#ancientbard

[lockettopia]

"The Death of Eurydice" (#2 in my Orpheus and Eurydice series)

But the three Moirai (fates) weave and cut their strings of mortal’s destinies, and this love was not destined to last. Dancing barefoot upon the forest floor with the nymphs, Eurydice was bitten by a venomous snake and tragically died. Orpheus played such music of melancholy mourning as to make the trees bow and weep.

The Latin poet Virgil gives a lush description of lament from his poem, “Georgicks:”…“But the choir of sister Dryads filled the tops of the mountains with their cries: the rooks of Rhodope wept, and high Pangaea, and the martial land of Rhesus, and the Getae, and Hebrus, and Attic Orithyia. He assuaging his love-sick mind with his hollow lyre, lamented thee, sweet wife, thee on the solitary shore, thee when day approached, thee when it disappeared.” (-translated by John Martyn.)

We have multiple sources giving variations recounting Eurydice’s death. According to Ovid, she was walking along the riverside with her sister dryad nymphs, while Vergil has her escaping a rape attempt by another son of Apollo; a pastoral god named Aristaeus. But the authors agree that her death results from the bite of a poisonous viper.

As always, thanks for looking! And if you could share this post with your followers I'd be so grateful as to rescue you from the pits of tartarus with only my lyre. :D xoxo

we should also add this kickstarter info at the end of every post: 

Like this art? It will be in my illustrated book with over 130 other full page illustrations coming in march to kickstarter. Please check my links in my linktree in my bio to join the kickstarter notification page. 🤟❤️🏛

Coming soon: Lockett Illustrated: Greek Gods and Heroes

Enter a world of magic, romance, and adventure quests in my first book, "Lockett Illustrated: Greek Gods and Heroes" Coming EARLY 2024

[lockettopia]

"The Gate to Hades" (part 3 in my Orpheus and Eurydice series)

Part3: But Orpheus is not satisfied to sit in solitary mourning. There was a great injustice in the death of his love Eurydice. If the beasts and rocks of the wild woods of Olympia bow before his song, what is to stop him for persuading the spirits of the underworld? Perhaps he can even persuade the King Hades to take pity on him and his lost love. With this determination, he receives directions to the dark gate from the forest nymphs and sets out. Many days later, standing before that gaping black maw, Orpheus shivers. He might never return to the land of the living. He steps forward. He has nothing left to lose.

In Greek literary sources we have varying references to the location of the entrance to underworld. In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus must travel to Hades to  perform a “Nekyia” ceremony to commune with the dead to receive prophecies. Circe gives Odysseus the vaguest of directions; “…once your ship has crossed flowing Ocean, drag it ashore at Persephone’s groves, on the level beach where tall poplars grow, willows shed their fruit, right beside deep swirling Oceanus.  Then you must go to Hades’ murky home, where Periphlegethon and Cocytus, a stream which branches off theriver Styx, flow into Acheron.” – translation by Ian Johnston.

Some scholars believe Homer’s description of the location is based on the real-world temple of the “Nekromanteion” (oracle of the dead) in Ancient Epirus (Northwest Greece). This was a temple of necromancy dedicated to Hades and Persephone where devotees could commune with dead spirits, and was believed to be the entrance to Hades. The temple was located at the meeting point of three rivers; the Acheron (river of woe), Pyriphlegethon (river of fire), and Cocytus (river of lamentation).

Thanks for reading and looking! If you share this image I'll swim the river styx to.give you a high five! Xoxo

Like this art? It will be in my illustrated book with over 130 other full page illustrations coming in march to kickstarter. Please check my links in my linktree in my bio to join the kickstarter notification page. 🤟❤️🏛

Coming soon: Lockett Illustrated: Greek Gods and Heroes

Enter a world of magic, romance, and adventure quests in my first book, "Lockett Illustrated: Greek Gods and Heroes" Coming EARLY 2024

[lockettopia]

ARGONAUTICA series 6: "Harpies and the Clashing Rocks"

Book 2 begins with the crew docking upon the coast of the Bebrykians, where king Amykos, with outrageous arrogance, challenges the best argonaut to a brutal boxing match. Polydeuks (son of Zeus, and twin half-brother to Castor) rises to meet the challenge. The men wrap their fists with dried leather thongs, and rush headlong into fierce combat. The warriors exchange brutal blows until finally, Polydeukes sizing up the kings weaknesses, delivers the fatal blow, shattering the bones in the kings head. The warriors on both sides rush into battle, the argonauts fighting like wild wolves, and the Bebrykians finally scattering like bees from smoke.

 The following day the Argo sails out through the Bosporos strait where the ship Helmsman, Tiphys, overcomes a giant wave. Here they put in at the Thynian coast where they meet the pitiful King Phineus, who had been given the power of prophecy by Apollo. But having revealed too much truth to mankind, Zeus cursed the king, taking away his eyesight, lengthening his lifespan, and ever hounded by the terrifying Harpies,(half-bird half-human creatures) that descend from the clouds to steal the kings food as he eats, leaving behind a rank odor that spoils everyones appetites. Here the argonaut twin heroes Zetes and Kalais, (twin sons of Boreas, the North wind) with their black wings on their temples and feet, flew after the harpies chasing them away forever, thus saving the king from his curse.

