Orion (mythology)

Orion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology, provided the archetype of the primordial hunter in Greek culture. In modern interpretations Orion ("mountain man" if the name is truly Greek) exists on three mythic planes. On the Neolithic level he is a shaman, the "master of the animals," an Aegean counterpart to Enkidu, the wild companion of Sumerian/Babylonian Gilgamesh. On the Minoan level, he has been dedicated to the Great Goddess of Crete. On the Classical level, he has become a threat to the reformed and Olympian Artemis and must be destroyed. His myth survives only in fragmentary episodes and references, and its meanings were obscure to the patriarchal culture of classical Greece and need some explaining. Orion's journeys may be traced on a map.

Related Topics:
Titans - Greek mythology - Archetype

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~