►Greek Mythology: “The Centaurs” / Poem: “Perpetual Time, at @LapoesianomuerD”

“Centaur and Cupid” by Gustave Moreau. 19th century.

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The Centaurs were a tribe of half man, half horse savages which inhabited the mountains and forests of Magnesia. 

Another tribe of Centaurs resided in the western Peloponnese where they came into conflict with the hero Heracles.

The centaurs were usually said to have been born of Ixion and Nephele (the cloud made in the image of Hera, Zeus‘ Wife):

Ixion fell in love with Hera and tried to rape her, and when Hera told Zeus about it, Zeus wanted to determine if her report was really true. So he fashioned a cloud (nephele) to look like Hera, and laid it by Ixion’s side. When Ixion bragged that he had slept with Hera, Zeus punished him by tying him to a wheel, on which he was turned by winds up in the air. The cloud bore Kentauros (Centaurus) from Ixion’s seed. [Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca E1. 20 C2nd A.D.)].~

In the  earliest accounts, the centaurs appear merely as a sort of gigantic, savage, or animal-like beings; whereas, in later writers, they are described as monsters, with the upper body of a man, from head to loins, set upon the body of a horse.

Sometimes, they had the facial feature of a man, at other times they were portrayed with the snub nose and pointed ears of a rustic Satyr.

It is probably owing to the resemblance between the nature of the centaurs and that of the satyrs, that the former were in later times drawn into the sphere of Dionysiac beings; but here they appear no longer as savage monsters, but as tamed by the power of the god.

They are described as leading a rude and savage life, occasionally carrying off the women of their neighbours, as covered with hair and ranging over their mountains like animals. 

The Centaurs are best known for their fight against their cousins, The Lapith tribe, a legendary people of Greeks, whose home was in Thesaly. This fight was caused by the Centaurs’ attempt attempt to carry off  Princess Hippodamia and the rest of the Lapith women on the day of Hippodamia’s marriage to Pirithous, king of  Lapithae.

Pirithous and his friend, Theseus, led the Lapiths to victory over the Centaurs in a battle known as Centauromachy.

The kentauros had come to the Lapithai’s country, and now with wine he clouded his understanding and in his frenzy did monstrous things in the very hall of Peirithoos. The heroes were seized with indignation; they leapt up, they dragged the kentauros across the courtyard and out of doors, they lopped off his ears and nose with the ruthless bronze, and the frenzied creature went his way, taking his retribution with him in his still darkened mind. From this beginning came the long feud between men and Kentauroi (Centaurs) [Homer, Odyssey 21. 293 ff (Greek epic C8th B.C.)].~

The centaur is incorporated into the Zodiac sign for Sagittarius, with the bow and arrow, whose symbolism could be understood as a shamanic reference to mystic or visionary travel.

Centaurs are the antithesis of the knight and the horseman. Instead of mastering or taming their instincts, the centaurs are ruled by them. The exception is the wise Centaur Chiron.

Chiron’s mother was the nymph Philyra who was coupling with Cronos when his wife suddenly appeared on the scene. To escape notice he transformed himself into a horse, and in this way sired a half-equine son.

Chiron’s physical appearance often differs somewhat from other centaurs, demonstrating his status and heritage. In traditional Greek representations of Chiron his front legs are human, rather than equine, this is in contrast to the traditional representation of centaurs,which have the entire lower body of a horse. This clearly sets Chiron apart from the other centaurs, making him easily identifiable.

Besides, centaurs were notorious for being wild and lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, given to violence when intoxicated. Chiron, by contrast Chiron was notable throughout Greek mythology for his youth-nurturing nature. 

Myths in the Olympian tradition attributed Chiron’s uniquely peaceful character and intelligence to teaching by Apollo and his sister Artemis.

Chiron would also teach Apollo’s son, Asclepius, and Achilles, the best fighter of the Greeks besieging Troy in the Trojan War.

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“Walking Ride”, by Franz von Stuck (1903).

“Pallas and Centaur” by Sandro Botticell (1482).

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►Gallery: “The Centaurs”:

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►Links Post:

http://www.ancient.eu/centaur/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centaur

http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/KentauroiThessalioi.html

http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/KentaurosKheiron.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippodamia_(wife_of_Pirithous)

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Click above to visit the blog / Click en el logo para ingresar al blog.~

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►”My Audio Poem at La Poesía no Muerde”:

~”Tiempo Perpetuo”/ “Perpetual Time”. [July 14th, 2015].~

In this occasion, my poem “Perpetual Time” has been featured at “La Poesía no Muerde”. I both wrote and read the poem. The video poem was created by Hélène Laurent. Check out the original post here.

En este caso, mi poema “Tiempo Perpetuo” ha sido publicado en “La Poesía no Muerde”. Se trata de un poema con audio, leído y escrito por mí. El video fue creado por Hélène Laurent. Consultar el post orginal aquí.

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►La Poesía no Muerde~Audio Poem ~

“Tiempo Perpetuo”  / “Perpetual Time” 

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~Perpetual Time~

 

And now …

Where do our memories remain,

those dark splendors?

These barren wastelands were springs

and blue rains,

fruitful outdoors;

Now just grooves of Time … 

~~~  

Cracks of your footsteps.

Surreptitious hollows and shadows.

Unrelenting water flows,

like a river of time.

~~~ 

From a subterraneous mirror drops gurgling.

Your hand exchanging movements,

trapping me inside the storm that precedes any drought.

