Mythology – Page 11 – The Book of Threes

Posted on April 9, 2006July 19, 2019 by 3 — Leave a comment

Hesperides

The Hesperides, the Nymphs of the Setting Sun, were the three sisters who lived in the extreme west near the edge of the ocean at the foot of Mount Olympus. Their primary purpose was to guard Hera’s garden where the golden apples grew. After Hercules successfully carried away the golden apples, they were turned into trees. Melville here refers to the painting by Renaissance artist Fra Angelico, The Garden of the Hesperides. Melville recalls the classical beauty of Fra Angelico’s painting.

Posted on April 9, 2006December 5, 2015 by 3 — Leave a comment

Chimera

In Greek mythology, the Chimera (Greek Χιμαιρα, Khimaira; Latin Chimæra) is a monstrous creature made of the parts of multiple animals. Chimera was one of the offspring of Typhon and Echidna. Descriptions vary – some say it had the body of a goat, the tail of a snake or dragon and the head of a lion, though others say it had heads of both the goat and lion, with a snake for a tail. All descriptions, however, agree that it breathed fire from one or more of its heads.

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Posted on February 13, 2006March 9, 2014 by 3 — Leave a comment

Pursued by the Furies by William-Adolphe Bouguereau

1862 William-Adolphe Bouguereau - The Remorse of Orestes or Orestes Pursued by the Furies

1862 William-Adolphe Bouguereau – Orestes Pursued by the Furies – Cllick to Enlarge

The three Furies in Greek mythology. The Erinnyes (also spelled Erinyes) were “the Angry Ones”, known as the Furies in Roman. They were the feared avenging goddesses in Greek and Roman mythology who were born from the falling drops of blood of Uranus (Sky) when he was mutilated by his son, the Titan Cronus. The drops fell on Mother Earth (Gaea) and impregnated her.

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