apollo directed the winds to blow the ship right around the Greek coast and into the harbour below Delphi. Then, according to Homer’s poem, the sun god instructed his hostages to live in the new temple and serve him as priests: And whereas I first, in the misty sea, sprung aboard the swift ship in the guise of a dolphin, therefore pray to me as Apollo Delphinus. Like most myths, this is a story told in code. It is about the invasion of one culture by another; the replacement of the indigenous earth goddess Python, or Delphys, by the sun god Apollo; the overthrow of the mysterious, complex, female spirit of night by the bright, clear, logical, and preeminently masculine spirit of the sun The appearance of dolphins in earlier works of irt it Knossos and elsewhere suggests that the dolphin already had a place in Cretan oral mythology, although the works of later writers and poets do not make it clear exactly what this was. The dolphin continued to feature in art and sculpture wherever the Greeks had influence, from Palestine and Mesopotamia in the east to Rome in the west, and later throughout the Roman Empire. Even in the rock city of Petra, miles from the sea and hidden in a cleft in the Jordanian desert, there is a carving of a dolphin. Without a detailed written record it is difficult to know exactly what significance dolphins held for the Greeks. The sculptures, the mosaics, the beautifully engraved and painted pottery tell us that they were important, but not why. There are, however, some clues. In many sculptures from the East, the dolphin is associated with Atargatis, the mother goddess, goddess of vegetation, nourisher of life and receiver of the dead who would be born again. In later myths, particularly in Roman literature, and again in art and statuary, it is the dolphin that carries souls to the ‘Islands of the Blest’, and around the Black Sea images of dolphins have been found in the hands of the dead, presumably to ensure their safe passage to the afterlife. Taken together these references seem to point to a deeper association with the processes of life, death and rebirth, perhaps linked to the dolphin’s ability to pass between the air-breathing, living world of humans and the suffocating, terrifying world beneath the waves, which for the Greek sailors could easily be identified with the kingdom of the dead. Whatever the exact symbolism, it is clear that the dolphin is intimately involved with the fundamentals of human existence. If the dolphin is implicated in some way in the transition between this world and the next it is no surprise to find that it is also associated with God Dionysos, who himself dies and is reborn again each year in his role as the God of vegetation, and who was also worshipped at Delphi. Although most Greek writers refer to Delphi simply as the temple of Apollo, Plutarch is at pains to point out that the worship of Dionysos was equally important at the site. He should know – he was one of the priests of Apollo at Delphi for many years. The surviving story that links Dionysos with dolphins gives barely a hint of their mystical importance, though it does once again involve them in the transition between life and death. Dionysos is travelling in disguise on board a pirate ship when the sailors decide that instead of delivering their passenger safely home they will sell him into slavery in another town. Dionysos retaliates by driving the crew mad with hallucinations, at which they jump into the sea. They are saved from drowning only because they repent of their evil plan, at which Dionysos relents and turns them into dolphins. This myth is often cited as the reason why, for many Greeks, killing a dolphin was an appalling crime. Dolphins were once human, and they retain human characteristics such as care for their young and sociability.

Fortunate me

The Greek deity of fortune

The lucky person passes for a genius.
–Euripides (Ancient Greek Playwright)

God’s dice always have a lucky roll.
–Sophocles (Ancient Greek Playwright)

You gotta try your luck at least once a day because you could be going around lucky all day and not even know it.
–James Dean (American Actor & Cultural Icon)

Luck be a lady tonight
Luck be a lady tonight
Luck if youve been a lady to begin with
Luck be a lady tonight…

Little that he knew, Frank Sinatra, when he sang this song that Luck was not just a lady but the eternal and Divine  Goddess Tyche.

 

Tyche represented in Greek Mythology something everybody has always been searching or wishing for: fortune. This is the Goddess that I wish to encounter more although, I am so grateful for her gifts already. After all,  if it was not for the divine Tyche’s graces, I wouldn’t have been able to design my jewelry so effortlessly and claim that “I am inspired by the Gods.” She is, and has always been  besides me, [well, most of the time]  ever since the day I was born back in my birthplace  Macedon, Northern Greece. Was she there specifically for me  on my birthday, or it was just my lucky day that she was around? I wonder. I tend to think that she made a very special trip just so I can receive all her blessings. Fortunate me. As it was, my grandfather Dimitrios and my grandmother Alexandra both gifted me with a gold coin as soon as I arrived for “Good Luck” thus, my love affair with ancient Greek coins began right there and then. Efharisto Thea Tyche (much gratitude), my beautiful Greek Goddess!

