We may have seen this particular Greek mythology creature in plenty of cartoons, in toy stores, as a pair of Nike shoes, in movie company logos and he is even an airline. Pegasus is one of Greek mythologies most popular and recognized creatures, He was recognized by his association with Perseus and Bellerophon, for his flight to Mt. Olympus and finding his place next to Zeus. According to Greek mythology, he is a big beautiful immortal white horse with wings like an angel. The name Pegasus derived from the Greek word Pegai, which means "spring", I find it ironic since Pegasus is also known for creating the spring Hippocrene. According to astrologers, the famous Pegasus' constellation is one of the largest and easiest set of stars to spot due to their really bright contrast. Pegasus is known to be in museums and …show more content…
famous artworks around the globe, though he was a small character in Greek mythology he certainly made a big impact to the modern world of art and wonder. Pegasus was born from the blood of medusa's severed head which was cut off by Perseus; he (Pegasus) was the son of Poseidon. Also, Pegasus had a brother named Chrysaor who was born at the same time as he was (from the blood of medusa), Chrysaor is not of much importance or relevance in Greek mythology. Pegasus was a big Stallion who’s hairs were pure white and had big beautiful wings which became his identifying symbol. He was known to be a kindhearted, non-greedy and gentle yet a bit naïve in Greek mythology, according to rome.mrdonn.org, Pegasus use to help fly injured Greek soldiers to safety however many people would try to capture him but the gods were always in his favor and intervened. After Pegasus arose from Medusa’s blood, he flew to Mt. Helicon where he met the Muses (goddesses of literature), he became friends with them and created a spring by kicked the mountain so it wouldn’t grow bigger thus creating a spring and called it Hippocrene, which means the "The horse's fountain". According to Greek mythology, anyone who drank out of the spring were given the gift of poetry. There is another version of this myth where parentless Pegasus was taken in and raised by the muses at Mt.
Helicon instead of flying to them. One of the muses named Urania saw Pegasus as a symbol of heroism and saw a bright future for him (Urina was saddened the most when Bellerophon took Pegasus), Pegasus was then taken by Athena he was tamed and later she given to Perseus which he uses the winged horse to fly to save his love Andromeda. Another version of this myth, explains that Bellerophon "hijacked" Pegasus instead of the winged horse being given to him by Poseidon. Also, instead of Pegasus stricking the ground of the mountain with his hoof to create the Hippocrene, he struck his hoof and fountains would come about, one of these fountains is the famous Hippocrene on Mt. Helicon. There are many versions of how Hippocrene was created, one version of this creation was during a singing contest between the muses. When they were singing, Mt. Helicon began to swell due to the beauty of the muses' voices. Poseidon called upon Pegasus to stop the swelling of the mountain, Pegasus then kicked the mountain and the spring Hippocrene was
created. In Hesiod’s Theogony (the most popular version), the myth behind the great Pegasus constellation started when Poseidon gave Pegasus to his son Bellerophon who tamed Pegasus with a bridal given to him by Athena and used the winged horse to go into battle against the Amazons and Chimeaera. One day, Bellerophon got on to Pegasus and attempted to fly him to Mt. Olympus, Zeus got angry with Bellerophon's attempt so he sent a gadfly to bite Pegasus. The horse was stung and Bellerophon lost control resulting him to fall back to earth but Pegasus kept flying and eventually made it to the mountain. When Pegasus finally made it to Mt. Olympus Zeus appointed him to hold his thunder and lightning, the god of lightning later placed Pegasus among the constellation due to his loyalty and service, which is so large that thirty full moons placed side by side could fit inside it, it is known to be one of the biggest constellations in the sky today. So Pegasus isn't just known to be a big white horse with wings, but is also known as a constellation in the northern sky called "The Square of Pegasus", which consists of the stars Markab, Scheat, Algenib, Enif, human, Matar, Baham and Salm. The brightest star out of the bunch is the star named Epsilon Pegasi, also named Enif which forms the nose of Pegasus and is the eighty fourth brightest star in the night sky. This miraculous collection of stars was discovered in the 2nd century by a Greek astronomer named Ptolemy. Only the top half of Pegasus is shown in the constellation, some believe that the other half of Pegasus was used to create the image of the ram Aries, it is also said that The Square of Pegasus is upside down and can be seen clearly if it was seen upright. Eight of the stars located in The Square of Pegasus have their own planets, It is approximately 570 light years away but can be seen depending on when and where you are but it usually makes its approach around summer or winter in the northern Hemisphere. Measuring at approximately 1121 square feet, this constellation is the seventh largest constellation in the sky and easy to spot due the brightness of it’s stars, a meteor shower was associated with Pegasus known as The July Pegasids, the most visual study of this shower was made in July. According to the University of Central Florida, the Pegasus constellation was used as a guide for travelers and astronomers, whether it was by land, air, or sea. Famous artwork has been created from image of Pegasus, for example: Roman and Greek pottery, statues of him located in various places such as New York, Dallas, Greece, and South Florida’s 110 foot sculpture