Everyone’s heard of Athena, right? Even many people who don’t obsess over the details of mythology like yours truly have heard of the virgin goddess of wisdom. She was very popular with the Greeks and remains popular today, but there are still several lesser known legends about her that don’t get mentioned very often.
She had a twin brother
Zeus once had an affair with Metis, daughter of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys. Metis was noted for her brains as well as her great beauty (Metis translates to “cunning intelligence”), but when she became pregnant with twins, Zeus received a prophecy that her son would overthrow him. Since a similar prophecy had been made about Zeus and his father (and it came true), the king of the gods took this sort of thing seriously. He swallowed Metis before she could give birth, but Hephaestus split Zeus’s head with an ax and Athena burst out, fully grown and shrieking a battle cry.
Hephaestus wanted to marry her
The smith god, Hephaestus, once asked Zeus’s permission to marry Athena (because apparently, Aphrodite just wasn’t good enough). Zeus agreed, under the condition that Athena consented, but she wanted to remain celibate
She wasn’t just Goddess of Wisdom
Athena was also the patron of crafts—pottery, weaving, embroidery—shipbuilding, and the city of Athens. People who were gifted with weaving would say their talents came from Athena.
She had an adoptive son
Hephaestus and Mother Earth had Erichtonius, who Athena agreed to raise. The boy grew up to be the ruler of Athens, which I think we can safely say was no coincidence.
The Oedipus debacle was her fault (kind of)
Once when Athena was bathing in the sacred spring on Mount Helicon, a mortal man named Tiresias came and spied on her while she was naked. Outraged, Athena struck him in the eyes, making him blind. But one of the nymphs attending Athena asked she give him something as a consolation prize. Athena then granted Tiresias the ability of prophecy, which the man later used to inform King Oepidus that he had married his mother.
You see? Bits of lore fall through the cracks for even the most widely known mythological figures. What’s your favorite lesser known fact about Athena, or any Olympian for that matter?
Eli Hinze said:
Gotta love Athena. She’s my absolute favorite mythological figure of all time. 🙂 Still don’t see where it says she has a twin brother though..?
LikeLike
Elisabeth said:
Well, her brother was technically never born, so people tend not to count him.
LikeLike
Harliqueen said:
Never knew these things, you learn something new everyday! Great post 🙂
LikeLike
Elisabeth said:
Thanks! 😀 I think I officially have a fixation with Greek lore.
LikeLike
lightningjcb said:
Athena is awesome, so glad I found a post reviving mythological interest in some pretty weird and wonderful legends. Would love to see some more 🙂
LikeLike
Elisabeth said:
Brace yourself, I’ve got Cupid and Psyche’s story on the way. 🙂
LikeLike
lightningjcb said:
Awesome, can’t wait! Might share some of the stories I have of mythological characters 🙂
LikeLike
Elisabeth said:
A little mythological education never killed nobody. 😉
LikeLike
sherry fundin said:
Loving it and looking forward to Cupid and Psyche’s story.
LikeLike
Elisabeth said:
It was supposed to be for Valentine’s Day, but I am lazy and didn’t get it done in time.
LikeLike
darkwriter67 said:
Reblogged this on Illuminite Caliginosus.
LikeLike
fuonlyknew said:
What’s this? Sherry mentions Cupid and Psyche. Are you writing something new Elisabeth?
LikeLike
Elisabeth said:
A blog post outlining the story of Cupid and Psyche. 🙂 I am working on new book projects (a writer’s work is never done!), but no mythology retellings…yet. 😉
LikeLike
barbara_lueneburg said:
I like the fact that she combines so many so-called “male” and “female” features at the same time: inspiration and strategy, warfare and civilization, mathematics and the arts. Very inspiring for myself!
LikeLike
Elisabeth said:
She embodies all those “masculine” traits and still very much embraces being a woman. That equals “awesome” in my book.
LikeLike
barbara_lueneburg said:
Hi Elisabeth,
have a look at this new blog. http://www.what-ifblog.net
We are a group of several international artists who just started to run a participatory arts blog on identity, gender and freedom of choice. Very much by chance the first real post had the same topic as yours: Athena. Would be nice to see you around, once our blog has developed more. I am going to follow your blog for now. All the best, Barbara
LikeLike
Elisabeth said:
I mean to be here for awhile! Thanks for joining us. 🙂
LikeLike
Hannah G. said:
I LOVE mythology!! Everyone else thinks I’m crazy; it’s awesome to know there are others obsessed as well!! 🙂
LikeLike
Elisabeth said:
Well, considering this is the girl who saw a talk about arachnophobia as an excuse give her eleven year old brother an education on Arachne, the character from Greek mythology whose name gave us “arachnid,” I’d say you’re in good company. 😉
LikeLike
Hannah G. said:
Haha!! Great!!!! 😀
LikeLike