As she is today, Goddess Tyche was the personification of Hope, Luck and Wealth. She was a labile, yet virtuous spirit, mediating between gods and mortals and leading human lives. She was therefore extraordinarily worshipped by the ancient Greeks.
The main symbol of goddess Tyche was a huge horn, inside of which she was keeping all wealth and richness; the horn once belonged to Amalthea, the goat who fostered Greek god Zeus during his infancy. Tyche was carrying the horn with her constantly, occasionally turning it upside down to spread all its goods to anyone who would meet her on his way.

Tyche – A Deity in Greek Mythology In Greek, Tyche means “luck” and sometimes refers to the destiny and fate.

Although not a goddess in Greek Mythology, Tyche was often seen as goddess and/or a patron-deity of luck, fortune, success, even prosperity in many cities of ancient Greece. Some gave her even power over chance and fate.

During the Hellenistic period, cities that had her as their patron, presented the specific icons of Tyche, on which she was wearing a mural crown.

During the same period, Tyche appeared in many coins used by inhabitants in various cities and villages in the Aegean Sea.

Additional skills attributed to Tyche came probably from the other personification attached to her name. She also represented the “concept”. That’s how she became both an inspiration and intrigue for poets, writers, philosophers, all kind of artists in ancient Greece.

The two most famous works of art celebrating her power are: the statue ofAgathe Tyche by Praxiteles and Tyche of Antioch by Eutychides, which became the prototype for the images of the goddess.

Tyche simply became a symbol of fortune, luck, chance… The turns of fortune, that she carried, were often used in famous romances such as Clitophon and Leucippe or Daphnis and Chloe.

Empedocles On the Nature of Things, notes that “…all things are conceived in the will of Tyche”  

Tyche described by Greek historians

Tyche lived through times and changes, always equally unpredicted and embraced or held responsible for several events and incidents. As the Greek historian Polybius wrote, whenever there was no tangible reason found for some disasters, like floods or frosts, Tyche was considered as a force behind them.

According to Hesiod’s Theogony, Tyche was one of the eldest of many Oceanides, daughters of Oceanus and Tethys. She had various attributes attached to her name. She was given the power of conducting the world’s affairs while holding a rudder.

With Ploutos she symbolized the plentiful gifts of fortune. And with a ball, Tyche was fully herself – nor steady nor capable of rolling in any direction, as the fortune is.

Tyche and Ploutos

The Romans were inspired by the myths related to deity Tyche of the Greeks and created the Goddess Fortuna, who also represented luck, fortune and “concept” in life.

Be grateful for luck. Pay the thunder no mind – listen to the birds. And don’t hate nobody.

 Eubie Blake quotes 

And now you know why, like all my beautiful and divine ancestors, I  worship with much gratitude the eternal Goddess of fortune Tyche. My two beautiful nephews George and Angelo have surprised me on my recent birthday (May 25th) with a statue of the Goddess which has been placed right front and center on my studio desk for continuous good luck and blessings. Lucky me ! Both George and Angelo are my good luck charms and I am so fortunate to have them 🙂

xoxoSusanna

Father Zeus

KING OF THE GODS

“It is not possible either to trick or escape the mind of Zeus.”

Hesiod

According to my divine ancestors, the ancient Greeks, Zeus was the “Father of Gods” who ruled the
Olympians of Mount Olympus. He was the god of sky and thunder.

As He still is today, ZEUS was the king of the gods, the god of sky and weather, law, order and fate. He was depicted as a regal man, mature with sturdy figure and dark beard. His usual attributes were a lightning bolt, royal sceptre and eagle.

