Legend of Starbucks Monster

Speaking of A.S. Byatt and legends of forest maidens, ever since I read Possession I have been keen on the Breton legend of Melusina (or more poetically Mélusine). 

The myth goes back a millennia with many variations on Melusina’s story and name for that matter. But the gist of tale is that Melusina is half-woman and half-serpent or fish. She is a beauty, of course, and luckily the tail only shows up only once a week. By and by Melusina meets a handsome count (possibly prince) and agrees to marry him on the condition that she is given privacy when the wretched tail makes an appearance.  

Eventually Mr. Melusina discovers the secret, they try to patch things up but after some ugly words are exchanged Melusina’s flees. Of course all these years later noone remembers his name but Melusina is on coffee cups in Bretagne and the world over (scroll!).

Often Melusina has two tails 

Guillebert De Metz 1410

Take a look at Starbucks logo and tell me that's not Melusina! 

In Greek Key

Speaking of Mediterranean, I have been in Athens (for work) over the past few days. Since I have not seen much of the city, perhaps during a moment of calm I can soak up some of the local flavor through Greek icons.

First on the list is a perfectly modern deity: Athena. Her attributes are impressive: wisdom, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, female arts, crafts, justice and skill. Sure, her parents may have had a troubled relationship, but this patron of Athens, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, is “urban and civilized, the antithesis in many respects of Artemis, goddess of the outdoors.”

The popular flowing pattern is called meander motif. Meander takes its name from the river Meander, which has many turns and is mentioned by Homer (Greek poet, not Simpson). The pattern is laden with meaning, of course. It is symbolic of infinity and flow of things, bonds of friendship and devotion, four seasons, and waves.

St. George – or St. Georgios – seems to be everywhere around Greece. There seems to be many legends but St. George is best known for his epic battle with a dragon. His depictions are stunning, here are my two favorites, one a Byzantine icon....

...and another a more modern, 19th Century interpretation by Gustave Moreau.

More from Klatch when I return!

Vilja Song

Speaking of opera, Vilja Song is one of the most lovely arias of all time (from Franz Lehar's Merry Widow).  The song itself has very little to do with the plot so I won't bother retelling it, but Vilja has a story worth telling.  Vilja (also known by Wila, Veela, Vila) is a mythical forest fairy.  Though Google delivers tantalizingly few images, Rossetti's romantic painting below works with the mood of the song (according to some legends Vilja is cursed never to find true love and if they do, that love will die a terrible death, how is that for melodramatic).

Dante Gabriel Rossetti  “The Blessed Damozel”

This version of the song is performed by Sissel Kyrkjebø (soprano from Norway).