An hourglass, greedy, thirsty. 

 ~~~ 

And a thousand ships crossing the Lethe,

the salty river of forgetfulness .

Thirst and desire, outsider lighthouses.

All memory is dryness,

vague journey  from Present to Past. 

~~~ 

 Echo, repetition

[Echo] …

dissolved into nothing.

Your summer fertility

turns against me.

~~~

Crater of fire.

Unattainable …

Wind setback,

disintegrating summer abysses  

Beaches devastated by your flames

like a cup filled with ashes.

Legacy of a temporary fold …

Lost constellations.

—–

© Amalia Pedemonte. 2015.~

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►Last but not Least: “Three Awards”:

I would like to thank  bloggers from 4 Years Old Adult, The Wall Gallery Blog and Ser un Ser de Luz for nominating my blog for a Brotherhood Award, a Creative Blogger Award and a Bor Litarcihis Award, respectively.

I suggest you to check out these blogs and follow them, if you haven’t still done so…

•Rules for the Brotherhood Award and Creative Blogger Award: ♠Thank the person who nominated you. ♠Add the logo to your post. ♠Nominate ten (10) bloggers of your choice and tell them about the nomination. 

•Notes:

-As always I am not answering questions. Hence, I will just nominate ten bloggers per award.

-If you have been nominated and want to follow the Nomination Process, just click on the award for which you have been nominated for. That way you’ll be able to grab in regular size!.~🍃 🍃🍃 ~

I. Nominees for the Brotherhood Award: 1. Mind Love Misery 2. Henry West 3. Truels 4 . BerlinArt2 5. Round World and Me 6. The Reading Bud 7. The Wall Gallery Blog 8. Ser un Ser de Luz 9. Kintal 10. Aqua Compass 7.

⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~•

II. Nominees for the Creative Blogger Award: 1. Tuesdays with Laurie 2. Voices from the Margins 3. Renne Johnson Writes 4 . Upchucking Words 5. Fiesta Estrella 6. Close to Eighty 7. Friendly Fairy Tales 8. Mieux Vivre Jardin 9. 4 Year Old Adult 10. Implied Spaces.

⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~•

III. Nominees for the Bor Litarcihis Award: I will follow Silvia´s rules in this case. And I will leave this Award open to all bloggers who want to pick it up and pass it on to other bloggers. 

⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~•

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July 2015.

July 2015.

July 2015.

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►Bonustrack. Some recent Photographs ….

Selfies and Evening Views. Buenos Aires

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►Mythology: “Asclepius, God of Medicine”/”Poem at @LapoesianomuerD”/”BA Myth’s-Trees at @resalis”

“The Offering to Asclepius” by Pierre Narcisse Guerin (1803).

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“Gentle Asclepius, that craftsman of new health for weary limbs and banisher of pain, the godlike healer of all mortal sickness”.

[Pindar, Pythian Ode 3. 5 ff. C5th BC].–

Asclepius (Roman equivalent: Aesculapius) was the son of Apollo and a mortal woman named Coronis.

While Coronis was with Apollo, she became enamoured with Ischys, an Arcadian, and Apollo was informed of this by a raven, which he had set to watch her, or, according to Pindar, by his own prophetic powers.

Apollo sent his own sister, Artemis to kill Coronis. Presumably, Artemis destroyed Coronis in her own house at Lacereia in Thessaly.

According to Ovid, it was Apollo himself who killed Coronis and Ischys.

When the body of Coronis was to be burnt, Apollo, or, according to others Hermes, the messenger of the Gods, saved the child (Asclepius) cutting him from her womb.

From this fact, he received the name Asclepius, “to cut open”.

Apollo carried the baby to the Centaur Chiron who raised Asclepius and instructed him in the Art of Medicine.

After Asclepius had grown up, it was said that he not only cured all the sick, but called the dead to life again. About the manner in which he acquired this latter power, according to Apollodorus, he had received from Athena the blood which had flowed from the veins of Gorgo and the blood which had flowed from the veins of the right side of her body possessed the power of restoring the dead to life. [Note~ Gorgo: One of three winged daemon, it should have been Medusa as she was the only mortal among them].

Asclepius was married to Epione, with whom he had five daughters: Hygieia, Panacea, Aceso, Iaso and Aglaea and three sons: Machaon, Podaleirios and Telesphoros. 

The names of his daughters each rather transparently reflect a certain subset of the overall theme of “good health”. 

Hygiea was the Goddess of Good Health and a companion of the goddess Aphrodite. Panacea was the Goddess of All-Cure. Iaso was the Goddess of Remedy. Aceso was the Goddess of healing and curing. And Aglaea was the Goddess of Natural Beauty.

Some accounts say that Asclepius was killed because after bringing people back from the dead, Hades thought that no more dead spirits would come to the underworld, so he asked his brother Zeus to stop him. Zeus did so, with a flash of lightning. 

“[Asclepius] a healer for mankind of all their maladies and ills . . . And yet to profit even the skills of wisdom yield themselves captive. For a lordly bribe, gold flashing in the hand, even this man [Asclepius] was tempted to bring back to life one whom the jaws of death had seized already. With fierce hands swiftly the son of Cronos [Zeus] loosed his anger on these two; his blazing bolt stripped from them both their breath of life, and hurled them to their fate”. (Pindar, Pythian Ode 3. 54. C5th BC).~

Asclepius’s father, Apollo was angered, so in return he killed the three Cyclopes, one-eyed inmortal Giants who had made the thunderbolts for Zeus.