Some of the more famous myths featuring the god include:

• His birth and upbringing in the Diktaion cave, where he was nursed by Amaltheia and guarded by the shield-clashing Kouretes;
• The Titan War in which he overthrew the Titanes and imprisoned them in Tartaros;
• His battle with Typhoeus, a hundred headed, monstrous giant who attempted to capture heaven;
• The War of the Giants who attempted to storm Olympos but were slain by Zeus and the gods;
• The Great Deluge in which he flooded the earth to destroy mankind and begin the world anew;
• His conflict with Prometheus over the theft of benefactions for mankind;
• The punishment of Salmoneus, Tantalos and Ixion, men who offended the god with their impiety;
• The birth and life of Herakles, his favoured son, who he had transferred to Olympos at death;
• His extramarital affairs with women such as Leda, seduced in the form of a swan; Europa, as a bull; Danae, as a golden shower; Kallisto, as Artemis; and Antiope as a satyr;
• The Trojan War which he orchestrated from start to end, including the casting of the golden apple of discord.

Zeus was the child of Cronus and Rhea, and the youngest of their siblings. In most traditions he was married to
Hera, although, at the oracle of Dodona, his consort was Dione. According to the Iliad, he was the father of
Aphrodite by Dione. He was also known for his erotic escapades which resulted in many godly and heroic
offspring including Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Persephone (by Demeter), Dionysus, Perseus,
Heracles, Helen of Troy, Minos, and the Muses (by Mnemosyne); by Hera, he was said to have
fathered Ares, Hebe and Hephaestus.
Even the gods who were not his natural children addressed him as Father Zeus. For the Greeks, he was the King
of the Gods, who ruled the universe. As Pausanias observed, “That Zeus is king in heaven.” In Hesiod’s
Theogony Zeus assigned the various gods their roles. In the Homeric Hymns he was referred to as the chieftain
of the gods. His symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak. Zeus is frequently depicted by Greek
artists in one of two poses: standing, striding forward, with a thunderbolt leveled in his raised right hand, or
seated in majesty.

BIRTH

Cronus, the Titan God, sired several children by Rhea: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon, but
swallowed them all as soon as they were born, since he had learned from Gaia and Uranus that he was
destined to be overcome by his own son as he had overthrown his own father—an oracle that Rhea was to
hear and avert.
When Zeus was about to be born, Rhea sought Gaia to devise a plan to save him, so that Cronus would get
his retribution for his acts against Uranus and his own children. Rhea gave birth to Zeus in Crete, handing
Cronus a rock wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he promptly swallowed.

INFANCY

Rhea hid Zeus in a cave on Mount Ida in Crete. According to varying versions of the story:
-He was then raised by Gaia.
-He was raised by a nymph named Adamanthea. Since Cronus ruled over the Earth, the heavens and the
sea, she hid him by dangling him on a rope from a tree so he was suspended between earth, sea and sky
and thus, invisible to his father.
-He was raised by a nymph named Cynosura. In gratitude, Zeus placed her among the stars.
-He was raised by Melissa, who nursed him with goat’s milk
and honey.
-He was raised by a shepherd family under the promise that their sheep would be saved from wolves.

KING OF THE GODS

After reaching manhood, Zeus forced Cronus to disgorge first the stone (which was set down at Pytho under
the glens of Parnassus to be a sign to mortal men, the Omphalos) then his siblings in reverse order of swallowing. In some versions, Metis gave Cronus an emetic to force him to disgorge the babies, or Zeus cut Cronus’ stomach open. Then Zeus released the brothers of Cronus, the Gigantes, the Hecatonchires and the Cyclopes, from their dungeon in Tartarus, killing their guard, Campe.

As a token of their appreciation, the Cyclopes gave him thunder and the thunderbolt, or lightning, which had previously been hidden by Gaia. Together, Zeus and his brothers and sisters, along with the Gigantes, Hecatonchires and Cyclopes overthrew Cronus and the other Titans, in the combat called the Titanomachy. The defeated Titans were then cast into a shadowy underworld region known as Tartarus. Atlas, one of the titans that fought against Zeus, was punished by having to hold up the sky.

(Zeus in Titanomachy below)

After the battle with the Titans, Zeus shared the world with his elder brothers, Poseidon and Hades, by drawing lots: Zeus got the sky and air, Poseidon the waters, and Hades the world of the dead (the underworld). The ancient Earth, Gaia, could not be claimed; she was left to all three, each according to their capabilities, which explains why Poseidon was the “earth-shaker” (the god of earthquakes) and Hades claimed the humans that died.