 In appreciation, Phineus warns the men of the deadly passage through the dark, clashing rocks, advising them to send a dove through first, to test the timing. The following day the men journey through the clashing rocks, using the dove, and with Athena’s aid, barely escape death.

Like this art? It will be in my illustrated book with over 130 other full page illustrations coming in march to kickstarter. Please check my links in my linktree in my bio to join the kickstarter notification page. 🤟❤️🏛

Coming soon: Lockett Illustrated: Greek Gods and Heroes

Enter a world of magic, romance, and adventure quests in my first book, "Lockett Illustrated: Greek Gods and Heroes" Coming EARLY 2024

[lockettopia]

"The Gate to Hades" (part 3 in my Orpheus and Eurydice series)

Part3: But Orpheus is not satisfied to sit in solitary mourning. There was a great injustice in the death of his love Eurydice. If the beasts and rocks of the wild woods of Olympia bow before his song, what is to stop him for persuading the spirits of the underworld? Perhaps he can even persuade the King Hades to take pity on him and his lost love. With this determination, he receives directions to the dark gate from the forest nymphs and sets out. Many days later, standing before that gaping black maw, Orpheus shivers. He might never return to the land of the living. He steps forward. He has nothing left to lose.

In Greek literary sources we have varying references to the location of the entrance to underworld. In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus must travel to Hades to  perform a “Nekyia” ceremony to commune with the dead to receive prophecies. Circe gives Odysseus the vaguest of directions; “…once your ship has crossed flowing Ocean, drag it ashore at Persephone’s groves, on the level beach where tall poplars grow, willows shed their fruit, right beside deep swirling Oceanus.  Then you must go to Hades’ murky home, where Periphlegethon and Cocytus, a stream which branches off theriver Styx, flow into Acheron.” – translation by Ian Johnston.

Some scholars believe Homer’s description of the location is based on the real-world temple of the “Nekromanteion” (oracle of the dead) in Ancient Epirus (Northwest Greece). This was a temple of necromancy dedicated to Hades and Persephone where devotees could commune with dead spirits, and was believed to be the entrance to Hades. The temple was located at the meeting point of three rivers; the Acheron (river of woe), Pyriphlegethon (river of fire), and Cocytus (river of lamentation).

Thanks for reading and looking! If you share this image I'll swim the river styx to.give you a high five! Xoxo

Like this art? It will be in my illustrated book with over 130 other full page illustrations coming in march to kickstarter. Please check my links in my linktree in my bio to join the kickstarter notification page. 🤟❤️🏛

Coming soon: Lockett Illustrated: Greek Gods and Heroes

Enter a world of magic, romance, and adventure quests in my first book, "Lockett Illustrated: Greek Gods and Heroes" Coming EARLY 2024

[lockettopia]

"The Death of Eurydice" (#2 in my Orpheus and Eurydice series)

But the three Moirai (fates) weave and cut their strings of mortal’s destinies, and this love was not destined to last. Dancing barefoot upon the forest floor with the nymphs, Eurydice was bitten by a venomous snake and tragically died. Orpheus played such music of melancholy mourning as to make the trees bow and weep.

The Latin poet Virgil gives a lush description of lament from his poem, “Georgicks:”…“But the choir of sister Dryads filled the tops of the mountains with their cries: the rooks of Rhodope wept, and high Pangaea, and the martial land of Rhesus, and the Getae, and Hebrus, and Attic Orithyia. He assuaging his love-sick mind with his hollow lyre, lamented thee, sweet wife, thee on the solitary shore, thee when day approached, thee when it disappeared.” (-translated by John Martyn.)

We have multiple sources giving variations recounting Eurydice’s death. According to Ovid, she was walking along the riverside with her sister dryad nymphs, while Vergil has her escaping a rape attempt by another son of Apollo; a pastoral god named Aristaeus. But the authors agree that her death results from the bite of a poisonous viper.

As always, thanks for looking! And if you could share this post with your followers I'd be so grateful as to rescue you from the pits of tartarus with only my lyre. :D xoxo

Like this art? It will be in my illustrated book with over 130 other full page illustrations coming in march to kickstarter. Please check my links in my linktree in my bio to join the kickstarter notification page. 🤟❤️🏛

Coming soon: Lockett Illustrated: Greek Gods and Heroes

Enter a world of magic, romance, and adventure quests in my first book, "Lockett Illustrated: Greek Gods and Heroes" Coming EARLY 2024

[hapfairy]

sahtiwaari replied to your photo: Yay! Thank you postman! The album is really good,...

Agreed there! Haven’t really been a fan of them in the past but I love their new album!!!

It's great, I really need to get tickets to their concert!

ancientbard replied to your photo: Yay! Thank you postman! The album is really good,...

cool necklace :)

Thank you ^_^ I'm a bit of an ankh fan considering there's a lot of them in Discworld and Death always wears one in Sandman. Neil Gaiman noticed it when I went to his signing and I was so happy :D

[voorwaarts]

ancientbard replied to your post “i hate when people use “i’m busy” as an excuse for not doing things ...”

I've had this problem with friends in the past. They could never make time for me but they could for other things/people. Needless to say I stopped contacting them after a while.

yeah it's very frustrating and i'm never sure at what point i should give up