10 Words Derived from Greek Mythology

Some words have a distinct pedigree. These words hail from Mt. Olympus itself. Godly in origin, use them to spice up your conversation or writing.

1 Antaean

Antaeus was a gigantic and powerful wrestler, son of Gaea, goddess of the Earth, and Poseidon, the sea god. Whenever Antaeus touched his mother, his strength renewed. He always kicked butt when people threw him to the ground. Heracles, always a crafty fellow, bested him by lifting Antaeus off the ground. Then Heracles crushed the god to death.

In English, this word means mammoth, for Antaeus’ size, and superhuman strength.

2 Caduceus

The Greek god Hermes served as a herald and messenger for the other gods. He carried a winged staff with two snakes twisting around it. There is also another staff, that of Aesculapius, the god of healing. This had only one snake and no wings attached.

The Latin translation for herald is karyx, modified into karykeion. Is should only refer to the winged staff with two snakes, but in practice is also refers to the one snake healing staff as well. The staff of Aesculapius as well as the staff of Hermes are used as medical symbols.

3 Chimera (pronounced Kymera)

This was a fearsome beast with a lion’s head, goat’s body, and dragon’s tail. It breathed fire and terrified the people of Lydia. Finally, their king, Iobates, called in the hero Bellerophon. He didn’t actually want Bellerophon to win. The king’s son-in-law wanted the hero killed and the king thought the chimera would be the trick. Trouble was, Bellerophon summoned reinforcements: the winged horse Pegasus (not at all related to Perseus). Bellerophon then took down the creature from above.

Chimera lives on in Enlglish as an illusion or fabrication of the mind. It’s also an impossible dream.

4 Cornucopia

Zeus wasn’t always master of all the gods. In fact, he once was a baby too. As an infant, he was suckled from the horn of a goat. Later, this horn was filled with flowers and fruits and given as a present to Zeus. This filled horn then served as a symbol for abundance.

Besides as serving as a climactic battle scene in the Hunger Games, the word now means an inexhaustible store of something or simply abundance. That’s why it so often appears during Thanksgiving.

5 Halcyon

Alkyone, the daughter of the god of the winds (Aeolus), learned that her husband had been killed in a shipwreck. Her grief was unbearable, so she threw herself into the sea and was changed into a kingfisher. The Greeks call these birds alkyon or halkyon. Legend also has it that kingfishers build floating nests on the sea. Because of their heritage, the wind god clams the sea until the eggs have hatched.

The legend prompted people to associate calm and peaceful with the word halcyon. (Actual kingfishers make nests in tunnels dug into the ground).

6 Nemesis

Nemesis was the goddess of vengeance. She doled out rewards for noble deeds and cruel punishments for evil acts. She didn’t punish offenders instantly. Rather she might wait generations, inflicting her wrath on a descendant to avenge the crime.

In English, the word originally referred to someone who doled out just retribution, much like the goddess herself. Modern usage has transformed the word into someone (or something) that frustrated another person’s efforts (much like a curse or an adversary).

7 Paean

The Apollo sometimes disguised himself as Paean, the physician of the gods. Later, musical hymns were sung at to praise Apollo. These were called paeans. They evolved into songs sung at events ranging fromĀ  funerals to drinking festivals, as well as traditional marching songs for armies.

Now a paean is any song mean to celebrate joy, praise, or thanksgiving. It can also mean a tribute.

8 Promethean

Probably one of the most recognizable Greek myths is that of Prometheus. One of the Titan giants, he modeled humans from clay and taught them agriculture and how to live together. His final gift was fire that he stole from the gods so that humans could cook and have warmth and light. Zeus, however, wanted the humans to perish, so he punished Prometheus by tying him to a rock. An eagle tore at the giant’s liver every day for eternity.

The modern word bears out its heritage. Promethean means daringly original and creative (in the way that Prometheus helped create civilization). The word can also mean defiant of authority or limits (because Prometheus stole from the gods). Finally, Promethean signifies suffering on a grand scale (to represent the torture inflicted on Prometheus by Zeus).

9 Rhadamanthine

Three judges hold court in the the underworld: Minos, Aeacus, and Rhadamanthus. Minos was the son of Zeus and Europa. He had been the kind of Crete before dying and becoming supreme judge of the underworld. Aeacus, another son of Zeus (he got around) was king of Aegina before shuffling off the mortal coil and doning judges robes. Rhadamanthus was brother to Minos and king of the Cyclades Islands. He was known for being especially inflexible when handing down his judgements.

The word in English means rigorously strict or just.

10 Thanatology

Thanatos was the personification of death. His twin brother, Hypnos, was the personification of sleep (the root for hypnosis). The ancient Greeks began to use thanatos as a generic word for death.

