The Day of Love and Friendship It is a date that many celebrate and in which they demonstrate, either with gifts or going to a restaurant, how much they love the other person. In addition, many are inspired by the most famous loves that have ever existed.
Love transcends borders and it can be reflected up to the stars themselves, it is because in this FinD delivery We tell you about those loves that have broken boundaries and have remained in the imagination as great romantic archetypes.
The abduction of Europe
In Phenicia lived the beautiful princess europe, daughter of King Agénor and Queen Telefasa. She was the sister of: Cadmus, who brought the alphabet to the Greeks and Cilix, who gave its name to Cilicia, today Armenia.
One day, the father of the gods sees Europa and falls in love with her. Zeus knowing that he would be rejected, he turns into a bull and mixes with King Agénor’s cattle. One day, Europa was picking flowers and approached the bull Zeus, and seeing that he was tame, she got on him. Zeus took advantage of her opportunity and fled, carrying Europa on his shoulders.
They arrived at the island of Crete, where Zeus and Europa had three children. Some time later Europa became queen when she married the Cretan king Asterion.
The constellation Taurus represents Zeus, while the continent is an eponym for the Phoenician princess.
The Eagle
The young prince Ganymede, A native of Troy, he was herding his cattle on Mount Ida, in Phrygia, today Turkey, when he was seen by Zeus who fell in love with him. Zeus turned into an eagle to kidnap the prince. Some time later, Zeus appointed him a pourer, his task was to serve wine and water to the gods, since he had left Hebe to marry Heracles (Hercules).
In the starry sky, the constellation of the Eagle represents Zeus and that of Aquarius (the water bearer) represents Ganymede.
The death of Eurydice
Orpheus He was admired for his music that he played with his lyre, even the beasts stopped to listen to him. Orpheus He married Eurydice with whom he was very in love. One day, Aristaeus tries to kidnap Eurydicebut she manages to flee and in her race she runs into a snake that bites her and Eurydice dies of poisoning.
Orpheus Heartbroken, he goes down to the underworld, where the dead live, to ask Hades (Pluto for the Romans) and his wife Persephone, for the return of his beloved to life.
On their way, Orpheus He encounters the Cerberus dog, a three-headed guard dog, but his music calms him and Orpheus continue. Once before Hades and Persephonetheir music moves them and allows Eurydice to return to the world of the living.
But there is a condition, Eurydice She will walk behind Orpheus without him being able to see her until she has left the underworld. Otherwise, she will return to death forever. Once on the way, Orpheus is distraught, not knowing if Eurydice is following him; he thinks that she could have been the victim of a deception. As soon as Orpheus comes into the light, he turns to see Eurydice, who had placed just one foot outside of her but there was no greeting at all. Then Orpheus sees her sinking into the shadows helplessly. The myth reminds us that no matter how much we want it, we cannot bring anyone back from death. Orpheus mourns his beloved, and moved Zeus raises Orpheus’ lyre among the stars, as a sign of the love of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Delfino
Poseidon, the god of the seas and brother of Zeus, named Neptune by the Romans, was in love with the Nereid Amphitrite and wanted to marry her. But Amphitrite refused, and at Poseidon’s insistence, she flees to hide from him. Then Poseidon sends several animals to look for her. Delfino, a dolphin, finds her and convinces her of her marriage. In gratitude, Poseidon raised him to the sky as the constellation of the Dolphin.
Andromeda and Perseus
The Nereids, beautiful nymphs of the sea, they formed the procession of the god of the seas. One day they ask Poseidon to avenge the offense of Cassiopeia, who claimed that she, or in another version her daughter Andromeda, was more beautiful than the Nereids.
Then Poseidon protects the honor of the Nereids, sending the monster Cetus to destroy Jopa, the town ruled by Cepheus and Cassiopeia.
The salvation of Joppa was possible if Andromeda was offered as a sacrifice to Cetus. Although they refused at first, Cepheus and Cassiopeia agree to avoid annihilation. They chain Andromeda to a rock and she waits for Cetus.
At that moment, it flies over the placer Perseuswho had just killed Medusa, a monster with snake hair and a petrifying look.
Perseus flew with winged shoes given by Hermes (Mercury). Upon seeing Andromeda, Perseus falls in love with her and goes down to ask for her hand. Upon learning what was happening, Cetus appears and about to take Andromeda away, Perseus takes out the head of Medusa and shows it to the monster, which at one glance turns into stone and sinks into the sea, creating corals.
Perseus and Andromeda They married and had seven children, the Perseids. Among them is Perses, who according to mythology, gave rise to the Persians (Iranians).
In the autumn sky the constellations of Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Andromeda, Perseus, Cetus (the whale) and the winged horse Pegasus, born from the blood of Medusa.
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The big bear
The huntress Callisto, as part of Artemis’s courtship, had taken a vow of chastity. One day, when he was bathing in the river, Zeus was impressed by her beauty and fell in love with her. As a result, Calisto became pregnant. Months later, Callisto was bathing in the river when Artemis arrived with her entourage and upon seeing her pregnancy, she complained that he had broken her vow and expelled her.
Hera, wife of Zeus, finds out about the infidelity and decides to punish Callisto by turning her into a bear, so that she will never again be admired by Zeus. In another version of the myth, Zeus turned her into a bear, to hide her from Hera.
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One day, Arkas, son of Zeus and Callisto, being a young hunter, sees the tracks of the bear and follows them to hunt him. Zeus finds out about the tragedy that was about to happen and tells Arkas the truth about his mother. Zeus fearing that someone will harm Callisto, he raises her to the sky as the constellation of the Big Dipper and to accompany her, he raises her son Arkas to the sky as the Little Dipper. german@astropuebla.org