The Daughters of Light
64
1 The Daughters of Light: A Greek Myth By New Bery
description
A story of how rainbows were created. This Greek style myth will describe the story of Zues, Hera and a nymph and how their interactions help create rainbows. The story is narrated by an ancient olive tree. Children will love this story.
Transcript of The Daughters of Light
1
The Daughters of Light: A Greek Myth
By New Bery
© New Bery, 2009
Page 2 of 64
CONTENTS
Introduction (message from the
author)
This is an imaginary Greek
Mythology about how rainbow
came to being. We would love to
hear your comments and thought.
Hope you enjoy the book!
New Bery, 2009
© New Bery, 2009
Page 3 of 64
Helia’s Daughters
Aniline
Indigo
Marina
Chlora
Aura
Naranjah
Rhoda
14
alutations! I am an olive tree
growing on the banks of the
Ariadne River. One may think that
a mere olive tree knows nothing,
but I have lived here for millennia
and absorbed wisdom from the
countless events I have witnessed.
Of all the stories I have observed,
my favorite and perhaps the most
touching is about the nymphs of
light.
S
19
Zeus, the greatest of all gods, had
one fatal flaw—his weakness for
beautiful women.
This story began many, many
centuries ago, when Zeus fell in
love (yet again) with Helia, the
childhood friend of Apollo and
Artemis. Helia was so named for
the beautiful warm glow of white
© New Bery, 2009
Page 20 of 64
light she radiated a wherever she
went. As a little girl, Helia often
used to play beneath my
branches, and as she grew older,
she would sit in my shade
pondering deep thoughts ever as
she grew more beautiful by the
day.
© New Bery, 2009
Page 21 of 64
Little did she know of her terrible
fate as she gazed at her
reflection in the crystal-clear
Ariadne River one fine day. Out of
the blue, an arrow whizzed past
her right shoulder. Alarmed, she
looked around and saw a
shadowy figure behind her, raising
a knife slowly.
© New Bery, 2009
Page 22 of 64
“Aaah!” she screamed as she
dodged the several arrows that
were being aimed at her slender
neck. Hurriedly getting up from
where she was sitting on the
bank, she began to run as fast as
her legs could carry her. As she
did so, the shadowy figure
emerged from behind the lilac
© New Bery, 2009
Page 23 of 64
bushes. He was a huntsman—
intending to kill her.
Helia ran desperately, not even
stopping to get her breath. Finally
she ducked under a bush and,
feeling safe, peeked out.
However, the glow of light that
she radiated betrayed her to the
heartless huntsman. He reached
out rapidly and grabbed her leg,
© New Bery, 2009
Page 24 of 64
but she managed to escape. I
myself tried to save her—I swung
at the huntsman with my biggest
and toughest branch. However,
he was too quick for me. With a
swift hand, he cut off my branch
and hurled it at Helia’s head. The
weapon found its mark, and
bleeding profusely, Helia fell.
Blood streaming from her mouth
© New Bery, 2009
Page 25 of 64
and nose, she finally drew her last
breath. Still unsatisfied, the ruthless
huntsman hacked her body into
seven pieces and left in triumph.
My heart was broken as Helia was
like a daughter to me and, and I
shed large tears of olive oil
covering the seven severed
pieces of Helia’s body.
© New Bery, 2009
Page 26 of 64
Next, a miracle occurred—
each piece turned into an infant
girl who was a spitting image of
Helia! Each baby girl was born
with a gold necklace with a
colored gem pendant, one for
each of the seven colors of the
rainbow. The baby girl with the
blue gem fell into the Ariadne
River which flowed into the
© New Bery, 2009
Page 27 of 64
Mediterranean Sea. This girl was
adopted by Poseidon, the god of
the seas, who lovingly named her
Marina.
Thankfully for the other six girls,
Hellenikos, a kind and elderly
shepherd who had strayed into
the forest to find his recalcitrant
sheep had been a silent witness
to this horrific tragedy. Eyes
© New Bery, 2009
Page 28 of 64
brimming with tears, he vowed to
guard the baby girls and took
them home to raise them as his
own daughters.
Hellenikos named each girl
according to the color of her
necklace. So the girls were
named Aniline (for her violet
gem), Indigo (for her indigo gem),
Chlora (for her emerald gem),
© New Bery, 2009
Page 29 of 64
Aura (for her yellow gem),
Naranjah (for her orange gem)
and Rhoda (for her ruby gem).
Meanwhile, Zeus had heard
about Helia’s death, and his
distress knew no bounds. “Helia!”
he mourned in a poignant voice.
“I loved you, and you left me
without even knowing who I was!
If only I knew who killed you!”
© New Bery, 2009
Page 30 of 64
While he was lamenting, Hera, his
wife celebrated in joyful rage as
the huntsman had completed the
terrible task she had assigned him.
