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Allusions in “Personal Helicon”
Helicon:
Helicon in Greek Mythology
Helicon is the name of a large mountain in Boeotia (Boeotia is a region in central Greece). This lofty peak so impressed the
ancient Greeks that they believed Helicon was a sacred site selected and favored by the gods and goddesses. Indeed, the nine
goddesses known as Muses were especially fond of Mount Helicon. The Muses - those divine spirits of inspiration - were linked
with Helicon in Greek mythology, poetry, and literature.
The ancient Greek poet Hesiod pays homage to the Muses and Helicon (their preferred heavenly haunt) in the first lines of his
famous work, the Theogony:
"I begin my song with the Heliconian Muses;
they have made Helicon, the great god-haunted mountain,
their domain; their soft feet move in the dance that rings
the violet-dark spring and the altar of mighty Zeus.
They bathe their lithe bodies in the water of Permessos
or of Hippocrene or of god-haunted Olmeios.
On Helicon's peak they join hands in lovely dances
and their pounding feet awaken desire."
(Hesiod, Theogony, 1-8)
There was a sanctuary dedicated to the Muses on Helicon. This sanctuary has several intriguing and noteworthy features,
including a temple and works of sculpture devoted to the lovely goddesses who shared their divine gifts with mortals.
In addition to the sanctuary of the Muses, Helicon also boasts another important feature - the Hippocrene spring. It was
believed that this legendary spring was a source of poetic inspiration, and it is worth mentioning that this body of water also
inspired its own myth. For in mythology, the Hippocrene spring was created when the winged horse Pegasus aimed his hoof at
a rock, striking it with such force that the spring burst from the spot.
From Mythography:
(http://www.loggia.com/myth/helicon.html)
Michael Longley:
One of Northern Ireland’s foremost contemporary poets, Michael Longley is renowned for the quiet beauty of his
compact, meditative lyrics. Known for using classical allusions to cast provocative light on contemporary
concerns—including Northern Ireland’s “Troubles”—Longley’s poetry is also marked by sharp observation of the
natural world, deft use of technique, and deeply felt emotion.
From the Poetry Foundation:
(https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poets/detail/michael-longley)
Narcissus:
Narcissus, in Greek mythology, was the son of the river god Cephissus and the nymph Liriope. He was
distinguished for his beauty. According to Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Book III, Narcissus’s mother was told by the
blind seer Tiresias that he would have a long life, provided he never recognized himself. However, his rejection of
the love of the nymph Echo or (in an earlier version) of the young man Ameinias drew upon him the vengeance of
the gods. He fell in love with his own reflection in the waters of a spring and pined away.
From Encyclopedia Britannica
(https://www.britannica.com/topic/Narcissus-Greek-mythology)