of Pegasus, wall frescoes which were discovered at Pompeii from the romans and paintings. During the renaissance, Pegasus was considered a symbol of wisdom and appeared in many forms of middle age literature, and paintings. One famous artwork of the winged horse is during the renaissance period was by Jan Boeckhorst (1604-1668), in this baroque style painting it looks like two soldiers are trying to capture or attempt to ride the winged horse, many art based artifacts of Pegasus was found as far as Iran. Other paintings have arose of the famous Greek mythology creature like Caesar van Everdingen’s sixteen fifty painting of the famous encounter between Pegasus and the four muses, Angiolo Falconetta’s mid sixteenth century painting of Apollo, Pegasus, and the Hippocrene spring (the spring Pegasus created), and many more. Pegasus was even made as an ancient Greece coin and a favorite subject in Greek art, Pegasus was very popular among the Greek city of Corinth and was used as the city emblems a currency (coins) for hundreds of years. Pegasus influenced many artist and artwork in Rome, he was looked at as a power symbol and was carried around engraved in their flags he was also made into beautiful artwork to be given as gifts to those in power. The Pegasus artworks were among the most popular of paintings during the roman era and is still seen today in their museums as a piece of a wondrous ancient period in Rome’s history. Even though Pegasus isn’t mentioned too much in Greek mythology he is still one of the most popular creatures mentioned in Greece. Artworks of him has lived on for many years, paintings of him have become shrines in the artworld and statues of him have become a lot more than just a sight to see. Even during our modern time, he is still being seen today in Disney movies such as the popular cartoon movie “Hercules” (which is funny because in Greek mythology Pegasus never served Hercules, like the movie portrayed), in museums, in ancient Greek coins, emblems, and in the night skies. As a symbol of wisdom and power, the image of Pegasus was spread to different corners of the world as the almighty winged horse and became the subjects of many famous mythologies, for example: In Chinese mythology Pegasus was a winged horse named, the Longma (instead of white fur he had dragon scales) , in ancient turkey mythology, he is known as the Tulpar and in east Asian Mythology he is known as Chollima which became a symbol in North Korea as a sign of grown and economic progress . Pegasus is remembered in many ways but the most popular is his image amongst our night sky. The Pegasus constellation is a wonder in itself, the stories behind the winged horse’s collection of stars inspired many among Greece to be heroes not just to others but to themselves as well.
Throughout literature it has been common for authors to use allusions to complement recurrent motifs in their work. In Toni Morrison's Song Of Solomon, Milkman learns that his desire to fly has been passed down to him from his ancestor Solomon. As Milkman is figuring out the puzzle of his ancestry, he realizes that when Solomon tried to take his youngest son, Jake, flying with him, he dropped him and Jake never arrived with his father to their destination.
Many works of literature inspire new works to be made every day. From things as old as beowulf to the many shakespeare plays, current day writers keep pulling ideas from the classics to create their own stories. Because of this, many older works of literature are still relevant today. The novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding is more current than ever with allusion from Popular television shows, music that is heard on the radio and the newest blockbuster movie. The many allusions in modern day literature and works of art to lord of the flies are too numerous to count.
In an enticingly realistic novel, contemporary western writer Cormac McCarthy tells the coming-of-age story of a young John Grady Cole whose life begins and, in a sense, ends in rustic San Angelo. Page by page, McCarthy sends his protagonist character creation on a Mexican adventure, complete with barriers, brawls, and beauties. The events which bring about John Grady’s adventure and the reasons behind his decision to flight familiarity are the most intriguing aspects of the novel. Through an examination of the text, readers can determine that John Grady Cole’s hellish plunge from his position of grace on his grandfather’s ranch in Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses is a compilation of the deterioration of his ranch country, Cold War west Texas culture, and societal expectations that left him with no other option but to run in an ironic effort to return to pre-World War II normalcy.
In Song of Solomon, a novel by Toni Morrison, flight is used as a literal and metaphorical symbol of escape. Each individual character that chooses to fly in the novel is “flying” away from a hardship or a seemingly impossible situation. However, by choosing to escape, one is also deliberately choosing to abandon family and community members. The first reference to this idea is found in the novel’s epigraph: “The fathers may soar/ And the children may know their names,” which introduces the idea that while flight can be an escape, it can also be harmful to those left behind. However, while the male characters who achieve flight do so by abandoning their female partners and family, the female characters master flight without abandoning those they love. Throughout the novel, human flight is accepted as a natural occurrence, while those who doubt human flight, such as Milkman, are viewed as abnormal and are isolated from the community. It is only when Milkman begins to believe in flight as a natural occurrence that he is welcomed back into the community and sheds his feelings of isolation.
