Following is the translation by Apostolos Athanassakis and Benjamin M. Wolkow, of the Orphic hymn to Melinoe, presenting Melinoe as the daughter of Zeus and Persephone: I call upon Melinoe, saffron-cloaked nymph of the earth,whom revered Persephone bore by the mouth of the Kokytos riverupon the sacred bed ofKronianZeus.In the guise of Plouton Zeus and tricked Persephone and through wiley plots bedded her;a two-bodied specter sprang forth from Persephone's fury.This specter drives mortals to madness with her airy apparitionsas she appears in weird shapes and strange forms,now plain to the eye, now shadowy, now shining in the darknessall this in unnerving attacks in the gloom of night.O goddess, O queen of those below, I beseech youto banish the soul's frenzy to the ends of the earth,show to the initiates a kindly and holy face. She was either the daughter of Hades and Persephone or of Persephone and Zeus. In the conception of Melinoe above, Persephone bears her by the shores of the Cocytus, but strangely at the same time in the bed of Zeus Kronion, which here translates to the king son of Kronos, which could also be Hades. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She was always closer to her adopted father than her true-blooded mother, the goddess of spring, Persephone. Both parentages affirm that Melinoe is not only born but conceived at the mouth of either theCocytus or the Acheron, one of the rivers of theunderworld, whereHermesin hisunderworld aspectaspsychopompwas stationed. Because of her parentage, Melinoe was closely associated with the dead. Many therefore believe that Melinoe could be an epithet for the goddess of witchcraft. So Melinoe was a combination of the good and the bad parts. She'll gain +1 penetration for each god/goddess that isn't near her. Other Significant Other(s): Two of whom he shares with his wife, while the others mother is not mentioned in the literature. O goddess, O queen of those below, I beseech you. If it is not meant to be interpreted this way, then why bother going to all the trouble of saying that Zeus had to take Hades form to conceive the child? They were each tethered to an object, bound for eternity to guard, Read more, Singers have souls tied to all things that grow on the earth. In some myths, Hecate is said to lead an entourage of the Lampades, the nymphs of the Underworld. The king of the court of the Oneroi was he was someone she feared as he had the power to destroy her nightmares if they grew beyond her control, creatures she loved and nurtured. At the time Zeus was in the Underworld and the brothers, Zeus and Hades, were considered two souls in one body. It is said that she was able to change in different forms so she can scare mortals. King of the Dead and the Subterranean Regions. Oedipus Rex The tragic life of Oedipus and his family, Read More Fate in Antigone: The Red String That Ties ItContinue, Your email address will not be published. Macaria - Wikipedia Melinoe | Wiki | Hellenistic Polytheism Amino Melino is often regarded as being the daughter of Zeus as is explained in the hymn's mentioning that Melino has traits from Zeus. IntroGreeceHomerThe IliadThe OdysseyHesiodWorks and DaysTheogonyAesopAesops FablesSapphoHymn to AphroditePindarOlympic Ode 1Pythian Ode 1AeschylusThe PersiansThe SuppliantsSeven Against ThebesAgamemnonThe Libation BearersThe EumenidesThe Oresteia TrilogyPrometheus BoundSophoclesAjaxAntigoneThe TrachiniaeOedipus the KingElectraPhiloctetesOedipus at ColonusEuripidesAlcestisMedeaHeracleidaeHippolytusAndromacheHecubaThe SuppliantsElectraHeraclesThe Trojan WomenIphigenia in TaurisIonHelenThe Phoenician WomenThe BacchaeOrestesIphigenia at AulisCyclopsAristophanesThe AcharniansThe KnightsThe CloudsThe WaspsPeaceThe BirdsLysistrataThesmophoriazusaeThe FrogsEcclesiazusaePlutus (Wealth)MenanderDyskolos (The Grouch)Apollonius of RhodesArgonauticaRomeCatullusPasser, deliciae meae puellae (Catullus 2)Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus (Catullus 5)Miser Catulle, desinas ineptire (Catullus 8)Odi et amo (Catullus 85)VergilThe Bucolics (Eclogues)The GeorgicsThe AeneidHoraceCarmen Saeculare (Song of the Ages)Ars Poetica (The Art of Poetry)Tu ne quaesieris (Odes 1-11)Nunc est bibendum (Odes 1-37)OvidAmoresArs AmatoriaHeroidesMetamorphosesSeneca the YoungerMedeaPhaedraHercules Furens (The Mad Hercules)Troades (The Trojan Women)AgamemnonOedipusApocolocyntosisThyestesPhoenissae (The Phoenician Women)LucanPharsalia (De Bello Civili)JuvenalSatire IIISatire VISatire XPliny the YoungerEpistulae VI.16 and VI.20Epistulae X.96OtherEpic of GilgameshThe BibleBeowulfTimelineA-Z AuthorsAll WorksAll CharactersSourcesBlog. Macaria is known to be the Goddess of Blessed Death. Their supreme god was the Queen of the Underworld, Persephone, and many of the well-known Olympians paid minimal attention to their hymns and inscriptions. In Greek mythology, many gods and goddesses are associated with the dead and the death, but Melinoe was different from the rest. Melinoe - The First Age [2] Required fields are marked *. The name Melinoe means the one with a dark mind and there could not have been a more appropriate name for her given the conditions and the place of her birth. Melinoe Her left arm appears to be spectral with a green glow and her skeleton can be seen within it, indicating that she might have lost it at one point or was born with this feature. Melione's actions are said to be the reason why dogs bark at nothing at night. According to myth, she was the daughter of Persephone and Zeus, who visited her in the disguise of Plouton. Wronged by the living, they sought vengeance by spreading fear and madness. Her right side is pale and chalky as if she had lost all of her blood, and her left side is black and stiffened like a mummy. In contrast to Thanatos, who is the personification of death, Macaria is more merciful. Daughter of Poseidon: Is She as Powerful as His Father? Melino Triptolemus Trophonius v t e Hecate or Hekate [a] is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, snakes, or accompanied by dogs, [1] and in later periods depicted as three-formed or triple-bodied. If so, this depicts Hecate in a role as a goddess of both justice and madness affiliated with the Underworld. Where flows the mournful river Cocytus, he beguiled the daughter of the Earth. Zeus (Uncle) Melinoe, to Percy in The Sword of Hades. All that we know about Melinoe is through the Orphic Hymns.