For this act, Zeus suspended Apollo from the night sky and commanded Apollo to serve the King of Thessaly.

Once the year had passed, Zeus brought Apollo back to Mount Olympus and revived the Cyclopes.

After his death the God of Medicine was placed amongst the stars as the constellation Ophiochus (“The Serpent Holder”).

“A man must seek from heaven only that which is fitting for mortal minds, perceiving well the path before his feet, the lot that is our portion … Now if Chiron the wise dwelt still within his cave, and if some spell to charm his soul lay in the honeyed sweetness of my songs, then might I surely persuade him for men of noble mind to grant them a physician of feverish ills, some son born of Apollon”. (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4. 610 ff. C3rd B.C).~

Apollonius Rhodius says that the Celts, among whom Apollo was worshipped, believed that the Eridanos River once carried amber drops which were Apollo’s tears, shed because of his son’s death.

“The Keltoi (Celts), however, have another tale about these amber drops that are carried down the current [of the river Eridanos of Northern Europe]. They say they are the many tears that Apollon shed for his son Asklepios (Asclepius) when he visited the sacred people of the North. He was banished from the bright sky by his father Zeus, whom he blamed for having killed this son of his, who was borne by the Lady Koronis (Coronis) in splendid Lakereia at the mouth of the Amyros”. (Pindar, Pythian Ode 3. 5 ff C5th B.C.).~

Asclepius was worshipped all over Greece. His temples were usually built in healthy places, on hills outside the town, and near wells which were believed to have healing powers. 

The original Hippocratic Oath (C5th BC) began with the invocation “I swear by Apollo the Physician and by Asclepius and by Hygieia and Panacea and by all the gods”…

The most famous temple of Asclepius was at Epidaurus. Another famous healing temple was built approximately a century later, C3rd BC on the island of Kos, where Hippocrates, the so called “father of medicine”, may have begun his career.

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” A Sick Child brought into the Temple of Aesculapius” by John William Waterhouse (1877).

“Supplication Before the Goddess Hygieia” by Louis Hector Leroux (19th century).

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►Gallery: “Asclepius, Apollo’s Son and Greek God of Medicine”:

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►Links Post:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asclepius

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/a/asclepius.html

https://ztevetevans.wordpress.com/2013/12/18/greek-mythology-the-story-of-the-centaurs/

http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/AsklepiasHygeia.html

https://letamendi.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/un-nino-enfermo-en-el-templo-de-esculapio-segun-un-cuadro-de-j-w-waterhouse-1877/

https://letamendi.wordpress.com/2014/07/26/higea-la-diosa-griega-de-la-salud-pintada-por-rubens/

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Click above to visit the blog / Click en el logo para ingresar al blog.~

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►”My Audio Poem at @LapoesianomuerD”.

“Verano Inaugural”/ “Inaugural Summer”. [June 23rd, 2015].

My poem “Inaugural Summer” has been featured at “La Poesía no Muerde”. It is an audio poem, and I read my own poem!… The video was created by Hélène Laurent and the image belongs to Jaime Domech. I will add the translation to English as well… Check out the post here.

Mi poema “Verano Inaugural” ha sido publicado en “La Poesía no Muerde”. Se trata de un poema con audio, leído y escrito por mí… El video fue creado por Hélène Laurent y la imagen pertenece a Jaime Domech. Ver el post aquí.

•~~~• ⭐ •~~~ • ⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~•

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►💫La Poesía no Muerde💫~Audio Poem ~

🌟”Inaugural Summer”🌟 / 🌟”Verano inaugural”🌟 

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►Buenos Aires Myth’s-Tress”:

Resa McConaghy is a Canadian Costume Designer for Film, Television & Digital Media. She is also a Collector of Street Art. She owns two blogs Art Gowns and Graffiti Lux and Mural. I submitted a few photographs of Amateur Graffiti Street Art to her second blog, after having told her about them. And… Resa liked the pics and agreed to post them on Graffiti Lux and Mural. 💫🌟!… Isn’t it wonderful?…

With that being said, I invite you to check out the post here: “Buenos Aires Myth’s-Tress”. 💥🔛💥

Check out Resa’s great Blog and make sure to subscribe. You can follow Resa at Twitter too.~

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Click on the Logo to Check out Resa’s Blog.

Click on the Image to Check out Resa’s Post.

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►Last but not Least: “Three Awards”:

I would like to thank  bloggers from Micheline’s Blog, Palabras Sosegadas and José Ángel Ordiz for nominating my blog for a Versatile Blogger Award, a Black Wolf Blogger Award and a Best Blogger Award, respectively.

I suggest you to check out these blogs and follow them, if you haven’t still done so…

•Rules for these Three Awards: ♠Thank the person who nominated you. ♠Add the logo to your post. ♠Nominate ten (10) bloggers of your choice and tell them about the nomination. 

•Notes:

-As always I am not answering questions. Hence, I will just nominate ten bloggers per award.

-If you have been nominated and want to follow the Nomination Process, just click on the award for which you have been nominated for. That way you’ll be able to grab in regular size!.~❤️💛❤️💛❤️💛~