This animal is a large bird-like creature, or humanoid bird that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism. In Hinduism, it is said to be the mount (Vahana) of Lord Vishnu. The Brahminy Kite and Phoenix are considered to be the contemporary representations of this creature. This is also the national symbol of Indonesia and the name of their national carrier. Which animal?
"It is known to be a mythical multi-colored bird of Arabia, with a long history of artistic and literary symbolism, the Phoenix is one of a kind. At the end of its five-hundred-year existence, it perches on its nest of spices and sings until sunlight ignites the masses. After the body is consumed in flames, a worm emerges and develops into the next Phoenix.
Hermes is also known for his many love affairs with numerous mortals, goddesses, and nymphs. In the Odyssey he serves as a messenger and is sent to Kalypso to tell her that she must let Odysseus off her island. The next person, Helios, is actually not a god, but rather a titan. He is the son of Hyperion and Thea and represents the sun, and his sisters Serena and Eos represent the night and the dawn. An easy way to remember him is that “Helios” is a root word from Greek for sun.
Hephaestus, was one of the twelve Greek Gods, the lame God of blacksmiths, sculptors, metallurgy, fire, and volcanos. He is symbolised with a hammer, anvil, or a pair of tongs. As stated in Homer’s epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, he is the son of Zeus, the king of gods, and Hera, the goddess of women and marriage. Contradicting that, according to Hesiod Hera had Hephaestus alone; because she was jealous that Zeus bred Aphrodite by himself. Hera reportedly after Hephaestus was born threw him off Mount. Olympus because he was ugly, when he fell Hephaestus broke both his legs, leaving him crippled. He fell into the ocean and was brought up by Thetis and Eurynome, the goddesses of the sea. Hephaestus never forgave Hera. As revenge he fashioned
First the king sent Bellerophon to fight against the Solymi tribe. He accomplished this task by using Pegasus to fly above the army while he dropped boulders down on their heads until they were defeated. Once returning the king sent him to fight the Amazon army and he continued to defeat them in the same way he defeated the Solymi tribe. After the king's many failed attempts to kill Bellerophon he decided that he needed to try and assassinate him and risk war. Bellerophon continued to kill all sent to assassinate him. Then the guards turned against him but when Bellerophon prayed to his father Poseidon he continued to flood the castle. “As Bellerophon’s fame grew, so did his hubris. Bellerophon felt that because of his victory over the Chimera, and because he thought he was a god he deserved to fly to Mount Olympus, the realm of the gods.” (Wikipedia) The gods then continued to make Pegasus drop Bellerophon back to Earth and Zeus kept Pegasus as a pack
Icarus is a Greek mythology written during a period when people did not possess a great knowledge of how the world worked. As a result, this story may have appeared to be implausible and unrealistic. This implausible characteristic of Icarus was further broken down by the literary element allusion. For instance, allusion gave readers the impression that Icarus is a greed-filled character who went against his father and made the mistake by flying too close to the sun. However, at the same time, when comparing it to the more plausible elements, Icarus was portrayed as a character who never gave up his dreams and should have flew as close to the sun as possible.
Hermes (Latin name Mercury) is the messenger of the gods. He is the fastest of all the gods and goddesses. He is the son of Zeus and Maia. He is a guide who knew the way to the underworld. So he would show the dead souls the way to the underworld. Hermes is also known as the patron of traders, merchants, thieves and everyone who lived by their wits.
Symbolism is defined as the representation; treatment or interpretation of things as symbolic. In society and in particular, literature, symbolism is a prominent component that helps to illustrate a deeper meaning then perceived by the reader. Symbolism can be anything, a person, place or thing, used to portray something beyond itself. It is used to represent or foreshadow the conclusion of the story. In William Golding’s, Lord of the Flies symbolism of the main characters Ralph, Jack and Simon plays a very important role in helping to show how our society functions and the different types of personalities that exist. An examination of Simon as a symbol of good, Ralph as a symbol of the common man, and Jack as a symbol of evil, clearly illustrates that William Golding uses characters as a symbol of what is really happening in the outside world throughout the novel.
Apollo is one of the most widely renowned Greek gods in ancient history, and one of the few gods to have both the same Greek and Roman name (Apollo). An online article, “Apollo,” said that he started out as the god of herdsmen, and “Apollo's identification as god of music, archery, and medicine came after his oracle was established at Delphi” ( “Apollo”). The article on GaleNet also mentioned that much later, he was commemorated as the god of the sun. Apollo is known for his powers in prophesying and his musical abilities with the lyre, a type of harp. He is also acknowledged as an athlete, particularly an archer, and a healer.
http://www.pentheon.com/articles/z/zeus.html 2 page, accessed April 7, 2004. Created on March 3 1997, Modified March 19. 12, 2004. Encyclopedia Mythica 1995-2004