THE PELASGIAN CREATION MYTH

(Quoted Verbatim from the book of Robert Graves-The Greek Myths (Penguin)

In the beginning, Eurynome, the Goddess of All Things, rose naked from Chaos, but found nothing substantial for her feet to rest upon, and therefore divided the sea from the sky, dancing lonely upon its waves. She danced towards the south, and the wind set in motion behind her seemed something new and apart with which to begin a work of creation. Wheeling about, she caught hold of this north wind, rubbed it between her hands, and behold! the great serpent Ophion. Eurynome danced to warm herself, wildly and more wildly, until Ophion, grown lustful, coiled about those divine limbs and was moved to couple with her. Now, the North Wind, who is also called Boreas, fertilizes; which is why mares often turn their hind-quarters to the wind and breed foals without the aid of a stallion.(1) Eurynome was likewise got with child.


Next, she assumed the form of a dove, brooding on the waves and, in due process of time, laid the Universal Egg. At her bidding, Ophion coiled seven times about this egg, until it hatched and split in two. Out tumbled all things that exist, her children: sun, moon, planets, stars, the earth with its mountains and rivers, its trees, herbs and living creatures.


Eurynome and Ophion made their home upon Mount Olympus, where he vexed her by claiming to be the author of the Universe. Forthwith she bruised his head with her heel, kicked out his teeth, and banished him to the dark caves of below the earth.(2)


Next, the goddess created the seven planetary powers, setting a Titaness and a Titan over each. Theia and Hyperion for the Sun; Phoebe and Atlas for the Moon; Dione and Crius for the planet Mars; Metis and Coeus for the planet Mercury; Themis and Eurymedon for the planet Jupiter; Tethys and Oceanus for Venus; Rhea and Cronus for the planet Saturn.(3) But the first man was Pelasgus, ancestor of the Pelasgians; he sprang from the soils of Arcadia, followed by certain others, whom he taught to make huts and feed upon acorns, and sew pig-skin tunics such as poor folk still wear in Euboea and Phokis.(4)

References:
1. Pliny: Natural History iv.35 and viii. 67; Homer: Iliad xx, 223.

2. Apollonius Rhodius: Argonautica i. 496-505; Tzetzes: On Lycophron 1191

3. Homer: Iliad v. 898; Apollonius Rhodius: ii. 1232; Apollodorus: i. 1. 3.; Hesiod: Theogony 113; Stephanus of Byzantium sub Adana; Aristophanes: Birds 692 ff.; Clement of Rome: Homilies vi. 4. 72; Proclus on Plato’s Timaeus ii. P 307

4. Pausanias: viii. 1. 2.


My Notes and Perspectives


The Pelasgian Myth of Creation is the most archaic of all, precedes the Olympian one and, the most recent, the Christian Myth of Creation. Both the Pelasgian and the Olympian Myths are based on matriarchal archetypes; women were revered and were considered divine. I find this story most romantic of all stories on Creation, devoid of any malicious caprices and ill-intents. When Men discovered that coition is associated with child-bearing, the magic was gone. They became Kings, displacing Mother-Goddess. Wars ensued, human sacrificial rituals became the norm and the cycle of violence never ended since.


Eurynome, which means “wide wandering”, captures the primal element of wind as a means of fertilization and the snake, a phallic symbol in psychoanalytic terms, is not to be feared but it is treacherous. In fact, Zeus many a times takes the form of a snake and he was considered a benevolent protector of domiciles since the snake eats rats and mice.


In Neolithic times only seven planets were known and they each marked a day of the week in a lunar calendar. The Moon was appreciated more than the Sun since the three phases of the Moon (New, Full and Old) were associated with Maiden (spring), Nymph (summer) and Crone (winter).


The book of Robert Graves is a masterpiece, a “must read” for all those who would like to know about the continuity of Myths throughout the Ages and the similarities (and differences) between all ancient tribes that gave rise to such diverse cultures and peoples.


ZORAS

Paradise Lost- A short tale.