I. Nominees for the Versatile Blogger Award: 1. Dog Kisses 2. Ali Isaac Storyteller 3. Atlas Abenteuer 4. Alex, The Shadow Girl’s Blog 5. José Ángel Ordiz 6. Alison Williams Writing 7. Palabras Sosegadas 8. The Bear Went Over The Mountain 9. Michael Bencik 10. Living With Benji. 

🌟★🌟★🌟

II. Nominees for the Black Wolf Blogger Award: 1. Bloggeretterized 2. Yummy Lummy Gary Lum 3. Emmanuel Muema’s Blog 4. Confessions of a Readaholic 5. Sayling Away 6. Disappearing In Plain Sight 7. Considerings 8. Parlor of Horror 9. The Blood, the Glory and the Grace 10. Nothing Under the Sun.

🌟★🌟★🌟

III. Nominees for the Best Blogger Award: 1. Micheline’s Blog 2. Dianne Gray Author 3. A Woman Wisdom 4. Never Less Than Everything 5. I Am a Girl, I Can Do This 6. An Honest Sinner  7. Mamangerie 8. Faith Simone 9. Fiction Zeal 10. The Book Nympho.

🌟★🌟★🌟

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►Mythology: “Apollo”/ Poem: “Hymn to Apollo”, by Geofrey Crow (@GigglingStream) / “@Saltoalreverso #7”.-

“Apollo Receiving the Shepherds’ Offerings” by Gustave Moreau (1895).

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Apollo was the son of Zeus and Leto.

The Roman worship of Apollo was adopted from the Greeks. Apollo had no direct Roman equivalent, although later Roman poets often referred to him as Phoebus.

Apollo had a twin sister, Artemis, the Goddess of Hunting.

Mythographers agree that Artemis was born first and then assisted with the birth of Apollo, or that Artemis was born one day before Apollo, on the island of Ortygia and that she helped Leto cross the sea to Delos the next day to give birth to Apollo.

As the patron of Delphi, Apollo was an oracular go, the prophetic deity of the Delphic Oracle.

As the god of prophecy. Apollo exercised this power in his numerous oracles, and especially in that of Delphi. The source of all his prophetic powers was Zeus himself and Apollo is accordingly called “the prophet of his father Zeus”. According to Apollodorus, the oracle had previously been in the possession of Themis, and the dragon Python guarded the mysterious chasm, and Apollo, after having slain the monster, took possession of the oracle.

Apollo  was also known as “the god who affords help and wards off evil”. He had the power of visiting men with plagues and epidemics, so he was also able to deliver men from them.

Apollo was furthermore depicted as the God of Music. This is shown particularly on the Iliad, in which he appears delighting the immortal gods with his play on the phorminx during their repast. Besides, the Homeric bards derived their art of song either from Apollo or the Muses.

He was also considered a God related to the Foundation of Towns. His assistance in the building of Troy was very important, respecting his aid in raising the walls of Megara.

Medicine and healing  were associated with Apollo too, whether through the god himself or mediated through his son Asclepius.

Coronis was Apollo’s lover and Asclepius’ mother. She was a princess of the Thessalian kingdom of Phlegyantis. 

When she was pregant with his son, Coronis committed adultery with a man named Ischys (“the Mighty”).

Apollo knew it as he had commanded his divine messenger, the white  raven, to guard Coronis. When the raven brought news to Apollo of his lover’s infidelity, the god, angered at the bird, turned the raven’s white feathers black. Apollo killed Ischys and sent his sister, Artemis, to destroy her.

Apollo’s sister, Artemis, slew Coronis with her deadly arrows.

Whilst Coronis was burning on the pyre Apollo made sure to  remove his son (Asclepius) from her womb and he gave it to the Chiron, (son of Cronus, Zeus’ Father and God of time and the ages,  and the Oceanid Nymph, Philyra), who was as the eldest and wisest of the Centaurs, a tribe of half-horse men. 

Coronis was later placed amongst the stars as the constellation Corvus (“the Crow”).

 

In Hellenistic times, especially during the 3rd century BCE, as Apollo Helios he became identified among Greeks with Helios, God of the Sun, and his sister Artemis similarly equated with Selene, Goddess of the Moon.

Furthermore, the Horae could be related to the portions of time of the Day (twelve hours for the Ancient Greeks) These Horae oversaw the path of the Sun-God Helios (Apollo) as he travelled across the sky, dividing the day into its portions.

Apollo was worshipped throughout the Roman Empire. In the Celtic lands he was most often seen as a Healing and Sun God.

He was often equated with Celtic Gods of similar characteristics. [Read more on the Celtic version of Apollo at Linnea Tanner’s blog, “Apollo’s Raven”: “Ancient Celtic Religion: Apollo, God of Sun” and “Apollo and Coronis; White Raven; Association with Healing”].-

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“Apollo and The Nine Muses” by Gustave Moreau (1856).

“Apollo with Urania, Muse of Astronomy” by Charles Meynier (1800).

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►Gallery: “Apollo, Zeus and Leto’s Son”:

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►Links Post:

http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Apollon.html

http://www.theoi.com/Heroine/Koronis.html

https://ledrakenoir.wordpress.com/2015/08/27/a-divine-day-as-apollon/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo

http://www.linneatanner.com/blog/apollo-god-of-healing/

http://www.linneatanner.com/blog/ancient-celtic-religion-apollo-god-of-sun/

https://ztevetevans.wordpress.com/2015/03/25/spirituality-the-raven-totem/

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And if you hear me, mighty god, with bow and distant eye,

but heed my voice of light turned dark, receive my weary cry!

You maker of contagion, you the master of the Muse,

set her singing through my clumsy mouth, and please do not refuse.

 

