Pegasus

Today is the 16th day of the A to Z April Challenge. Participants in this blog hop post each day (except Sundays) on a letter of the alphabet. To visit other bloggers on the main web page, click HERE.

I chose Fantasy as my theme and today I'm writing about Pegasus.

The Pegasus is one of the best known mythological creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine stallion depicted as pure white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. He was the brother of Chrysaor, born at a single birthing when his mother was decapitated by Perseus. Greco-Roman poets write about his ascent to heaven after his birth and his obeisance to Zeus, king of the gods, who instructed him to bring lightning and thunder from Olympus. Friend of the Muses, Pegasus is the creator of Hippocrene, the fountain on Mt. Helicon. He was captured by the Greek hero Bellerophon near the fountain Peirene with the help of Athena and Poseidon. Pegasus allows the hero to ride him to defeat a monster, the Chimera, before realizing many other exploits. His rider, however, falls off his back trying to reach Mt. Olympus. Zeus transformed him into the constellation Pegasus and placed him up in the sky.

The symbolism of Pegasus varies with time. Symbol of wisdom and especially of fame from the Middle Ages until the Renaissance, he became one symbol of the poetry and the creator of sources in which the poets come to draw inspiration, particularly in the 19th century. Pegasus is the subject of a very rich iconography, especially through the ancient Greek pottery and paintings and sculptures of the Renaissance.

According to legend, everywhere the winged horse struck his hoof to the earth, an inspired spring burst forth. One of these springs was upon the Muses Mt. Helicon, the Hippocrene (horse spring), opened at the behest of Poseidon to prevent the mountain swelling rapture at the song of the Muses, another was at Troezen. Hesiod relates how Pegasus was peacefully drinking from a spring, when the hero Bellerophon captured him. Hesiod also says Pegasus carried thunderbolts for Zeus.

This is only some of the accounts of Pegasus in Greek mythology. My own thoughts are about Pegasus carrying the thunderbolts for Zeus. What an incredible story. And for so many years I wore a necklace of a Pegasus, not knowing anything except its beauty. Have you used any winged horses in your stories?