Whenever Zeus fell in love with
another woman, she always was
seized with a fit of jealousy. This
particular girl, Helia, was more
beautiful than Hera herself, and
© New Bery, 2009
Page 31 of 64
she felt so angry she was ready to
destroy the whole world.
© New Bery, 2009
Page 32 of 64
Fifteen Years Later
Hellenikos, the old
shepherd was dying. He had
been ill for many days, and knew
his time was up. One day, as he
was herding the sheep, he
collapsed. Immediately, Aniline
© New Bery, 2009
Page 33 of 64
and Chlora lifted him and carried
him into the house as Indigo,
Naranjah and Rhoda prepared
herbs. Aura, meanwhile, arranged
his bed in a comfortable position.
Aniline and Chlora lifted him onto
the soft bed and massaged his
feet. After catching his breath, he
drank the medicinal tea that the
girls prepared. However, he
© New Bery, 2009
Page 34 of 64
looked awful—his skin was gray
except for his sunburned cheeks.
The girls listened intently as he
then spoke in a hoarse voice.
“I believe I am about to die,
my darlings.” he said.
“Oh, no! Father!” they
lamented.
“As much as I hate to say this, I
am not your father. Your mother
© New Bery, 2009
Page 35 of 64
was a celestial nymph. Her name
was Helia and she was killed. The
seven of you were born right after
she died.”
“Father, I don’t understand.
What do you mean when you say
there are seven of us? I can only
see six of us.” said Naranjah
thoughtfully.
© New Bery, 2009
Page 36 of 64
“My dears, you have a sister.”
said the dying shepherd in an
urgent voice looking at the
beautiful faces of his beloved
girls. “Just like you have necklaces
with colors the same as your
names, your sister has a blue
necklace. I do not know where
she is. You must find her and the
seven of you must live together as
© New Bery, 2009
Page 37 of 64
this is the only way for you to be
safe after I am gone. This is my last
wish and you must promise me
that you will find her.”
“We promise, father.” said the
seven girls in unison as their voices
choked with tears.
“Thank you, my darlings. I will
always watch over you. I love
© New Bery, 2009
Page 38 of 64
you….” With these words
Hellenikos passed away.
The girls buried their beloved
father and mourned deeply for
their loss. Then the ever-practical
Aniline said, “Sisters, we have a
sister to find and a promise to
keep. Where do you think we
should start our search?”
© New Bery, 2009
Page 39 of 64
To this Rhoda said, “I am pretty
sure we will need to go to the
forest where we were born. Come
on, girls. Pack up and let’s go!”
The girls gathered a few changes
of clothes and medicinal herbs to
nurse the sick. They set off toward
the forest.
Meanwhile, Theseus, Hera’s
son, came home to Mount
© New Bery, 2009
Page 40 of 64
Olympus in a very happy mood.
“Mother, I have fallen in love with
the most beautiful girl in history!”
“I am very happy for you, son!
Who is she?” asked his fond
mother Hera.
“I will paint her portrait for you,”
said Theseus. In about an hour, he
had painted a portrait of the girl
swimming in the ocean with a
© New Bery, 2009
Page 41 of 64
blue pendant around her neck.
When Hera saw it, though she
smiled superficially at her son, she
fumed and raged deep inside.
Theseus’s girl was none other than
one of Helia’s daughters and
Hera suspected that her husband
Zeus was the father. Indeed, the
girl was Marina, the infant who
had fallen into the sea and was
© New Bery, 2009
Page 42 of 64
raised by Poseidon. Her beloved
Theseus was now in love with the
daughter of the hateful Helia. “I
need to find the girls and kill them!
I cannot risk Zeus finding out
about what I did to his Helia.” she
thought. Using her powers, Hera
divined that Helia had seven
daughters and she vowed to find
the girls and kill them herself. “I will
© New Bery, 2009
Page 43 of 64
disguise myself as…” she planned
carefully, and then set out to find
the girls.
Meanwhile, after a long day of
tirelessly searching the forest the
girls were ready to give up. “We
went over this place one hundred
times with a fine-toothed comb,”
complained Chlora. “Wherever
© New Bery, 2009
Page 44 of 64
our sister is, I am sure she is not in
this forest.”
“You are right,” said Aura. “I
am exhausted. Let us find a place
to spend the night.” They walked
about a mile until they were at a
beach, and found an old woman
in a hut. She was cooking busily,
and smiled at the girls when she
© New Bery, 2009
Page 45 of 64
saw them. “Welcome! What can I
do for you?” she asked.
“We need a place to spend
the night. Can we stay in your hut,
please?” asked Rhoda politely.
“Certainly,” said the
old woman with a wicked grin. In
fact, this woman was none other
© New Bery, 2009
Page 46 of 64
than Hera, who soon recognized
these girls and allowed them to
come in. She asked, “I have just
baked some bread. How would
you like some with olive oil?”