ZEUS AND HERA

Zeus was brother and consort of Hera. By Hera, Zeus sired Ares, Hebe and Hephaestus.  Some also include Eileithyia and Eris as their daughters. The conquests of Zeus among nymphs and the mythic mortal progenitors of Hellenic dynasties are famous. Olympian mythography even credits him with unions with Leto, Demeter, Dione and Maia. Among mortals were Semele, Io, Europa and Leda and with the young Ganymede. Many myths render Hera as jealous of his amorous conquests and a consistent enemy of Zeus’ mistresses and their children by him. For a time, a nymph named Echo had the job of distracting Hera from his affairs by talking incessantly,  and when Hera discovered the deception, she cursed Echo to repeat the words of others. According to legend, Metis, the goddess of prudence, was the first love of Zeus. At first she tried in vain to escape his advances, but in the end succumbed to his endeavor, and from their union Athena was conceived. Gaia warned Zeus that Metis would bear a daughter, whose son would overthrow him. On hearing this Zeus swallowed Metis, the reason for this was to continue to carry the child through to the birth himself. Hera was outraged and very jealous of her husband’s affair, also of his ability to give birth without female participation. To spite Zeus she gave birth to Hephaestus parthenogenetically  and it was Hephaestus who, when the time came, split open the head of Zeus, from which Athena emerged fully armed.

Zeus: Oh for shame, how the mortals put the blame on us gods, for they say evils come from us, but it is they, rather, who by their own recklessness win sorrow beyond what is given. 

And now you know the story of  the King of the Gods, according to the myths and the legends of my divine ancestors the ancient Greeks.

xoxoSusanna

Dolce & Gabbana – Inspired by the Gods

As you already know, I am obsessed by the ancient Greek Gods…but, I am not the only one!

My favorite design duo Dolce & Gabbana was inspired this season as well. Well, the huge difference between us is that, I am always inspired…season after season…and… I will be obsessed with the Gods for… eternity! They are in my DNA… going back to D&G, the collection they presented recently in Milan was all about the glamour of ancient Greece – they managed to turn all these contemporary men into Greek Gods. Bravo!

 

For the complete show please see here:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omIMOAneTwM

 

 

God Hermes

Hermes, the herald of the Olympian gods, is the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia, daughter of Atlas and one of the Pleiades. Hermes is the god of shepherds, land travel, merchants, weights and measures, oratory, literature, athletics and thieves, and known for his cunning and shrewdness. Most importantly, he is the messenger of the gods. Besides that he was also a minor patron of poetry. He was worshiped throughout Greece — especially in Arcadia — and festivals in his honor were called Hermoea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to legend, Hermes was born in a cave on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia. Zeus had impregnated Maia at the dead of night while all other gods slept. When dawn broke amazingly he was born. Maia wrapped him in swaddling bands, then resting herself, fell fast asleep. Hermes, however, squirmed free and ran off to Thessaly. This is whereApollo, his brother, grazed his cattle. Hermes stole a number of the herd and drove them back to Greece. He hid them in a small grotto near to the city of Pylos and covered their tracks. Before returning to the cave he caught a tortoise, killed it and removed its entrails. Using the intestines from a cow stolen from Apollo and the hollow tortoise shell, he made the first lyre. When he reached the cave he wrapped himself back into the swaddling bands.

When Apollo realized he had been

robbed he protested to Maia that it had been Hermes who had taken his cattle. Maia looked to Hermes and said it could not be, as he is still wrapped in swaddling bands. Zeus the all powerful intervened saying he had been watching and Hermes should return the cattle to Apollo. As the argument went on, Hermes began to play his lyre. The sweet music enchanted Apollo, and he offered Hermes to keep the cattle in exchange for the lyre. Apollo later became the grand master of the instrument, and it also became one of his symbols. Later while Hermes watched over his herd he invented the pipes known as a syrinx (pan-pipes), which he made from reeds. Hermes was also credited with inventing the flute. Apollo, also desired this instrument, so Hermes bartered with Apollo and received his golden wand which Hermes later used as his heralds staff. (In other versions Zeus gave Hermes his heralds staff).

Being the herald (messenger of the gods), it was his duty to guide the souls of the dead down to the underworld, which is known as a psychopomp. He was also closely connected with bringing dreams to mortals. Hermes is usually depicted with a broad-brimmed hat or a winged cap, winged sandals and the heralds staff (kerykeion in Greek, or Caduceus in Latin). It was often shown as a shaft with two white ribbons, although later they were represented by serpents intertwined in a figure of eight shape, and the shaft often had wings attached. The clothes he donned were usually that of a traveler, or that of a workman or shepherd. Other symbols of Hermes are the cock, tortoise and purse or pouch.

