By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
The story of Jason and Medea is among the most famous doomed love affairs in classical mythology, and the Greek myths are known for having their fair share of doomed love affairs. But what is the meaning and significance of the Jason and Medea myth? What did Jason do to Medea, and what drastic action did she take in response to his actions?
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
The story of Pygmalion and Galatea is well-known: it’s a myth about art, about love, and about the relationship between the artist and his ‘muse’, in some respects. But there are also, as so often with classical myths, a few things we assume we know about this story but, it turns out, don’t really know. Or at any rate, we don’t know the full story.
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
In the world of classical Greek epic poetry, two poems are universally renowned: The Iliad and The Odyssey. Both, of course, are attributed to Homer. But there is another classical epic poem, written a few centuries later, which has been largely forgotten – although the story it tells is one of the most celebrated tales from Greek mythology.
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
Probably the most famous legend to feature a love potion, the story of Tristan and Isolde (or Iseult, as her name is rendered in some versions of the myth) is one of the most celebrated Celtic legends along with the stories of King Arthur. Indeed, Tristan and Isolde are sometimes associated with the Arthurian legend, with both myths having their roots in medieval Britain and/or Ireland.
By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
The Sirens were half-woman and half-bird, although they are sometimes wrongly associated with mermaids (so half-woman and half-fish), probably because of their proximity to the sea (although they were strictly land-based, they tended to hang about down on the shore so they could attract the passing boats full of hapless sailors). They were enchantresses whose song lured sailors onto their rocks so the Sirens could devour them.