Tag Archives: epic myths

February 8, 2014 · 4:51 pm

THE SACK OF TROY: THE NEGLECTED ANCIENT GREEK EPIC

fall of troyPreviously Balladeer’s Blog examined three of the neglected tales from the Epic Cycle which dealt with the Trojan War. First came Cypria, then after skipping The Iliad because of how well-known it is I moved on to Aethiopis and then last week I examined Iliad Minor.

SACK OF TROY aka Sack of Ilion is credited to Arktinos of Miletos in the 770’s BCE. The previous epic Iliad Minor wrapped up with the Greek warriors springing out of the Trojan Horse and at last triumphing over King Priam and his Trojans. Sack of Troy rehashes a few story elements, backing up to cover the construction of the Trojan Horse and the Trojans ignoring the prophet Cassandra’s warnings about the Horse. New elements are the arguments the Continue reading →

20 Comments

Filed under Mythology

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

January 31, 2014 · 11:40 pm

ILIAD MINOR: THE ANCIENT GREEK EPIC

Little IliadPreviously Balladeer’s Blog examined Cypria and Aethiopis, two of the neglected Greek epics. Cypria recounted the events leading into The Iliad while Aethiopis picked up the tale of the Trojan War after the death and funeral of Hector at the end of The Iliad. The neglected epic I’m examining today is Iliad Minor, the next in line chronologically. The author is speculated to have been either Lesches, Thestorides, Diodoros, Kinaithon or even Homer himself.

ILIAD MINOR – Also called Iliad Mikra and The Little Iliad this neglected epic opens up with the Continue reading →

22 Comments

Filed under Mythology

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

January 25, 2014 · 4:55 pm

AETHIOPIS: THE ANCIENT GREEK EPIC

Death of Penthesilea

Death of Penthesilea

Previously Balladeer’s Blog examined Cypria, the neglected Greek epic myth that dealt with the events leading up to the Trojan War all the way up to Achilles leading the Greek forces in establishing a beachhead at Troy. The Trojan forces were then forced to retreat inside the walls of Troy itself, leaving the outside settlements to be sacked by the Greek forces. This led right into the whole Briseis/Chryseis conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon that opened up The Iliad.

The events of The Iliad are well-known enough that I will skip over a recap of that epic and move on to the very next neglected epic in the cycle: Aethiopis.

AETHIOPIS – This work is often attributed to Arctinus, by some accounts in 776 BCE to coincide with the very first ancient Olympic games. Other sources place it as late as the 740’s BCE. Very little of Aethiopis itself survives, so most of what is known about it comes from Proclus and other – often contradictory – references in ancient writings. The tale begins soon after the death of Hector which marked the end of The Iliad.

Just as the fighting is set to resume following the break in honor of Hector’s funeral the Amazons arrive on the scene to support their allies the Trojans. Needless to say they are very effective in combat and Continue reading →

46 Comments

Filed under Mythology

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

January 18, 2014 · 2:23 am

CYPRIA: THE ANCIENT GREEK EPIC MYTH

Judgement of ParisTheogony, The Iliad and The Odyssey are a few of the more well-known Greek epics of the distant past. In keeping with the theme of Balladeer’s Blog I will present a look at the neglected Greek epics, many of which cover other aspects of the Trojan War. Yes, for those readers who think The Iliad is the sole epic regarding that conflict there are other tales that chronicle the mythic events from long before the opening passages of The Iliad. Here is one of those neglected works.

CYPRIA – Credited to either Stasinos of Cyprus (my bet), Hegesias or Homer himself. This epic featured the Continue reading →

35 Comments

Filed under Mythology

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , ,

August 22, 2013 · 9:02 pm

IROQUOIS EPIC MYTH: HODADEION PART EIGHT

Iroquois

Iroquois

Part 8: Niagara Falls Death Trap  – As part 7 concluded Hodadeion, the Iroquois god of magic, was alarmed to find that the twin enchantresses who were in reality two giant white herons had flown him in a huge basket to a rock at the top of what is now called Niagara Falls. They had stranded him there surrounded by a massive volume of water roaring its way past the small outcropping of rock the demigod was on, ultimately descending in a loud roar of falling liquid.