~~~

You, the distant deadly archer

who rains his arrows on the earth,

who sees coming and departure

and who predicts both death and birth;

time sets for you no mystery,

dread harbinger of history,

who knows the subtle things that grow

in crowded towns or fields we sow.

You send us both the plagues that spread

and the uncertain art to heal;

what mysteries may you conceal,

unveiling only for the dead?

But let us know your hidden mind,

to see with courage what we find!

 

~~~

 

With courage let us join in song,

in music, rise above.

A life so short and very long

we sing, and hope to love.

 

~~~

 

Your flame, it burns our deepest hearts,

and each one fears it’s something wrong;

a boiling teapot sudden starts

to drown the heat in giving song.

Although it is a mark of shame,

a teapot is not much to blame.

And how much less should we be bad

to turn to song our feeling sad?

This music is your sweetest gift,

you gloried god of structured sound;

to you our song and voice resound,

in love and gratitude uplift.

For though it springs from snapping bone,

in music we are not alone.

 

~~~

 

And if you hear us, mighty god, with bow and distant eye,

but heed this voice of light turned dark, receive our weary cry!

You maker of contagion, you the master of the Muse,

set her singing through our clumsy mouths, and please do not refuse.

~~~

©Copyright 2015. Geofrey Crow.-

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Geofrey Crow.-

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►🌟About Geofrey Crow 🌟

Geofrey dixit: I am an apprentice poet and fiction writer, working to learn the skill of turning life into words, and the even greater skill of turning words into life. I love pretty pictures, distant dreams, and silent sleep. More than anything else I am a lover of words, of the way words can bring us together and allow us, so briefly, to feel ourselves echoed in another’s thoughts. I write because literature can lift us out of ourselves, put us into another person’s mind, and, for a moment, reconcile us to our so solitary condition. If I can learn to do that, maybe in some small way I’ll have justified a part of my existence.

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•Make sure to visit Geofrey’s Blog, The Giggling Stream. 

•Feel Free to connect with Geofrey at: Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus.

•~~~• ⭐ •~~~ • ⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~•

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►💫 Literary Magazine Salto Al Reverso #7  Is out! 💫  …

And my Brief Story “Otro Cortado” has been featured on Page 40.

►Ya está publicada la Séptima Edición de la Revista Salto Al Reverso …

Y, mi relato “Otro Cortado” ha sido publicado en la Página 40.

Revista Salto al reverso #7 (Click!).

Salto al Reverso #7. Click on the image above to Read. Hacer Click para leer.

Salto al Reverso #7. Click and Scroll down to page 40 to read my brief story. Hacer Click e ir a la página 40 para leer mi relato.

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►💫Quote Challenge💫 

My blogger friends Sylvester from Syl65’s Blog and Marlyn from Kintal have invited me for a so called 3-Day Quote Challenge.

The rules of the challenge are: ♠Post your favorite quotes or your own quotes for three (3) posts in a row. ♠Thank the person who nominated you. ♠Pass it on to three (3) other bloggers per quote, each time you post them. Or pass it to nine (9) bloggers if you choose to post all the quotes together, in the same post.

⚠ Note: I will post the three (3) quotes at once. Thus I will nominate nine (9) Bloggers. Also, I thought It would be fun to add those three quotes on personal photographs… So that’s what I did! 😀

My nominees for the Quote Challenge are: 1. Deanne’ s World 2. The Girl Has No Name 3. An Elephant Called Buddha 4. Mumbai Metro Mess 5. The Raven’s Nest 6. Mithai Mumblezz 7. Fiesta Estrellas 8. Before Sundown 9. Send Sunshine.

► 🌟Three Quotes, and some Old Photographs🌟

~(Featuring My Family and Me)~ Click on the images to read ~

“It is only with the passions of others that we are ever really familiar, and what we come to discover about our own can only be learned from them” [“Swann’s Way”. Marcel Proust]~

“I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then”. [“Alice in Wonderland”. Lewis Carroll]~

“I call people rich when they’re able to meet the requirements of their imagination”. [“The Portrait of a Lady”. Henry James]~

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►💫 Last but not Least: “Three Awards”💫

I would like to thank  bloggers from Emmanuel Muema’s Blog, Don’t Cha Wanna Dream and Belinda Crane for nominating my blog for a Creative Blogger Award, and two  Sisterhood of The World Bloggers Awards, respectively.

I suggest you to check out these blogs and follow them, if you haven’t still done so…

•Rules for these Three Awards: ♠Thank the person who nominated you. ♠Add the logo to your post. ♠Nominate ten (10) bloggers of your choice and tell them about the nomination. 

•Notes:

-As always I am not answering questions. Hence, I will just nominate ten bloggers per award.

-If you have been nominated and want to follow the Nomination Process, just click on the award for which you have been awarded to. That way you’ll be able to grab in regular size!.~ 💗💖💕

I. Nominees for the Creative Blogger Award: 1. Great Indie Authors 2. Debi Riley 3. A Blog Less Traveled 4. Travel Tales of Life 5. Nicodemas 6. UsefulSoul 7. Belinda Crane 8. Geo Kalpataru 9. Don’t Cha Wanna Dream 10. Badfish Out of Water.

 💥🍒 💥🍒

II. Nominees for the Sisterhood of The World Bloggers Award (I): 1. Sacred Touches 2. Poetheart 3. Tales from the Fairies 4. Debbie Robson 5. Raine Fairy 6. Big Body Beautiful 7. Peaceful Warrior 8. Spicy Road 9. Of Opinions 10. Cappy Writes.

💥🍒 💥🍒

III. Nominees for the Sisterhood of The World Bloggers Award (II): 1. Scattered Thoughts 2. Le Carnet de Dame Catherine 3. LDG Luciledegodoy 4.  Loren Photography 5. Emmanuel Muema’s Blog 6. Annina Luck Wildermuth 7. Rosie Amber 8. No Wasted Ink 9. The Axis of Ego 10. Monica Byrne.

