Bonus #artAdventCalendar: For the first day of winter, it’s the myth of Persephone. This is a linocut of the Greek myth of Persephone. The ancient Greek goddess Persephone, beloved daughter of Demeter was kidnapped by Hades, god of the underworld, and taken to his home where she was tempted with many delicious items. The pomegranate proved the most irresistible and sealed her fate. 🧵
This is my linocut of the Greek myth of Persephone holding an opened pomegranate. The block was inked 'à la poupée', with different colours applied directly to a single block. Persephone is deep indigo, with red pomegranate, lips and poppy and golden wheat.
A screen shot of a social media post by user “girliesinnermonologue” reads: “Did the name Odysseus already exist before the Odyssey? Or was Homer just like ‘This is my new book *The Journey* and our hero’s name… Journathan.’”
This is another toot I’ve posted before, but again, this is my first #BandcampFriday and stories are cool.
Part 1 - DAEDALUS
Daedalus, according to Greek Mythology is the founder of carpentry, father of Icarus, and a renowned craftsman and inventor, among other things.
After attempting to murder his nephew in a bout of jealousy by trying to throw him down from The Acropolis, he fled Athens and found refuge in Crete.
The King of Crete, King Minos, welcomed him, hoping to employ his extraordinary craftsman skills.
In other news, Poseidon, god of the sea, was keen for some good, old fashioned animal sacrifice. He gifted a bull to King Minos to sacrifice, but the King thought he’d keep this awesome specimen, and instead sacrificed a less impressive bull from his own stock. Poseidon lost his shit, as Greek gods often did, and put a curse on the Kings wife, Pasiphaë, that would cause her to lust for the Bull he had gifted her husband.
So Daedalus turns up and the queen asks him to build a cow suit.
And he does.
So she does.
And then Pasiphaë gives birth to the Minotaur, half man, half bull.
King Minos loses his shit this time, as the Kings of Ancient Greece often did, and ordered Daedalus to build the Labyrinth to imprison the Minotaur. Then, Daedalus, and his son Icarus were themselves imprisoned in a tower, as they would not be allowed to leave with knowledge of the queens escapades and the Labyrinth.
It was here, in the prison tower, that Daedalus would build the wings for Icarus and himself, and conceived plans to escape the tower and fly away from Crete, across the sea, to freedom.
Icarus looked over his wings, as his father, Daedalus, tightened the leather straps that held them on.
They had been planning this moment for months. They’ve been collecting the feathers, treating their candle wax, building the wings and keeping them concealed from the guards. Daedalus, now double-checking the straps of his own wings, indicated to Icarus to ascend the final flight of stairs to the tower roof, and followed behind him, carefully making sure their wings don’t catch on anything.
The sun was high. Icarus squinted as they came onto the roof. The ocean sparkled as the breeze rippled the water. Icarus could hear the waves faintly beneath the sounds of the guards enjoying their lunch below. They’ll be distracted, unlikely to look up from their food.
Daedalus turns his son to face him. Suddenly a guitar riff is playing. Icarus is concerned that the guards have discovered their scheme. Fear fills his eyes. Daedalus holds him firm, nodding slightly to the beat of the riff.
His father breaks into song, and Icarus realises he’s in a musical.
Listen to track one of this two-track single, a song about the advice Daedalus gives his son, Icarus, before continuing with the thread.