Hodadeion did not know what fate awaited him in that precarious position, or what dire menace the Heron Maidens expected to assault him in his perilous situation but he Continue reading →

10 Comments

Filed under Mythology

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

August 15, 2013 · 8:19 pm

AUGUST 15TH’S RITUAL FOR THE CHINESE MOON GODDESS: THE SENSES-SHATTERING ORIGIN

Yi the Divine Archer

Yi the Divine Archer

On August 15th the Chinese people offered up gifts to Chang-O, their moon goddess. Balladeer’s Blog presents the story of Chang-O, her husband Yi the Divine Archer, and the origin of that ritual.

I.WHAT’S UP WITH YI?  – Yi the Divine Archer from Chinese mythology deserves to be remembered in one breath with some of the other great heroes and monster slayers from belief systems around the world. Most people are only familiar with his feat of shooting down multiple suns that appeared in the sky one day, but this article will provide a light- hearted look at all of his fantastic adventures. 

Yi is Continue reading →

19 Comments

Filed under Mythology

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

August 7, 2013 · 10:31 pm

IROQUOIS EPIC MYTH: HODADEION PART SEVEN

Iroquois Confederation

Iroquois Confederation

Continuing the adventures of the Iroquois god of magic, Hodadeion.

PART 7 – THE TWIN HERONS – Hodadeion moved swiftly through the forest. He wanted to put as much space between himself and the giant horned serpents as possible before they grew hungry again. He continued heading north and at length came upon a pathway guarded by two enormous white herons. Each bird was bigger than a horse and at the sight of the demigod they attacked him, trying to claw and peck at him while simultaneously battering him with their powerful wings.

Hodadeion fled as quickly as Continue reading →

16 Comments

Filed under Mythology

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 12, 2013 · 10:46 pm

IROQUOIS EPIC MYTH: HODADEION PART SIX

Iroquois longhouse lodgePART 6: HORNED SERPENTS – Continuing his journey, Hodadeion the god of magic came to a river across which an impossibly long and thick tree served as a bridge. Believing this might lead to the village of the cannibalistic wizards he was searching for the demigod set off across the makeshift bridge.

When he was halfway across Hodadeion abruptly stopped. He sensed something immense lying in wait on the other side of the river. Frustrated by being detected by their potential prey two enormous serpents with deerhorns on their heads sprang from hiding and hissed insults at the demigod who stood tantalizingly just outside their reach. Unafraid, Hodadeion shouted insults of his own back at the two monstrous serpents, who were as big around as several tree-trunks and as long as Continue reading →

13 Comments

Filed under Mythology

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 2, 2013 · 10:38 pm

IROQUOIS EPIC MYTH: HODADEION PART FIVE

Iroquois2PART 5 – WITCHES WITH HIDDEN HEARTS – Hodadeion the god of magic continued traveling northeast on his quest. Presently Hodadeion spied three hideously old witch-women pounding corn outside their longhouse lodge. The demigod’s sharp eyes noticed that the three women were using human bones as cooking implements and remained hidden in the forest so he could observe the obviously dangerous ladies and devise a strategy for dealing with them. 

As with so many heroes in Iroquois myths Hodadeion suddenly found the breeze blowing through his ears to be the whisperings of the wind god Geha. Hodadeion was Geha’s grandson, after all, and he did not abandon his descendant in his time of need. Geha whispered to the god of magic that the witches were cannibals like the sorcerors who had depopulated so many Iroquois villages. Though very old each member of the trio was far stronger than any mortal man and used human thigh bones from their previous meals to club new victims to death.

Rashly Hodadeion let his anger get the better of him and emerged from hiding. The cannibal witch-women caught sight of him and Continue reading →

31 Comments

Filed under Mythology

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , ,

May 29, 2013 · 9:34 pm

IROQUOIS EPIC MYTH: HODADEION PART FOUR

IroquoisPART FOUR – THE EYELESS ONE – With the evil medicine man Hodiadatgon overcome the god of magic Hodadeion continued his quest toward the north to find the cannibal wizards who had depopulated so many villages.

At length he came upon a longhouse lodge in a clearing. Creeping closer, Hodadeion looked within and saw an elderly man with no eyes sitting on the floor of the lodge. The old man was surrounded by furs and meat while the walls of his lodge were filled with the severed heads of men, both young and old. Seeing nothing inside that concerned him Hodadeion decided to move on, only to come out of thick woods to find the exact same clearing with the exact same lodge. Even the old man with no eyes and his macabre trophies lining the walls dwelt inside.

No matter which direction Hodadeion traveled or how long he ventured through the thick forest he always emerged on the clearing where the eyeless old man’s lodge stood. This time while he was standing outside the door the man with no eyes called out to Continue reading →

13 Comments

Filed under Mythology

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , ,