Leda was famously seduced by Zeus when the king of the Olympian gods took the form of a swan. Pasiphae, Wife of King Minos: Mythology & Family | Who was Pasiphae? Benvenuto Cellini made a medallion, now in Vienna, early in his career, and Antonio Abondio one on the obverse of a medal celebrating a Roman courtesan. Of these daughters of Leda, only Timandra may have had children; some tellings of this familys contributions and acts indicate that Timandra and Phyleus sire a boy named Ladocus. Leda was the daughter of King Thestius of Pleuron in Aetolia. [15], The last very famous Renaissance painting of the subject is Correggio's elaborate composition of c. 1530 (Berlin); this too was damaged whilst in the collection of Philippe II, Duke of Orlans, the Regent of France in the minority of Louis XV. This second version is more typical of the Baroque style and the Rubenesque figure which would become the artists trademark. The earliest depictions show the pair love-making with some explicitnessmore so than in any depictions of a human pair made by artists of high quality in the same period. Discover how Leda and the Swan inspired art and literary works. Yes, according to Greek myth, Leda was impregnated by Zeus when he was in the form of a swan. So mastered by the brute blood of the air. Hephaestus & Aphrodite Marriage & Myth | Why Did Aphrodite Marry Hephaestus? She Helen of Troy, the woman whose beauty sparked the outbreak of the Trojan War. Jord, Norse Earth Goddess | Mythology, Family & Names, Belenus Mythology, Cult & Facts | The Celtic God of Fire. Web. When Zeus saw this he considered it a chance and impregnated Leda. Helen is also sometimes excluded from the story, and described as the daughter of Nemesis, the goddess who personified the disaster that awaited those suffering from the pride of Hubris. The same night Leda slept with her husband Tyndareus as they were trying to conceive and to prosper their family with children. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. World History Encyclopedia. Special interests include art, architecture, and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share. The second twin son, Castor, was born to Leda's husband Tyndareus on the very same night the egg hatched. By William Butler Yeats. As previously noted, the paternity of the four children is not consistent among the different sources. Leda and the Swan copy by Giovanni Francesco Melzi after the lost painting by Leonardo, 15081515, oil on canvas, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy. Read Poem Read Analysis Cite William Butler Yeats Nationality: Greece Did she put on his knowledge with his power The story of Leda and the swan was a fairly ubiquitous subject for dwellings in Pompeii and Herculaneum, both of which were leveled when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79. A daughter of Thestius, whence she is called Thestias; 1 but others call her a daughter of Thespius, Thyestes, or Glaucus, by Laophonte, Deidamea, Leucippe, Eurythemis, or Paneidyia. Most commonly, it is Pollux and Helen who are the children of Zeus; Helen is almost always said to be Zeus' daughter rather than Tyndareus' daughter. Leda also had three other daughters by Tyndareus: Timandra, Phoebe, and Philonoe. Hypnos (sleep personified) waves a [citation needed], Leda and the Swan, ancient fresco from Pompeii, Drawing by Cornelis Bos after the lost original by Michelangelo. It was purchased by Larry Gagosian for $52.9million at Christie's May 2017 Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale. Roc Bird History, Mythology & Facts | What is the Roc Mythology? Pan in Greek Mythology: Overview & Significance | Who is Pan? Leda was a royal in Greek mythology who had a brief dalliance with the king of the gods whom had assumed the form of a swan. Correggio was a Renaissance artist who created a large painting of Leda and the swan in a forest scene. Number 7 Symbolism & Facts | What is Number Seven in Numerology? WebLeda was admired by Zeus, who seduced her in the guise of a swan. He transformed into a swan and appeared in front of her; he seduced her and slept with her. Kraken Overview, History & Facts | What is the Sea Monster Kraken? 10The broken wall, the burning roof and tower. Cu Chulainn Origin, Legends & Mythology | Who was Cu Chulainn? Leda (mythology WebLeda was a princess in Greek mythology, daughter of the king of Aetolia, Thestius. [citation needed], There is a life-sized marble statue of Leda and the Swan at the Jai Vilas Palace Museum in Gwalior, Northern Madhya Pradesh, India. [1] Her myth gave rise to the popular motif in Renaissance and later art of Leda and the Swan. Daimons Overview & Facts | Ancient Greek Mythological Demons, Erebus Overview, Mythology & Facts | Greek God of Darkness & Shadows, Iris: Messenger of the Gods | Greek Goddess of the Rainbow, Keres Overview, Mythology & Facts | Greek Goddesses of Death, Nyx Overview, Mythology & Facts | Greek Goddess of the Night. Jotun in Norse Mythology: Overview & Description | The Norse Giants. He turned into an ant to rape Eurymedousa and abducted Europa while disguised as a bull. Greek text available from the same website. Leda lays two eggs, each of which contains one set of twins. His son Louis, though a great lover of painting, had periodic crises of conscience about his way of life, in one of which he attacked the figure of Leda with a