Originally Hermes was a phallic god, being attached to fertility and good fortune, and also a patron of roads and boundaries. His name coming from herma, the plural being hermaiherm was a square or rectangular pillar in either stone or bronze, with the head of Hermes (usually with a beard), which adorned the top of the pillar, and male genitals near to the base of the pillar. These were used for road and boundary markers. Also in Athens they stood outside houses to help fend off evil. In Athens of 415 BCE, shortly before the Athenian fleet set sail against Syracuse (during the Peloponnesian War), all the herms throughout Athens were defaced. This was attributed to people who were against the war. Their intentions were to cast bad omens on the expedition, by seeking to offend the god of travel. (This has never been proved as the true reason for the mutilation of the herms.)

The offspring of Hermes are believed to be Pan, Abderus and Hermaphroditus. Hermes as with the other gods had numerous affairs with goddesses, nymphs and mortals. In some legends even sheep and goats. Pan, the half man half goat, is believed to be the son of Hermes and Dryope, the daughter of king Dryops. Pan terrified his mother when he was born, so much so that she fled in horror at the sight of her new born son. Hermes took Pan to Mount Olympus were the gods reveled in his laughter and his appearance and became the patron of fields, woods, shepherds and flocks. Abderus, a companion of the hero Heracles, is also thought to be a son of Hermes, he was devoured by the Mares of Diomedes, after Heracles had left him in charge of the ferocious beasts. Hermaphroditus (also known as Aphroditus) was conceived after the union of Hermes and Aphrodite. He was born on Mount Ida but he was raised by the Naiads (nymphs of freshwater). He was a androgynous (having the characteristics of both sexes) deity, depicted as either a handsome young man but with female breasts, or as Aphrodite with male genitals.

Known for his swiftness and athleticism, Hermes was given credit for inventing foot-racing and boxing. At Olympia a statue of him stood at the entrance to the stadium and his statues where in every gymnasium throughout Greece. Apart from herms, Hermes was a popular subject for artists. Both painted pottery and statuary show him in various forms, but the most fashionable depicted him as a good-looking young man, with an athletic body, and winged sandals and his heralds staff.

More facts about Hermes (well facts according to the myths and the legends, but I believe them – I believe everything the ancient Greeks believed):

See below the recent birthday (May 25th)  gift I received from my two beautiful nephews George and Angelo. Thank you kids! I love you!

Family of Hermes

Parents: Hermes was the son of Zeus, the King of the Gods, and the mountain Nymph Maea, who was a daughter of the Titan Atlas. Hermes was born inside a cave on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia, southern Greece.
Famous Children: Hermaphroditus and the Satyr Pan.

Hermes, the God’s Messenger and Conductor of Souls

Hermes was wearing wings on his sandals and therefore was the speediest of all Greek gods. Because of his speed, Hermes received the role of the messenger and conductor of souls to the Underworld. Hermes was the only Olympian god who was authorized to visit Heaven, Earth and also the Underworld and enjoyed this way popularity among all the Greek gods and spirits.

Hermes, the God of the Thieves

It is well known that Ancient Greeks endowed their gods with human weaknesses. Hermes, for instance, felt an irresistible impulse of stealing ever since his infancy and quickly developed as the god of the cheaters and the thieves.

Hermes’ special Relation to Zeus

Hermes was a messenger of all gods, but mostly he was known for performing duties for his father Zeus with great pleasure. Zeus appreciated Hermes’ wits highly and always asked for Hermes’ assistance throughout his decisions, especially when it came to cheating on his wife Hera.

Appearance of Hermes

Hermes was a young man, wearing traveling clothes, a flat hat known as “petasus” and winged sandals on his feet. Oftentimes he was also considered to have wings attached to his shoulders and hat.
Hermes usually held a winged staff with snakes wrapped around it in his hands in order to gain access everywhere. This staff helped Hermes to charm the gods or to wake up those who were tamed by the god of sleep.

Symbols of Hermes

The caduceus (his staff), the purse (or leather pouch), the winged sandals, the ram and the petasus (his hat).