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June 2015.

June 2015.

June 2015.

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►Greek Mythology: “Zeus and Leto” / “Book Tour with Olga Núñez Miret (@OlgaNM7)”.-

“Latona and the Lycian Peasants” by David Teniers II. (17th century).

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Leto (which means”the hidden one”. Roman equivalent: Latona) was daughter of the Titans Coeus (Polus) and Phoebe and the sister of Asteria.
In the Olympian scheme, Zeus is the father of her twins, Apollo and Artemis, (The Letoides).

Zeus married is sister Hera while Leto was already pregnant. While the pregnancy started before the marriage, Hera was still jealous of Leto.

Hence, as Hyginus, in his book “Fabulae” states, Hera banned Leto from giving birth on any island at sea, or any place under the sun.

Finally, she found an island (Delos, that wasn’t attached to the ocean floor so it wasn’t considered land and she could give birth there.

Leto easily brought forth Artemis, the elder twin.  By contrast, Leto labored for nine nights and nine days in order to give birth to Apollo.

The births took place in the presence of the witnesses goddesses Dione (an Oceanid, a water-nymph, the goddess Dione, in her name simply the “Goddess”, is sometimes taken as a mere feminine form of Zeus ), Rhea (mother of the Olympian Goddesses and Gods, but not as an Olympian goddess in her own right), Ichnaea (an epithet given to Nemesis), Themis (a Titaness, who was the personification of divine order and law) and the sea-goddess Amphitrite (Poseidon‘s wife).

Hera kept apart as she used her own daughter Eileithvia, the goddess of childbirth, to prevent Leto from going into labor.

Instead Artemis, having been born first, assisted with the birth of her twin brother, Apollo.

Going further, ancient greek grammarian, Antoninus Liberalis considers that Leto sought out the “wolf-country” of Lycia.  Another sources link Leto with wolves and the Hyperboreans, people connected with the worship of Apollo at Delphi and of Artemis at Delos and named that way with reference to Boreas, the north wind.

Leto was identified from the fourth century onwards with the principal local mother goddess of Anatolian Lycia, as the region became Hellenized. 

Besides, Leto has been probably identified with the Lycian Godess of Fertility, Lada, also knwon as Kourotrophos (Rearer of Youths).

Leto’s primal nature may be deduced from the natures of her father and mother, who may have been Titans of the sun and moon. Her Titan father is called “Coeus”, and, he is in some Roman sources given the name Polus, which may relate him to the sphere of heaven from pole to pole. The name of Leto’s mother, “Phoebe” (“pure, bright”), is identical to the epithet of her son Apollo.

In Greek inscriptions, the Letoides (Apollo and Artemis) are referred to as the “national gods” of the country.

 There were two sanctuaries dedicated to Leto, the Letoon, near Xanthos and the Oenoanda, in the north of Lycia.

►Other episodes related to Leto:

In Ovid’s “Metamorphoses” (Book VI), he tells the sad story of Niobe’s children, which involves Leto, Artemis and Apollo.

•Niobe, a queen of Thebes, boasted of her superiority to Leto because she had fourteen children (The Niobids), seven sons and seven daughters, while Leto had only two. Aiming to punish Niobe due to her pride, Apollo killed her sons, and Artemis her daughters. Niobe cried so much that her tears formed the river Achelous.

Zeus seconded Leto as he made sure to turn all the people of Thebes to stone so no one buried the Niobids until the ninth day after their death, when the gods themselves entombed them.

•Leto was threatened in her wanderings by the giant Tityos who attempted to rape her. Also she was assailed by the dragon Python. In both occasions, Leto’s son, Apollo was able to eliminate the threats, even if he was just a God child.

•During her wanderings with her children, Apollo and Artemis, Leto reached Lycia (nowadays located in southern Turkey).

Exhausted, she decided to halt and saw down in a valley a pond around which peasants were busy gathering rushes and algae. Attracted by its clear water, she went to drink from it. But the peasants objected and forbade her from drinking from the pond, ordering Leto to leave the place. 

Enraged, Leto cursed them. Soon after that, the metamorphosis began and the peasants of Lycia became frogs, as they were condemned to live forever like this in the slime of their pond, fulfilling the curse of Latona.

This last episeode is depicted in the Latona Fountain, at the Château de Versailles, France. This Fountain’s construction took, over twenty years (from 1666 to 1689) and it was built during  Louis XIV’s reign.

Some historians have interpreted the Latona fountain as an allegory of the victory of Louis XIV over the Fronde, the rebellion of the nobles against the power of the monarchy during the childhood of Louis XIV. Latona, the mother of Apollo, represents Anne of Austria, the mother of Louis XIV and regent during the Fronde. The metamorphosis of the peasants into frogs illustrates the punishment reserved to those who dare to rebel against the royal authority.

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“Latona Turning the Lycians Peasants into Frogs”, by Johann Georg Platzer. (1730)

“Latona Changing the Lycian Peasants into Frogs” by Jacopo Tintoretto. (16th century).

“Landscape with Latona and the Peasants”, by Sinibaldo Scorza (1620).