“Oh, yes please,” said the girls
gratefully. They seated themselves
around the big table, and waited
as the old woman brought them
the bread and oil. Without their
© New Bery, 2009
Page 47 of 64
knowledge, she had sprinkled
some poisonous herbs into the oil
and served it to them. The
ravenous girls ate the bread and
oil, and fell asleep in the beds the
woman had made for them. As
they slept, the crone waited
watchfully.
“Hmmm…they seem to be
sleeping peacefully. There is no
© New Bery, 2009
Page 48 of 64
sign of pain on their faces, only
serenity. How could the poison
not have worked? It is the most
deadly in the world…” Hera
pondered a while. Then, she
quickly slipped out and set fire to
the hut. After doing so, she
slipped off her disguise and hid
behind a tree.
© New Bery, 2009
Page 49 of 64
In the middle of her sleep,
Indigo felt rather warm. Waking
up at about midnight, she
screamed. “Oh, no, the house is
on fire!” she yelled. “Everyone,
wake up!” Scrambling to their
feet, the sleepy but frightened
sisters bounded out of the house.
However, the fire did not seem to
© New Bery, 2009
Page 50 of 64
even singe a hair on their lovely
heads.
“What kind of fire is this?” said
Rhoda.
“Maybe it was just an illusion,”
said Aniline. “Come on! Now that
we are all awake, there is no use
in going back to sleep. Let’s
continue our search. ”
© New Bery, 2009
Page 51 of 64
“But how can we get across
the sea?” asked Chlora
doubtfully.
“I’ll help you,” said a high
voice behind them. They turned
around and saw a large, beautiful
eagle. “I will carry you across the
sea.” The girls climbed onto her
back and the eagle took flight.
They soared for many miles across
© New Bery, 2009
Page 52 of 64
the sea and when they reached
the middle, the eagle seemed
tired.
“I…am…so…TIRED…I…need…to
…stop…” she said, and despite
the girls’ protests, she dropped
them into the sea. Then, as if she
regained her energy, she
cackled, “Ha ha! You girls are
doomed for sure now!” Once
© New Bery, 2009
Page 53 of 64
again, this eagle was none other
than the vengeful Hera, who was
determined to kill these girls.
The poor girls sank helplessly
deep down into the ocean.
However, for some reason, they
were able to breathe and talk as
they could on land. “This is
strange,” thought Aura. The next
moment, a beautiful palace
© New Bery, 2009
Page 54 of 64
made of gold and coral
appeared in the water. “I wonder
who lives here.” she said to the
others. “That person must be quite
wealthy, to own a lavish palace
like that.”
“I agree. Let us ask the owner if
we may stay here for a while. I
really need to catch up on my
sleep.” said Naranjah. The girls
© New Bery, 2009
Page 55 of 64
entered the palace and found
themselves in a beautiful room.
There, Poseidon sat on a golden
throne studded with decorative
seashells of various colors.
“Greetings. I
am Poseidon, the lord of all seas.
What can I do for you…” he
© New Bery, 2009
Page 56 of 64
began and then looking at the
girls, he stopped in great surprise.
“Marina!” he called. “Come here
a moment!”
The next moment, a girl with
breathtaking beauty entered the
room. She was adorned with a
beautiful turquoise dress and with
many shining gems. However, no
jewel on her slender body shone
© New Bery, 2009
Page 57 of 64
more than the sapphire pendant
on her neck. She said, “How can I
help you, Father…” and noticed
the other girls. “Why do you look
like me?” she demanded.
The girls tried to explain. “You
are our sister. We were separated
as infants. Our mother’s name
was Helia, and she was killed
somehow. Anyway, we were born
© New Bery, 2009
Page 58 of 64
right after she died, and you
floated into the sea.” said Aniline.
Marina was stunned by the
story. “I want to believe you, but
this story is too astonishing for me
to believe without proof.”
Rhoda asked her, “Where did
you get that pendant on your
neck?”
© New Bery, 2009
Page 59 of 64
“I don’t know. I have had it
ever since I was born,” replied
Marina.
“Well, we have
pendants just like yours,” said
Aura, and the six girls revealed
their shining pendants to their
astonished sister.
© New Bery, 2009
Page 60 of 64
“Father, is it true? Am I really
not your daughter?” inquired
Marina, sounding shocked.
“Yes, my dear. I found you on
the doorstep of my palace fifteen
years ago, and I decided to
adopt you.” said Poseidon.
“Oh Mighty Poseidon, can you
please tell us why we didn’t die
© New Bery, 2009
Page 61 of 64
when we fell in here?” asked
Naranjah.
“I think it is because you need
to die together as you were born
together,” said Poseidon.