Love Goes Green

My new collection was inspired from the ancient Grecian story of the God Apollo’s love for the nymph Daphne (For more information on the story follow this link:https://susannagalanis1.wordpress.com/2012/11/29/apollo-and-daphne/). With pieces made of green-gold and accentuated with green detailing, my new pieces are sure to brighten your summer style. Continue below to see how were seeing green this summer and to discover ways you can work this cool jewel tone into your wardrobe during these hot summer months.

 

xoxo,

Susanna

For information on how to purchase my pieces please visit my website http://www.susannagalanis.com/main_collection.asp or call 212.759.9142 to set up an appointment at the showroom.

A necklace from my Daphne Collection.

A necklace form my Daphne Colleciton.

GAIA – Oh mother!

GIA – A POSTCARD

Ancient Greek Goddess Gaia was the fist being (according to the myths and the legends0 who appeared out of the chaos together with Tartaros (underworld), Nyx (night), Erebos (darkness) and Eros (love). Without the help of a man she created her sons Uranos (heaven) and Pontos (ocean). She fused with her son

Uranos and bore the titans, Kronos Rhea, Okeanos and Tethis, gods of the great stream, which is winding around the earth. The Kyklops and the Giants were also her offsprings. Her man Uranos hated these creatures so much that he pushed them back into the womb before they were born, which caused Gaia harm. Angry about her tyrannical man Gaia gave a sickle made from firestone to her son Kronos and ordered him to unman his father the next opportunity which was given. Kronos did what his mother had told him and throw detached genitals far along the sea. Out of the falling blood drops appeared the Erinnyias (furies), the giants, and also the Meliai (nymphs of the ashen). The phallus prowled on the sea and finally arrived at the island Kythera/Lakonia. Out of the foam which was formed on the phallus the love-goddess Aphrodite came to
being.

Perseus – THE WARRIOR OF LIGHT

PERSEUS – another beautiful warrior and demi-God from the AGE OF GODS and the glorious world of ancient Greece. I worship him! After all, he slayed Medusa. He was the son of Zeus, Athena’s brother,  and the great-grandfather of Heclules... according to the myths and the legends… in the AGE OF GODS... He also was an Argead,  a tribe that eventually, later on in history, moved to Macedon and created the Argead Dynasty…thus, me being a Macedonian…possibly…could be related…so, therefore, he is definitely on the list of my favorite ancestors… right along with Phillip and Alexander the Great and the rest of the immortal and divine Macedonias.

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Perseus above slaying Medusa, by Lauren-Honore Margueste – 1903

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Perseus is a major hero from Greek mythology best known for his clever decapitation of Medusa, whose head turned people to stone. He also rescued Andromeda from the sea monster. Like most of the mythological heroes, the genealogy of Perseus makes him the son of a god and a mortal. Perseus is the legendary founder of Peloponnesian city of Mycenae, home of Agamemnon, the leader of the Greek forces in the Trojan War, and the father of the legendary ancestor of the Persians.

Family of Perseus:

The mother of Perseus was Danae, whose father was Acrisius of Argos. Danae conceived Perseus when Zeus impregnated her in the form of a golden shower.

Electryon is one of Perseus’ son. Electryon’s daughter was Alcmena, Hercules‘ mother. The other sons of Perseus and Andromeda are Perses (legendary ancestor of the Persians), Alcaeus, Heleus, Mestor, and Sthenelus. They had one daughter, Gorgophone.

Infancy of Perseus:

His mother, Danae, was locked in a prison by her own father, King Acrisius of Argos. The King had been told by a oracle that his daughter’s son would one day kill him. Instead of taking the risk that his daughter would become pregnant, he locked her away in a tower with no doors, and only one small window. Zeus saw the lovely princess, fell in love with her, turned himself into a shower of gold, and slipped through the window. He turned the prison into a lovely meadow filled with sun. Danae’s father saw light coming from the window and demanded that a wall be torn down so he could check on his daughter. I am labeling Perseus, therefore, “the Warrior of light” [the reason I am sharing my “labels” at this point is, that Perseus is my inspiration for  the “WARRIOR OF LIGHT” jewelry collection for men.]

When the wall came down Danae could be seen holding a baby boy. Afraid of angering Zeus, King Acrisius put the mother and child in a chest and shoved them into the ocean, letting the sea do the killing instead, but Zeus protected them along the way. They washed up on the shore of an island and were greeted by Dictys (a fisherman). Perseus grew up quite happily until one day King Polydectes decided he wanted to marry his mother.