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►”The Myth of Leto / Latona”:

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►Gallery: “Leto” / “The Latona Fountain” [Château de Versailles]:

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“Latona (Leto) and Her children (Apollo and Diana/Artemis)”, by William Henry Rinehart (1874). Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“Latona (Leto) and Her children (Apollo and Diana/Artemis)”, by William Henry Rinehart. (1874). Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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►Links Post:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leto

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/337395/Leto

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/279545/Hyperborean

http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/11923

http://latone.chateauversailles.fr/en/page/the-latona-fountain/history-of-the-latona-fountain

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►Book Tour: 

“Olga Núñez Miret tells us about her Trilogy Angelic Business“:

🔥💥In this ocassion, Olga is close to oficially release a book trilogy, which is already available for pre-order at Amazon… Let’s listen to what she has to say about it!… It is all yours, Olga!…  💥🔥 

My name is Olga Núñez Miret and I’m a writer, translator, reader, psychiatrist.

I love movies, plays, fitness, owls and recently have taken up meditation (mindfulness). (I thought I might as well summarise and not take too much of your time). 

I’ve been writing since I was quite young and I write in whatever style the story I have in my head wants to be written in. So far literary fiction, romance, YA, thriller… and a few unfinished works. 

Around five years ago I discovered and read quite a few interesting Young Adult books and had an idea for what I thought could be a series. At the time I wrote the first of the novels and after trying to find an agent or a traditional publisher without much success, I started self-publishing, but decided to publish some of my other books first. Since then I’ve published twelve books (six original books and their translations, as I write in English and Spanish). 

I kept thinking about “Angelic Business” and, a few months later, I wrote the second novel in the series: “Shades of Greg”. (No, nothing to do with…). 

And last year, as part of NaNoWriMo I wrote the third novel in the series, “Pink, Angel or Demon?”. 

As I had written the three, I thought I’d publish them pretty close to each other so people wouldn’t have to wait to know what happened next (at least not too much)…. [Olga Núñez Miret].-

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“Angelic Business”, the three books of the series, by author Olga Núñez Miret.

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The trilogy “Angelic Business” is already available for pre-order at the special price of $0.99 each. You’ll find blurbs of each book on the links below. Check them out!:

•”Pink Matters” is currently available at Amazon for pre-order and will be published on June 26th.

•”Shapes of Greg” is available for pre-order at Amazon and will be published on July 15th.

•”Pink, Angel or Demon?” is available for pre-order at Amazon and will be published on July 30th.

►Connect with Author Olga Núñez Miret on her Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and Wattpad.

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Author Olga Núñez Miret.

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►Last but not Least: “Three Awards”:

I would like to thank bloggers from Risty´s Breath, Life as we See It and Splashed for nominating my blog for a Versatile Blogger Award (Red Version), a Creative Blogger Award and a Sunshine Award, respectively.

I suggest you to check out these blogs and follow them, if you haven’t still done so…

•Rules for these Three Awards: ♠ Thank the person who nominated you for the award. ♠ Add the logo to your post. ♠Nominate ten (10) bloggers of your choice and tell them about the nomination. 

•Note: If you have been nominated and want to follow the Nomination Process, just click on the award for which you have been awarded to. That way you’ll be able to grab in regular size!.~ 🍒 🍒 🍒 

I. Nominees for the Versatile Blogger Award:

1. Lucinda E Clarke 2. Missing the Muse 3. Caterina Rotondi 4. The Book Haven 5. Hyperion Sturm 6. Simonjohnsonofclowne 7. Life as we See It 8. Books and Hot Tea 9. Makeup and Breakup 10. Life and Light.

II. Nominees for the Sunshine Award:

1. I.J.Keddie 2. Unbuttoned or Undone 3. View from a Burrow 4. Loujen Haxm ´Yor 5. Writing Between the Lines 6. Janna T Writes 7. Breathing Space 8. A Chaos Fairy Realm 9. The Four Rooms 10. Rambles, Writing and Amusing Musings.

III. Nominees for the Creative Blogger Award:

1. Beguiling Hollywood 2. First Night Design 3. Peak Perspective 4. Risty´s Breath 5. Splashed 6. Micheline Walker 7. A Little Bird Tweets 8. Millie Thom 9. Yadadarcyyada 10. The Woman Who.

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May 2015.

May 2015.

May 2015.

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►Greek Mythology: “Hera, Zeus’ Wife” / Poetry: “Two Poems”.-

“The Peacock complaining to Juno”, by Gustave Moreau (1881).

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Hera (Roman equivalent: Juno) was Zeus’ wife and sister, and was raised by the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. She was the supreme goddess, patron of marriage, family and childbirth, having a special interest in protecting married women. 

Hera, like her siblings, was swallowed by her father Cronos (Rhea‘s husband) as soon as she was born.

Zeus with the help of Metis later tricked Cronos into a swallowing a potion that forced him to disgorge his offspring.

The legitimate offspring of her union with Zeus are Ares (the god of war), Hebe (the goddess of youth), Eris (the goddess of discord) and Eileithvia (goddess of childbirth).  

Johann Jakob Bachofen (“An Investigation of the Religious and Juridical Character of Matriarchy in the Ancient [1861]), considered that Hera, was originally the goddess of a matriarchal people, presumably inhabiting Greece before the Hellenes. According to this author, her activity as goddess of marriage established the patriarchal bond of her own subordination.

Her sacred animals were the cow, the lion and the peacock, and she favoured the city of  Argos.

She is usually portrayed enthroned, and crowned with the polos (a sort of crown worn by several of the Goddesses.

 ►Three Myths featuring Hera.

•The Judgement of Paris:

Hera, Aphrodite and Athena were the three goddesses who all claimed to deserved the Golden Apple of Discord, introduced by  Eris in Peleus and Thetis‘ wedding. This golden apple was labeled “For the fairest one”). Zeus chose Prince Paris of Troy to decide who was the fairest. Still, Paris could not decide, as all three were ideally beautiful, so they resorted to bribes. Hera offered Paris control over all Asia and Europe, while Athena offered wisdom, fame, and glory in battle, and Aphrodite offered the most beautiful mortal woman in the world as a wife, and he accordingly chose her. This woman was Helen of Troy, who was already married to King Menelaus of Sparta. Paris abducted Helen and her abduction would lead to the Trojan War.

