The Storied Imaginarium

The concept of immortality has fascinated humanity for centuries.  One of the greatest questions most religions seek to answer is what happens after.  And indeed, what does happen after? Most religions believe in an afterlife — a heaven and hell; Tartarus and the Elysian Fields.  But what about rebirth? What about reincarnation? Well, there was a myth in which this was addressed, the concept of being reborn from the ashes of what came before.  Of course, I am talking about the legendary phoenix.

The phoenix first made its appearance in Egyptian mythology, bursting from the heart of Osiris himself.  They were large birds with red and gold plumage, crying out with beautiful voices, and living for no less than half a millenia.  Only one phoenix was said to live at a time, and other creatures were said to fall dead when they saw it due to its beauty and sadness.  However, the biggest piece of the myth is its death. You see, there are several stories describing how this happens, though one thing remains the same — the phoenix dies within flames and is reborn from its own ashes.

One version of the rebirth myth states that the phoenix fashions a nest for itself, made with aromatic boughs and spices, before setting it on fire while within.  The phoenix would then die amid the flames. Once the fire died, leaving a pile of ash, the new phoenix would then burst from the ashes — the remains of its predecessor — and embalm the ashes in an egg of myrrh.  This egg would be flown to Heliopolis — “City of the Sun” — and deposited on the altar for Re, the sun god. Another version of its rebirth states that the phoenix will fly to Heliopolis to die in a fire on the altar.  Either way, the ashes left behind were said to be able to bring a man back from the dead, according to legend.

The phoenix is a creature that will live on in story — a bird who does not truly die, who is reborn from the ashes of what came before.  And whether or not we believe in an afterlife,the phoenix represents something else, something more — the idea that not just us as people, but our ideas, our hopes and dreams, can be reborn from what came before.  

For more reading on the phoenix (sources):
https://www.britannica.com/topic/phoenix-mythological-bird
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Phoenix_(mythology)

Pegasus — the name has become quite popular over the years.  From movies to video games to books, the winged horse has made its appearance and captured the hearts of audiences everywhere.  But where did this magnificent creature come from? How was it created?

According to Greek mythology, Pegasus was born from the blood of the severed head of Medusa.  A white stallion with wings, Pegasus was gifted to the Muses who accepted him with open arms. According to myth, when he arrived, the creature was so delighted that he stomped his hooves on the ground and from beneath them sprang the stream Hippocrene which is found on Mount Helicon.  This spring became known as the fountain of the Muses. Of course, there are other versions of this story, including that when the Muses sang the mountain would rumble in joy, and Poseidon told Pegasus to kick it to make it stop, thus opening the spring.

As well as causing streams to bubble up, Pegasus was also made famous when he was tamed by the great hero Bellerophon who had been gifted a bridle from the goddess Hera.  Bellerophon captured the creature, eventually riding him in battle against the chimera. Once Bellerophon is killed, Pegasus finds himself a servant of Zeus, charged with carrying his thunderbolt.  After years of faithful service, Zeus honors him by creating a constellation.

Pegasus was a son of Poseidon and Medusa, birthed from her blood.  He was a gift to the Muses, a loyal steed to the hero Bellerophon, and a faithful servant to the god Zeus.  Pegasus, with his white coat and fluffy wings, was a majestic, wild beast, and he will be forever immortalized amongst the stars.

For more reading on Pegasus (sources):
https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/Pegasus/pegasus.html
https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/myths/pegasus/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pegasus-Greek-mythology

Imagine being amazing at something.  Now imagine being known for it, for people celebrating your talent, even comparing it to the gods.  Can you see it? Can you feel your pride building? Now picture the goddess you are compared to coming for you, and you are going toe-to-toe with her.  And you win. Your prize? Eternity transformed into a creature, a punishment earned because you were too proud to say you weren’t better than the goddess herself.  This is the story of Arachne and Athena.

The story of Arachne and Athena’s contest has changed over the millennia. Most stories start off the same way: Arachne was a talented weaver.  In most versions, she is proud of her work, and this leads to her downfall. For you see, some versions have Athena becoming enraged and challenging Arachne to a contest because of this, some that Arachne herself challenged her, and others that Zeus called for it as he was the judge.  A lot has changed from version to version of the story, and that is no different when it comes to what they weave. However, the main theme that seems to be constant is that Athena weaves four scenes of the gods who punish humans who believe themselves to be their equals while Arachne weaves four scenes of the gods punishing humans for no reason.

This is where the story changes the most, however: the ending.  I will tell you all three of the main versions. In one, Arachne beats Athena and, while in a rage, Athena curses Arachne to take the form of a spider.  In another, Arachne and Athena wagered their weaving — the loser being unable to touch a spindle or loom ever again. In this version, Athena wins, and Arachne is so distraught that she will no longer be able to weave that Athena, taking pity on the girl, transforms her into a spider so that their bargain may not be broken. The last version of this story is that Athena is beaten, however she is impressed by the girl’s skills.  So, she kisses Arachne’s forehead to give her the wisdom to see how her boasting has hurt and angered others and — in her sorrow — she hangs herself. Athena then transforms the rope into a web and Arachne into a spider.

Either way, the story of Arachne is a cautionary tale.  Her pride gets her into trouble when she believes herself to be above the gods, and her punishment is one that leaves her cursed for eternity.  One thing is for sure: never anger the Greek gods, or you might find yourself challenged by them — and in turn, cursed for all of time!

For more reading on the myth of Arachne (sources):
https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/myths/arachne/
https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Mortals/Arachne/arachne.html
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Arachne
http://www.goddessgift.com/goddess-myths/greek-goddess-arachne.htm

Imagine this: you are walking through a jungle with a group of people when something moves just at the corner of your vision.  You turn to move, but it’s too late. The massive, reddish creature moves too fast for you to track as it leaps towards you, claws extended.  You have just encountered a manticore.

According to Greek myth, the manticore was a massive creature, a chimera of different parts that created the fearsome man-eater.  Generally described as having a human-like face, the creature had a red, lion’s body, the tail of a scorpion or a dragon — depending on which account you believe — and having three rows of teeth.

To accompany it’s monstrous appearance, the manticore was allegedly fast, more swift than its massive size should allow.  It is so fast that supposedly no man can keep up with its lightning speed. To top this all off, the manticore is said to have extremely sharp claws — claws so sharp that they could cut a man into ribbons with a single swipe!  Of course, making this creature even more terrifying, some accounts describe the manticore as being winged, like a dragon. Its tail is barbed and poisonous, having the capability of shootings its stingers towards its victims.

The fearsome appearance of the manticore is sure to give anyone who encounters it nightmares.  Though according to legend, the manticore preferred to attack a group of travellers, the way to mark its coming is its call: the loud boom of a trumpet.  So beware travellers, and listen for the sound of music amongst the trees. For it might not be a person practicing their notes but rather a terrifying creature lying in wait for its next meal.

For more reading on the manticore (sources):
https://mythology.net/mythical-creatures/manticore/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/manticore