Blood-Stained Laments

Please read my competition flash fiction on Figment. Thanks




http://figment.com/books/555916-Blood-Stained-Laments

JASON'S QUEST... my first published short story!!

Many of you have heard the mythical tale of Jason and the Argonauts from Greek Mythology. For those who have not, the tale flows like this:

Pelias, the ancient king of Iolkos, overthrew his brother Aeson for the right to control all of Thessaly. Alcimede, Aeson's wife, feared for her infant son, Jason's, life so she hid him away with Chiron the centaur. Many years later after Jason had grown up, Jason returned to Iolkos to claim his place as rightful heir to the throne. Pelias told Jason that to claim the throne of Iolkos, he had to embark on a dangerous journey to obtain the famed Golden Fleece.

Jason set off aboard the Argo (hence Argonauts) with some of the bravest heroes in the land including Peleus, Heracles, and Castor and Pollux. The journey was indeed fraught with peril but along the way Jason received aid from unlikely sources. One of those sources, Medea, eventually became Jason's wife.

But the story of Jason and Medea does not end there. In fact their story is as magical as it is disturbing. Please do find Ovid's Metamorphosis and continue your reading.

*******

All of this is to say that... I have recently had my VERY FIRST short story published in an anthology named GREEK MYTHS REVISITED. My story is a retelling of the story I detailed above, entitled "JASON'S QUEST."

If you enjoy Greek Myths... please check out Greek Myths Revisited... and yours truly. A host of talented authors contributed to the book and it is fabulous.

Thank you for your support.

Artful Thursday: The Art of Love

"Cupid, draw back your bow
And let your arrow go

Straight to my lover's heart for me

for me"

Not many people know this, but the Greek God Eros has a contested origin. As a member of the Protogenoi, or "first born" Greek gods according to Hesiod's Theogony, Eros, or rather (love), was among the first entities or beings to ever come into existence... right alongside earth (Gaia),  sky (Uranus), day (Hemere) and night (Nyx). Love is a thread in the very fabric of our universe. Yes, the concept of Love and thus Eros... has been around since the very beginning... before any of the Olympians were even a butterfly's flutter in Rhea's womb.

The origin Eros is most commonly known for, however,  is being the son of Aphrodite (Greek Goddess of beauty, love, and desire) and Ares (Greek God of war and blood lust)... yeah, try figuring that one out... (all girls like a bad boy, I guess) His image as this particular Eros... more personified... less conceptual, is one he shares with his Roman counterpart, Cupid; equipped with wings,  a bow, and arrows that can make anyone fall in love... including himself (see Eros and Psyche and #5 below)

So as we anticipate celebrating Valentine's Day (more on that origin on Feb 14th) let us take a look at the deity that has been responsible for some of the deepest loves we've ever felt.

Artful Thursday: Raise Your Glass!

“Wine gives courage and makes men more apt for passion.” Ovid

“What is the definition of a good wine? It should start and end with a smile.”

 William Sokolin 

 “Wine is bottled poetry.” Robert Louis Stevenson
 
A great festival, Anthesteria, was held near mid-month of the ancient Greek lunar month of Anthesterion (roughly January to February) to honor Dionysus- the Greek God of Wine. It was a three day festival during which social order was cast aside, allowing slaves to enjoy the revelry. So it is with great pleasure that I present Dionysus as this week's Artful Thursday subject.

*Raise Your Glass*

Your Portal To The World Of Mythology

Even as I pursue my writing career, I would still like The Oracle and The Muse to be a resource for teachers, students, and enthusiasts. To that end, there are several resources and links I will index in this post and add to them as I discover new resources.

First and foremost, here are some fabulous websites to find great mythology material:

http://www.greekmythology.com/

http://www.mythweb.com/

http://www.theoi.com/

http://www.godchecker.com/

Want literature and texts concerning mythology

Ovid's Metamorphoses

Hesiod's Theogony

Herodotus' Histories

Homer's Iliad

Homer's Odyssey

Virgil's Aeneid

Want Lesson Plans and/ or worksheets and exercises

Teacher Reviewed and Approved Lesson Plans

WebEnglish Teacher/ Classical Mythology

MythWeb Teacher Resources

Teacher Planet/ Mythology

Mythology Coloring Pages

Thank you for stopping by The Oracle and The Muse. Do let me know if there is something I should add. And please tell me if you find this post useful.


~Ευχαριστούμε (Thank You)


Christopher S. Ledbetter

ARTFUL THURSDAY: Something Old, Something New...

"As to marriage or celibacy, let a man take which course he will, he will be sure to repent" ~Socrates

The ancient Greek lunar month of Gamelion, roughly modern January to February (post coming soon), is the the month in which Zeus and Hera got married. In fact, the greek word gamos γάμος means marriage in Greek... and so you see the root of the word in Gamelion. The celebration was held at Heraion on the island of Samos.

Let's see how the Zeus and Hera's tumultuous union has been portrayed, shall we.

ARTFUL THURSDAY: A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words- My Writing Process

I figured for this edition of Artful Thursday, I would give my readers and passersby a glimpse into my process. In this set of pics, I was writing a retelling of the Greek myth of Jason and Medea. In Ovid's Metamorphoses, that particular story is told primarily from Medea's point of view, and offered few details into Jason's mindset and his daunting labors in obtaining the Golden Fleece.

So, that's where I came in. I told it from Jason's pov and provided fast paced details of his grueling tasks, and threw a bit more fantasy in there. Right now the short story retelling of Jason's Quest for the Fleece is on submission. Cross your fingers for me.

ARTFUL THURSDAY: King Of The Gods- My, You've Aged Well!

Since November to December was the ancient Greek lunar month of Maimakterion, and since the principle deity worshiped during this month was Zeus... then HE is the subject of this week's Artful Thursday. From King of the Gods to boss of the video game God of War, Zeus has captured our imagination. All men have wanted to be him. All women have wanted to be with him, including those Zeus had to transform himself into animals in order to seduce... but that's fodder for another blog post.

Without further ado... Zeus!

And here's another wonderful rendition
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/194/e/a/Greek_god__Zeus_by_Alayna.jpg

Pyanopsion- The Ancient Greek Lunar Month of October - November

With Halloween in the rearview mirror and Thanksgiving just ahead, it is a great time to peer into past Greek festivals and celebrations.

PYANOPSION is the Ancient Greek lunar month of roughly October to November. The Greeks observed three major festivals during this time.

Thesmophoria, occuring from the 11th to the 13th of Pyanopsian, honored Demeter and her daughter Persephone. The festival celebrated the third of the year in which Demeter abstained from her Goddess of Harvest role in mourning of Persepone's return to the Underworld. Married Athenian women celebrated with a feast and ritualized bathing to promote fertility. Read more here.



Oschophoria was a wine-pressing festival honoring Dionysus. The Mysteries of Dionysus were also held. The biggest attraction was a procession where young men would carry vines still bearing grapes. Behind them, a chorus sang hyms to the God of the Vine. Read more here.

Apaturia commemorated a single combat between Melanthus, representing King Thymoetes of Attica, and King Xanthus of Boeotia, in which Melanthus successfully threw his adversary off his guard by crying that a man in a black goat skin (identified as Dionysus) was helping him. Zeus and Athena presided over this four day festival during which the revelry was so intense, that the fourth day was used simply to rest and recoup. Read more here.

Pyanopsia honored Apollo and was held in Athens. The Greek hero Theseus began this ritual by first honoring Apollo for his assistance in helping him defeat the legendary Minotaur.
For more on the minotaur, check out this post: Many Shades of Minotaur- Grabbing Art By The Horns