Paradise Lost

There he was, in a strange place, something like a lost paradise. A dim light was bashfully creeping through the evergreen dome, strong enough to reflect against the wind-shivering leaves of the perennial trees while a chorus of penetrating sunlight beams were forming a thin veil within which myriads of living beings and non-living debris mingled in an exotic dance-like swirl. He was standing there not knowing if he was dreaming and, thus, just observing or if he was really there. He felt that he only needed to think about it and he would miraculously be sitting on the tree branch next to that bird vested with a rainbow of colors and singing about the universal harmony; or next to that serpent that was trying to get across the red-brown pathway unnoticed, next to the water drop forming at the edge of a brightly green leaf and whose surface was forming a distorted image of this tiny universe.


He was there, in the middle of this intense play of matter with light when suddenly he heard the wind whispering to his ears: “Who are you and what are you doing here, did you happen to lose your way or is it that you seek truths?”


He felt flabbergasted, num and, for a moment, he stood immobile. He thought “…but there is nobody around to address my words to”. Collecting all his courage, he finally spoke: “It’s me who witnesses this miracle of life that would like to know why things are and how I would end up.”


Following these words, silence fell abruptly. He closed his eyes momentarily and when he realized what he just said, fear subjugated his soul. Everything seemed to have vanished and in their place the twilight split the horizon in two halves. Abruptly, the voice he has heard before, albeit this time more authoritative and stern, echoed in the air: “It seems that if one asks the questions then certainly he must also know the answers.”


He woke up way ahead of his alarm bell and that was his first win against this devilish machine, with an expression of query still painting his face. Nonetheless, he felt euphoric, ready to face any misery in his day ahead of him. He took his morning shower, letting the water slowly dropping, as if he has now gained a new environmental consciousness, had his morning coffee accompanied by his usual two cigarettes and fed his black cat, his only companion over the last three years. He started wearing his usual daily armor, now ready to face everyone archenemy, routine. As he was going out of his apartment complex, a pale-white construction indistinguishable from any other building around him, he unexpectedly became aware of the street silence and tidiness around him and somehow he felt uneasy. "Hmm! He said, new Mayor, new habits?" He then started pacing fast along the narrow, dark alley, as he has done every day for so long now, on his way to catch the early morning bus which stood idle, alarms blinking, waiting patiently for its regular morning customers to fill the void and fulfill its purpose in life.


The sound of squeaking tires interrupted the eerie silence, as if a horse has gone wild, the smell of burning rubber instantly has spread through the air and followed by a mute sound. He then saw a white, almost transparent light spreading in front of him and slowly erasing everything else around him. Instead, a thought has now occupied his mind that made absolute sense to him: “It does not make any sense asking all these whys when life has its own grand designs for each and every one of us.” And then, darkness covered all.

ZORAS, 2010

Eros and Love

Eros and Love: A didactic story


On a sizzling hot summer day, Eros, the flamboyant partner of Love, is resting his youthful body under the thick, body-hair-raising shadow of a fig tree, contemplating life. Suddenly, he turns to his lover who enjoys the blissful moment with him, and asks: “My Love, you who give meaning to my life, who make me surrender to your wishes like my body surrenders to sleep, who govern my every move and unconditionally offer your light to me like the sun offers his light to the moon, why did you choose me as your partner-in-life, as your benevolent half when it is true you can find hospice in any person’s heart as easily as the water finds its way down a river slope?”

On her angelic face a Giaconda-like smile is formed and after a minute moment of silence she replies: “Oh! Foolish you…my one and only match, look at this mirror and tell me what do you see?”

Eros, surprised as he was by her answer nevertheless does what she asks of him. The shining reflection of his face is now in front of him and, dazzled by his image, he speaks anxiously: “I see my shining face and wonder if this glow is mine or yours, I see the thunder in my eyes and wonder how long can this last, I see my lips, red as your cheeks and thirsty for your kisses and fear the day you may deny to kiss me anymore”.

Now, her body slightly shivers, her face takes the serenity of the faithful when they pray and she speaks with a whispering but firm tone: “The lightning in the clouds forms rain for thirsty earth, the rushing water shapes the rocks in the river banks, the wind pollinates seemingly estranged and distanced flowers and fire destroys life so life can spring anew. You are my lightning, my water, my wind and fire. Without you I would be as lonely as a star, as empty as the space, as vain as your image in this mirror. Look again, my lover, and tell me if you see any of me in this reflection! And if you do, that is why I chose you.”

ZORAS

Dedicated to my daughter… a breath of fresh air in mid-summer heat.