knife. [citation needed], A version of the Leda and the Swan story is the foundation myth in the Canadian futuristic thriller television series Orphan Black which aired over 5 seasons from 2013 to 2017. Tyche, Greek Goddess of Success | Origin, Mythology & Role, Nemesis, Greek Goddess of Vengeance | Origin, Mythology & Role. Loch Ness Monster Sightings & Legend | What is Nessie? The Later interpretation. And how can body, laid in that white rush, The legend tells that one day Zeus, the ruler of the Greek gods, came to Leda in the form of a swan and seduced her. Leda finds the egg one day (or a shepherd does and gives it to his queen), and she takes it back to the palace where she hides it in a chest. Leda was the daughter of King Thestius of Pleuron in Aetolia. When Zeus saw her, he fell in love with her. Leda takes it as a sign from the gods that she should raise the child. (2021, June 21) Endless meters of white tulle []. Clytaemnestra, who killed her husband, Agamemnon, leader of the Greeks at Troy, was also supposed to have hatched from one of Leda's eggs. "The fable of Leda" (Leda and the Swan), Eugenio Cajs (copy of Correggio), Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain. Get the entire guide to Leda and the Swan as a printable PDF. [citation needed], Musical artist Hozier released the single Swan Upon Leda in 2022, referencing the myth as a tool to advocate for reproductive rights. Find related themes, quotes, symbols, characters, and more. Chrysaor Overview & Facts | Who is Chrysaor in Greek Mythology? [22], Avant-garde filmmaker Kurt Kren along with other members of the Viennese Actionist movement, including Otto Muehl and Hermann Nitsch, made a film-performance called 7/64 Leda und der Schwan in 1964. This eventually led to them being a permanent home in the heavens, which is how the constellation known as Gemini came into being. The subject was rarely seen in the large-scale sculpture of antiquity, although a representation of Leda in sculpture has been attributed in modern times to Timotheus (compare illustration, below left); small-scale sculptures survive showing both reclining and standing poses,[2] in cameos and engraved gems, rings, and terracotta oil lamps. The Road to the Crown - Elizabeth I's Coronation Procession, Built by a Giantess? For this episode, Tristan Hughes is joined by academic, author, broadcaster and Professor in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Warwick, Michael Scott. Chemosh Overview & Mythology | The God of the Moabites. The Graces of Greek Mythology: Origin & Role | What are the Charites? He holds her helpless breast upon his breast. WebLeda and the Swan William Butler Yeats Published in Yeats collection of Later Poems in 1926, Leda and the Swan is a sonnet based on a myth from Greek mythology. Egyptian God Geb Mythology & Significance | Who is Geb? Leda and the SwanCarole Raddato (CC BY-SA). Leda was the daughter of King Thestius of Pleuron in Aetolia. Leda and the Swan remains one of the most popular myths from the Greek world. [37] Notably, Chiuri's 2021 Dior dress featured feathered swan-wings spanning over the chest and shoulder. 8But feel the strange heart beating where it lies? They were worshiped throughout Greece and the city of Dioscurias was named after them; Dioscurias is located where you would find Sukhumi along the coast of the Black Sea. A third version has Hermes throw the egg between Leda's thighs while she is on a stool, presumably while giving birth to Polydeuces. After the rape, Leda gets pregnant and gives birth to Helen of Troy. Leda and the Swan WebLeda was a beautiful woman, and her beauty attracted Zeus' attention from his throne on Mount Olympus. Nekhbet, Egyptian Goddess: Mythology & Symbol | Who was Nekhbet? myth "Leda." There were several versions of the parentage of her children:- Some say she laid an egg from which were hatched the Dioskouroi (Dioscuri) twins, Kastor and Polydeukes, both sons of Zeus. Instant PDF downloads. [citation needed], Several references to the myth are presented in novels by Angela Carter, including Nights at the Circus and The Magic Toyshop. Ophiuchus: Mythology & Facts | What is Ophiuchus? Philoctetes, Greek Hero: Mythology & Depictions | Who was Philoctetes? And how can body, laid in that white rush, Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. Galatea in Greek Mythology: Story & Facts | Who was Galatea? We want people all over the world to learn about history. Shortly after this encounter and subsequently bedding her husband, the King of Sparta, Leda laid one or two eggs that contained four human beings in a blend of mortal and immortal vitality. Detail of Peitho, Leda and Hypnos from a painting depicting the tale of Leda and the Swan. Odin, God of War Overview & Myths | Who is Odin? Zeus was said to have seduced many women in various guises: for Europa he transformed into a bull, for Antiope a satyr, for Danae a shower of gold. Although she did not accomplish much in the grand scheme beyond her work as a mother, she was quite beautiful and her beauty is what brings her into the world of Greek mythology. An excerpt from a scholarly article that investigates W.B. As a result, she gave birth to two sets of twins, some with Zeus as their father and some fathered by her human husband, Tyndareus. [10], There were also significant depictions in the smaller decorative arts, also private media.