Download 7. Selene/Luna Selene at a Glance name | Selene (Selhnh) role

7. Selene/Luna
Selene at a Glance
name | Selene (Selhnh)
role | goddess of the moon
Selene was the Greek goddess of the Moon. According to the poet Hesiod, Selene was the daughter of the
Titans Theia and Hyperion, making the goddess the sister of Helios (the Sun) and Eos (the Dawn).
However, other ancient sources claim that she was the child of Pallas and Euryphaessa.
Regardless of her ancestry, Selene, as the personification of the Moon, was an influential goddess.
One of her best known myths involves the handsome Endymion. The moon-goddess fell in love with this
mortal, and she therefore engaged in an affair with Endymion that resulted in the birth of fifty daughters.
But Endymion was, alas, human, and so susceptible to aging and eventually death. Selene could not bear
the thought of this cruel fate. According to one version of the myth, she made certain that Endymion would
remain eternally youthful by casting a spell that would cause him to sleep forever. In this way, Endymion
would always live, sleeping through the ages.
It is also important to note that some Classical authors identified Selene with the Olympian goddess
Artemis (indeed, in time Artemis was increasingly recognized as a moon goddess in her own right).
Selene was important enough to the ancient Greeks to inspire a Homeric Hymn. The Hymn to Selene
describes the beauty and power of the goddess of the moon.
Homeric Hymn to Selene
"Muses, sweet-speaking daughters of Zeus Kronides
and mistresses of song, sing next of long-winged Moon!
From her immortal head a heaven-sent glow
envelops the earth and great beauty arises
under its radiance. From her golden crown the dim air
is made to glitter as her rays turn night to noon,
whenever bright Selene, having bathed her beautiful skin
in the Ocean, put on her shining rainment
and harnessed her proud-necked and glittering steeds,
swiftly drives them on as their manes play
with the evening, dividing the months. Her great orbit is full
and as she waxes a most brilliant light appears
in the sky. Thus to mortals she is a sign and a token."
Selene was called Luna in Roman mythology.
http://www.loggia.com/myth/selene.html
Selene (sulē'nē) [key], in Greek mythology and mythology, moon goddess; daughter of the Titans Hyperion
and Theia and sister of the sun god Helios. There was no known moon cult among the Greeks, but Selene
was a significant figure in Greek poetry and sorcery and was often identified with Hecate and Artemis.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
Endymion and Selene
Endymion was a legendary character in Greek mythology. The details of his compelling legend have
inspired art, poetry, and literature over the centuries. And the reason we enjoy Endymion's tale is obvious it is an unconventional love story. For in myth, Endymion was a remarkably handsome mortal man who
caught the eye of a goddess.
There a several subtle variations about the life of Endymion. Some sources suggest that he was a king of
Elis, while other ancient authorities claim that he was a Carian. However, these different versions of
Endymion's ancestry are much less important than the part of the myth that matters most, which is, of
course, his relationship with the goddess Selene.
According to the myth, Selene, the eternally beautiful goddess of the Moon, gazed upon Endymion and fell
madly in love with him. It is said that in time Selene bore the handsome mortal fifty daughters. Scholars
have suggested that the number of daughters is symbolic, with each daughter possibly representing an
individual month of an Olympiad.
Certainly, the story of a mortal and an immortal engaging in a legendary affair is interesting enough, but
there is even more to this intriguing tale. It is important to remember that, as a mortal, Endymion was
subject to the fate that we all share - aging and eventual death. However, the Greek gods and goddesses did
not age and die. Instead, the gods of Greece remained young and beautiful for all time. The relationship
between Endymion and Selene, therefore, faced some serious problems. Selene came up with a solution to
this dilemma. According to one version of the myth, the goddess of the Moon cast a spell on her lover,
making him sleep forever. In this state of eternal slumber, Endymion kept both his youth and his good
looks. http://www.loggia.com/myth/endymion.html
You need to find evidence for this allusion in the novel. List your evidence (quotations) followed by
commentary/analysis of its significance. Be sure to cite correctly.
Evidence
Commentary