“I am so glad we found you,”
said Chlora as she hugged
Marina. A faint glow of blue-
green light appeared when she
did this. Seeing this, the other five
© New Bery, 2009
Page 62 of 64
girls felt strangely compelled to
hold hands with Chlora and
Marina, and decided to do so; a
blinding light filled the world as
the seven girls rose out of the sea
hand-in-hand, not far from where
I (the olive tree) reside.
© New Bery, 2009
Page 63 of 64
Hera, who was
drawn by the light, instantly
divined what had happened,
and her rage knew no bounds. In
a fit of fury, she dared to do what
no living being dared to do. I was
surprised, and thought that she,
© New Bery, 2009
Page 64 of 64
being the wife of Zeus, would
have better sense than to do this,
but the green-eyed monster
wiped all rational thought from
her brain.
She ran into Zeus’s chamber
and picked up his thunderbolt.
The thunderbolt quivered,
knowing that it was not in its
rightful owner’s hands. No one
© New Bery, 2009
Page 65 of 64
other than Zeus had ever dared
to touch the sacred thunderbolt,
much less try to deploy it. The
foolish Hera, unaware of the
gravity of her actions, flew into
the sky clutching the thunderbolt
in her hands. Looking up, I was
not quite sure who was controlling
who, for Hera looked like she was
being buffeted by the
© New Bery, 2009
Page 66 of 64
thunderbolt. Zeus, knowing by his
powers that his thunderbolt was
missing, rushed out of his palace
in hot pursuit of Hera. Hera
somehow managed to land
under my branches and foolishly
threw the thunderbolt at the girls,
before the mighty Zeus could stop
her.
© New Bery, 2009
Page 67 of 64
What happened in
the next moments is ever scarred
in my memory. The thunderbolt
flew out of Hera’s hands, way
past the girls and started flying
around the world as its sudden
freedom got to its head. The
people of the earth ran helter-
skelter in great fear. Even the
© New Bery, 2009
Page 68 of 64
golden Apollo looked aghast.
After what seemed like an
eternity, the thunderbolt
ricocheted and struck Hera with
deadly precision chopping of
both her legs. Alas, Hera did not
know that only Zeus had the
power to control the thunderbolt,
and that the thunderbolt would
© New Bery, 2009
Page 69 of 64
attack anyone other than its
master if they attempted to use it.
Screaming with agony, Hera
fell at Zeus’s feet pleading to Zeus
to heal her. Zeus was thoroughly
sad as there was nothing even he
could do. He summoned back his
thunderbolt which now looked
like a docile lamb. “Hera, you
should know better. Why did you
© New Bery, 2009
Page 70 of 64
steal my thunderbolt? And why
did you aim it at those innocent
girls?” He glanced at the fleeing
girls (they were scared by the
power of the thunderbolt), and
noticed their striking resemblance
to Helia, the innocent nymph he
had once loved. “What…are they
Helia’s daughters? Why did you
try to kill the innocent girls?”
© New Bery, 2009
Page 71 of 64
Hera knew that she could not
hide her evil actions any longer.
She confessed to all her misdeeds
related to the girls and their
innocent mother.
© New Bery, 2009
Page 72 of 64
Zeus was
totally defeated as he knew deep
in his heart that his roving eye and
weakness for beautiful women
was the cause of Hera’s anger.
He then looked in the girls’
directions again, but they were
© New Bery, 2009
Page 73 of 64
gone. Frightened out of her wits,
Aniline hid in the fruits of
grapevines, making them sweet
and purple. Marina broke herself
into several small pieces and
painted the sky with a brilliant
azure. Indigo hid herself in the
indigo plants. Chlora hid herself in
every plant and tree, giving them
their green color.
© New Bery, 2009
Page 74 of 64
Meanwhile, Aura hid herself
beneath the Earth; she rewards
hardworking people with the gold
she forms underground. Naranjah
gives citrus fruits their color, and
Rhoda flows as the life blood in all
animals.
To date, this is where they hide
to be safe from the angry Hera.
© New Bery, 2009
Page 75 of 64
However,
during the rainy season, when
Apollo shines, the sisters venture
out of their hiding and prance
around in the sky, spanning its
width as a glowing rainbow. The
sight of them makes an angry
© New Bery, 2009
Page 76 of 64
Hera rush out of Olympus to catch
the girls.
However, as she tries to leave,
the mischievous thunderbolt
wriggles its eyebrows in the form
of lightning and an agitated Hera
gnashes her teeth as thunder and
© New Bery, 2009
Page 77 of 64
reluctantly goes back to her
chambers in Olympus.
To the people of the
Earth, the rainbow is a sign of joy
and hope and children fantasize
about finding the pot of Aura
hidden at the end of the rainbow.
© New Bery, 2009
Page 78 of 64