Thanatology is the study of a description of death. It’s also the psychological methods for coping with death. In 1935, Thanatos came back to describe people with an unconscious tendency toward self-destruction.

Tim Kane

Peculiar Reality Check

Lately life has intervened to tangle up my clockwork appearance on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Pressing issues with real people have usurped the time I typically would have spent scrolling timelines. So why do I feel guilty about it? I mean social media is about socializing. That means talking and interacting. We should be able to turn off the computer and do it the old fashioned way, right?

As I think about this, various emotions ricochet through my head. Anger at those who wouldn’t understand my disappearance from the virtual world. Frantic fear over a schedule that is purely self imposed.

These last few days have given me a much needed reset. Real life matters. Virtual life is great, but it has to take a backseat. Think about it. You can vanish from the online world for weeks or months and pick up where you left off with few consequences. Try that with your real flesh and blood companions. Not the same. Not at all.

Tim Kane

John Carter is a Myth. Deal With It.

Went out this weekend to see John Carter. I liked it. A solid adventure flick. I certainly felt I go my money’s worth. Then I checked out some of the reviews (which I often do only after I see a movie). They seemed to fall into three categories. First, older reviewers praised the movie, noting the adaptation from the book. Younger reviewers accused the film of ripping off elements from older sci-fi movies. I don’t’ think these people realize that this book was written in 1911 by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the same fellow that penned Tarzan. In truth, most sci-fi flicks have stolen from him.

The third category of review irks me the most. People whine about the inaccuracies of the film. There is no atmosphere on Mars. People wouldn’t jump that far with Martian gravity. Ships couldn’t fly with sunlight. To this I say, John Carter is myth.

Princess of Mars written by Burroughs

Think about it. I could climb to the top of Mt. Olympus and what would I see? Maybe some rocks. I certainly wouldn’t be in the fabled city of the Olympian gods. Yet this reality doesn’t diminish the awe I have when reading the Greek myths. They are a fantasy I am more than willing to indulge.

The same goes for John Carter. True, we have a much more information about the red planet now. Yet considering when this book was written, think of all the amazing elements Burroughs got right? The absence of water. The difference in gravity. His story is an adventure, pure an simple. For those that can’t accept that, then perhaps they shouldn’t buy a ticket.

I will say, John Carter felt much more believable than Mission to Mars ever did. That film, which pretended to be an accurate movie, had a fellow living in a tent with a couple of plants for a year. Apparently a few ferns can produce enough air to survive on Mars. Who knew?

So lay off Burroughs. He wrote an adventure story and the film was a great adaptation of it. Buy some popcorn, sit down, and enjoy.

Tim Kane

Papercut Art by Peter Callesen

I can cut snowflakes out of white paper. That’s about it. Peter Callesen takes paper cutting to an entirely different level. He often imbues his work with a whimsical or surreal quality. The two-dimensional negative space where the figure is cut from is just as important as the three-dimensional figure he creates.

“Inspiration” is a perfect example. The tree is created from the negative space and the roots from the tree.

Another amazing work is “Casket.” Here you can see where the casket shape was cut. The flowers have been cut out and seem to grow from the casket. The actual cut outs have been dropped into the three-dimensional casket.

A more recent work, “White Dairy,” shows just how insanely complex this guy can get with white paper. It shows a human head with a sketchbook in the center. Ideas flow from the book, filling the head. The detail is so enormous, that only from a distance can you see the figure for what it is.

The detail of this piece shows a full blown city.

Callesen says he likes to use white paper because it’s so ordinary and represents something common to the viewer. We all write and print on the stuff. Yet in his hands, dreams are created. Click over to his website to view all of his breathtaking art. You won’t regret it.

Tim Kane

Steamypuff Girls (Powerpuff Girls Go Steampunk)

Just when I thought that Powerpuff Girls had done it’s finest pop culture reference ever (Meet The Beat Alls, complete with Beatles references and Yoko Ono), Craig McCracken created a vintage Powerpuff girls set in the wild west. I believe this may be the first steampunk cartoon made (back in 2004). It recreates the girls’ origins. This time they are created from sassafras, arsenic, and everything old fashioned. Chemical X is replaced with, what else, coal. They get their abilities from massive coal and steam powered rockets strapped to their backs.

The premise is simple. The girls fly after Mojo the Kid to bring him to justice. When their superpowers wane, the Professor simply shovels more coal into the girls’ contraptions. Finally, when the steampunk rockets are shattered (thanks to Mojo the Kid’s banana gun), the Professor invents “duly undercoated concentric tear-strip”, or duct tape, to repair the machines. Mojo punching ensues.

Watch this episode via this link (part 1, part 2). Enjoy.

Tim Kane