Danae was not interested in marrying Polydectes, however. Unfortunately, the king wasn’t taking no for an answer, but Polydectes couldn’t get around Perseus, so instead he pretended to marry someone else. When Perseus came to the wedding without a gift, according to the myths ad the legends,  the King demanded that Perseus bring him Medusa’s head as a gift.

Medusa was one of three sisters, the gorgons, but she was the only mortal one. Some versions say all three were born as monsters, but the predominant myths had them as gorgeous maidens. Medusa was so beautiful that Poseidon was crazy about her, but she didn’t care about him; Poseidon turned her and her sisters into monsters with live snakes covering their heads. Medusa kept her beautiful face but everything else was so monstrous. And whoever dared to look into her face ended up being turned into stone.

[When he cut Medusa’s head off, from the drops of her blood suddenly appeared two offspring: Pegasus, a winged horse, and Chrysaor, a giant or a winged boar. It’s believed that those two were Medusa’s children with Poseidon.  I will write about Medusa with more details in an upcoming post as the whole world finds her fascinating, plus, one of my favorite designers Gianni Versace used her image as part of his logo and his designs.]

In any case, once he accomplished his task Perseus flew back and escaped Medusa’s sisters who tried to reach him. Later, Perseus used Medusa’s head as a weapon in many occasions until he gave the head to Athena to place it on her shield.

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WWW.SUSANNAGALANIS.COM jewelry collection Inspired by History

The Trials of Perseus:

Perseus went on a long quest, ended up slaying Medusa (the Gorgon), with the assistance of Hermes, god of travelers (who loaned him his sword, which was previously used to slay Argus, and winged sandals), Athena, goddess of wisdom (who gave Perseus a mirror shield), and Hades the ruler of the Underworld (who gave Perseus the Helm of Darkness to hide in the shadows). He also, at one point, took away the Gray Sisters‘ [Athenas’] eye to taunt them into telling him of the position of the Island of the Gorgons. However, on his way back to the king, Perseus showed the true nature of his heroism: Saving Princess Andromeda from the sea monster, Keto, who he later married.

Eventually, he takes the head back to King Polydectes only to find out the wedding was a sham and that his mother has been forced to be the King’s wife. Furious, Perseus uses Medusa’s head to turn his enemies in the Kingdom to stone, thereby rescuing his mother. Eventually, later in his life, he was playing in the Olympics when a gust of wind threw his discus at his grandfather, killing the old man (despite his best efforts) and fulfilling the prophecy.

Perseus and Andromeda:

On his travels, Perseus fell in love with a maiden named Andromeda who was paying for the boasts of her family (like Psyche in Apuleius‘ Golden Ass) by being exposed to a sea monster. Perseus agreed to kill the monster if he could marry Andromeda, with almost predictable obstacles to overcome.

Perseus Returns Home:

When Perseus came home he found King Polydectes behaving badly, so he showed the king the very prize he had asked Perseus to fetch, the lithifying head of Medusa. Inevitably, Polydectes turned to stone.

Perseus Fulfills the Oracle:

Perseus then went to Argos and Larissa to compete in athletic events. There he accidentally killed Grandfather Acrisius when a wind swept away a discus he was holding. Perseus then went to Argos to claim his inheritance.

Local Hero:

Since Perseus had killed his grandfather, he felt badly about reigning in his stead, so he went to the Tiryns where he found the ruler, Megapenthes, willing to exchange kingdoms. Megapenthes took Argos, and Perseus, Tiryns. Later Perseus founded the nearby city of Mycenae, which is in the Argolis, in the Peloponnes.

Death of Perseus:

Another Megapenthes killed Perseus. This Megapenthes was a son of Proteus and a half-brother of Perseus. After his death, Perseus was made immortal and put among the stars. Today, Perseus is still the name of a constellation in the northern sky.

Perseus and His Descendants

The Perseids, a term referring to the descendants of Perseus and Andromeda’s son Perses, are also a summer meteor shower that comes from the constellation of Perseus. Among the human Perseids, the most famous is Hercules.

