History Mystery: Realm of Myths and Legends -11

At Fowey, Cornwall, Stands this pillar with the Inscription:

DRVSTANVS HIC IACIT / CUNOMORI FILIVS

Drustan lies here, son of Cunomorus

Tristan and Iseult: Two tragic lovers in the medieval legends of England, Ireland and Germany. After being wounded by a poisoned spear, Tristan was nursed back to health by Iseult the Fair – the king of Ireland’s beautiful daughter. Tristan brought her back to England to be the bride of his uncle, King Mark of Cornwall, but on the journey home, the couple accidentally drank a love potion which had been prepared for mark and Iseult on their wedding night. They fell deeply in love, and although Iseult married King Mark, the lovers were discovered and fled into the forest where they lived happily for four years, until Iseult decided to return to Mark, who banished Tristan. Years later, Tristan was wounded in a battle and sent for Iseult to heal him- telling his messenger to hoist a white sail on the returning ship if Iseult was on board, a black sail if not. As the shop approached, Tristan’s jealous wife lied and told him it had a black sail, whereupon Tristan died of grief. Iseult, on hearing the news, died soon afterwards.

Styx: In Greek mythology, the river which flowed seven times around the underworld of Hades, and across which Charon ferried the souls of the dead. Its waters were thought to be poisonous.

St. George: Saint of the Christian Church who may have been a high ranking officer in the army of the Roman Empire in Asia Minor in about AD300. In early Christian belief, the legendary slaying by St. George of a dragon symbolized the triumph of Christ over the Devil.

St. George is the patron saint of England and Portugal. In England, St George’s Day is celebrated on April 23. It seems likely that Edward III made him patron saint of England when he founded the Order of the Garter in St George’s name in the mid 14^th century.

History Mystery: Realm of Myths and Legends -3

Apple of discord: In Greek mythology, an apple that was thrown into a banquet of the gods by the goddess Discord, who had not been invited. The apple had ‘For the Fairest’ written on it, and it was to resolve the conflicting claims of Aphrodite, Athena and Hera that the Judgement of Paris was made.

Charon: Ferryman in Greek mythology who carried the souls of the dead across the River STYX and into HADES, the underworld. The Greeks used to put coins in the mouths of the dead as his fee.

Eldorado: Mythical ‘Golden Land’ in South America said to belong to El Dorado, a Golden Man’ who covered himself with gold dust. The golden land was thought to exist in the area of the Orinoco and Amazon rivers, but centuries of exploration, including two expeditions led by Sir Walter Raleigh failed to locate it.

Figuratively, Eldorado is a place of fabulous wealth, or an opportunity to obtain it.

Friar Tuck: One of Robin Hood’s legendary ‘merry men’’, a fighter with whom Robin had a trial of strength. The pair met by a river at Fountain Dale, Nottinghamshire, where the Friar agreed to carry Robin over the water, but dropped him into the stream. He joined the outlaws only after a ferocious and in decisive battle with them.

Gaia: The ‘earth goddess’ of Greek mythology. The daughter of Chaos, she was both mother and wife of Uranus, by whom she produced the Cyclopes and the Titans. There is one hypothesis called Gaia hypothesis we will discuss it in the later stage.