•Hephaestus, the son that Hera produced alone: 

Hera was jealous of Zeus’ giving birth to Athena, without recourse to her (actually with with Metis), so she gave birth to Hephaestus without him, though in some stories, he is the son of her and Zeus. Hera was then disgusted with Hephaestus’ ugliness and threw him from Mount Olympus. Hephaestus gained revenge against Hera for rejecting him by making her a magical throne which, when she sat on, did not allow her to leave. The other gods begged Hephaestus to return to Olympus to let her go, but he repeatedly refused. Dionysus got him drunk and took him back to Olympus on the back of a mule. Hephaestus released Hera after being given Aphrodite as his wife.

•Heracles, disowned by Hera and… the Milky Way: 

Hera hated Heracles, being the scapegoat of the illegitimate offspring sired by Zeus. Heracles was the son of the affair Zeus had with the mortal woman Alcmene.

Thus, Heracles’ existence proved at least one of Zeus’ many illicit affairs, and Hera usually conspired against him, as a revenge for her husband’s infidelities.

Fear of Hera’s revenge led Alcmene to expose the infant Heracles, but he was taken up and brought to Hera by his half-sister Athena, who played an important role as protectress of heroes.Hera did not recognize Heracles and nursed him out of pity. Heracles suckled so strongly that he caused Hera pain, and she pushed him away. Her milk sprayed across the heavens and there formed the Milky Way. But with divine milk, Heracles had acquired supernatural powers. Athena brought the infant back to his mother, and he was subsequently raised by his parents, who had originally named him Alcides, being Heracles a derivated name.

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“Juno Borrowing the Girdle of Venus” by Guy Head (1771).

“Hera in the House of Hephaistos William” by Blake Richmond (1902),

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 ►Gallery: “Hera, Zeus’ Wife”:

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Links Post:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hera

http://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Hera/hera.html

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Click above to visit the blog / Click en el logo para ingresar al blog.~

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→On May 12th I had the honor to be part of a poetic challenge at La Poesía No Muerde, a great community blog of Poetry, hosted by Hélène Laurent. Please, make sure to also read the poems by Verónica, from En Humor Arte; José from Viajes al Fondo del ALSA and Johan from Johan Cladheart.

Later on, that same week a second poem written by me was also posted at La Poesía No Muerde. (May 15th).

You can check out the poems, in Spanish and translated to English, below… 

 

→ Se adjuntan dos participaciones poéticas, del 12 y 15 de Mayo, respectivamente, publicadas inicialmente en La Poesía no Muerde.

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 ►La Poesía No Muerde: “The Walking Chair” (Imagen encontró Poemas):

~“Auf Wiedersehen, Liebling”… (“Hasta pronto, querido”).~

 

Llevo mi silla a cuestas,

como la conciencia del amo en el esclavo

Mas la carga es semántica, 

por eso… el oprobio. 

 ~~~

Y las contradicciones, son ideológicas, 

cada tarde esperándome, 

se arremolinan en pantallas

Ovejas de otro rebaño.

 ~~~

Mis ventanas las abro de noche

para que las esperanzas florezcan de día.

Procuro que los ideales clavados en el cielo ideal

estallen contra las estructuras materiales.

~~~ 

Mas sólo en términos dialécticos

Mi silla potencial es sólo un bloque de madera

Qué importa el futuro si todos los días

se clavan en un cetro onmímodo.

 ~~~

Auf wiedersehen, Liebling...

Hilos de títere en sus vetas inertes, 

tejen implacables

oleajes de río… 

  ~~~

 ©2015 Amalia Pedemonte.-

 ►Originalmente publicado en:

 La Poesía No Muerde: “The Walking Chair” (Imagen encontró Poemas).

•~~~• ⭐ •~~~ • ⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~•

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 ►La Poesía No Muerde: “Imagen encontró (¡Otro!) Poema”.

~”Fragmento de un Final”.~

Corola tallada de pétalos sin flor.
una hoja con ápice impermeable.
Eterna y seca primavera,
rivera incipiente, sutilmente verde.

Una furtiva mirada azul
sobre un camino oscilante,
surcos muertos, árboles vacíos de hojas.
Bajo el sol inagotable del mediodía interminable.

~~~ 

Réplicas de galerías.
Redundantes sonidos.
Las palabras que no dijimos
te hacen una reverencia.

~~~ 

Tus fantasmas esculpen mis recuerdos.
Soy todo lo que fui en tu cautiverio,
persistes, con codicia te acumulas.
A cada nombre me retiro, te invoco y te devuelvo.

~~~

Te conjuro, brisa efímera .
Nunca volverás a ser mi aire.
Escúrrete por la puerta de las sombras y el olvido
Deja de asediarme…

 ~~~ 

 ©2015 Amalia Pedemonte.-

 

 

►Originalmente publicado en:

La Poesía no Muerde: “Fragmento de un final”(Imagen encontró (¡otro!) poema).

•~~~• ⭐ •~~~ • ⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~• ⭐ •~~~•

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 ► Last but not Least: Special thanks to Lisardo Sobrino Fernández for his poem Aquiles, on his blog, Tiempo de Letras.

©2015. Lisardo Sobrino Fernández. Click on the image.

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