Postcard – Classical ideal

 

 

CLASSICAL IDEAL- Ancient Athens, Classical Greece, Hellenistic Greece and  Ancient Rome

 

Classical Ideal – Classical and Hellenistic, and Roman worlds

The Classical ideal of ancient Athens, pertains to the standard of excellence proposed by the cultures of ancient Greece, and Rome, beginning in the Golden Age of Greece. The ancient Greeks aspired to perfection in both body and mind, and sought a synthesis of the two poles of passion and reason. Through athletic behavior, they were able to exercise the value of perfection of body. Through philosophy, government, poetry, drama, law, logic, history, mathematics and architecture, they were able to express their desire for perfection of the mind. Through artistic portrayal of the human form they tried to achieve a synthesis of passion and reason.

The philosophy of Greek art of the Golden Age was that of moderation in all things, as represented by ‘The Winged Victory’. In sculpture, the characteristic form was

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the male nude, which later inspired Michelangelo’s Statue of David of the Renaissance. During the peak of the Classical Greek civilization, the idealized figures of Greek art and architecture exemplified order and harmony. In architecture, the most famous building was the Parthenon. To the ancient Greeks, monuments were to be treated as large sculptures. They were thus built around the same rules of symmetry and ideal proportion. Public rites took place in front of a temple, where sculpture told the story of the temple’s deity. The religion of the Classical period of Greek and Roman history was polytheistic. The gods and mythical figures of the civilization were the subjects of homage in the arts, including drawing, sculpture, and architecture. The signature city of the Greek classical era was Athens. The main contributions of the Golden Age of ancient Athens were democracy, individualism and reason. The ideals and values were transmitted from Greece to Rome, and were later revived by many cultures of Europe.

The ideals of order and solemnity repeated themselves in the art and architecture of the ancient Romans, in the European Renaissance era and in the era of Neoclassicism in 17th and early 18th century Europe.

Apollo and Daphne

 

 

 

APOLLO AND DAPHNE – TRAGIC LOVE

 

 

I was always fascinated with the Greek Gods, the myths and the legends. The story that I will share with you today is my inspiration for creating the Spring ’13 jewelry collection  called AGE OF GODS – Daphne.

It is the sad love story of Apollo and his great obsession/love with ancient Greek nymph Daphne. The curse of Apollo [ a great warrior, God of light and poetry] was brought to him when he insulted the god Eros for playing with bows and arrows – Eros was using bows and arrows to struck people into love. Arrogant warrior Apollo, having won Python, a horrible earth-dragon that was living in the area of Delphi, abruptly told Eros to leave war-like weapons to mighty warrior Gods like himself and stick to his own pastimes devaluing his duty to inflate love and passion to others. This infuriated the headstrong Eros who decided to take his revenge on the audacious Apollo.

Eros climbed on the rock of Mt Parnasus and unleashed two arrows: one sharp and gold-tipped and another blunt and lead-tipped. The sharp, gold-tipped arrow pierced the heart of Apollo inflaming his love for Daphne, a beautiful nymph, while the blunt, lead-tipped arrow struck the nymph creating an aversion for love in her heart. She was constantly rejecting the love of the glorious Apollo, who was persistently pursuing her. Daphne in order to escape him metamorphosed into a laurel tree [called daphne in Greek.]  Her skin turned into bark, her hair became leaves, and her arms transformed into branches. She stopped running as her feet became rooted  to the ground.

Apollo was heart-broken at the loss of his love Daphne.  Since he could no longer take her as his wive, he vowed to tend her as his tree, and promised that her leaves would decorate the heads of leaders as crowns, and that her leaves were also to be depicted on weapons.

Mighty Apollo also used his powers of eternal youth and immortality to render her ever green. Since then, the leaves of the Bay laurel tree have ever known to decay.

Since Apollo was a God of poetry as well, he also made laurel the symbol of tribute to poets. The laurel became therefore the symbol of the God. Pythia, the priestess in the oracle of Delphi, was chewing leaves of laurel to communicate with Apollo and give her prophesies to people.  

So sad…

The Spring ’13 jewelry collection that I created is inspired from Daphne with signature leaves and flowers all finished in beautiful green gold.

Here are a few details of my upcoming collection plus images of a very famous baroque, life-sized marble statute entitled Apollo and Daphne – sculpted by Gian Lorenzo Bernini [1622-1625.]  

More to come later…xoxoS