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| The word
"halcyon" can be found in Latin as "halcyon" and in Greek as
"alkyon" and "halkyon." It later entered Middle English as
"alceon". The term "halcyon" may refer now to a peaceful,
calm state--or a happy, golden or prosperous and affluent conditions, but a tragic myth
lies at the heart of it. According to ancient Greek mythology, Halcyone was the daughter
of AEolus—god of the winds—and devoted wife of Ceyx, king of Thessaly. Her
husband sailed forth on a voyage to Ionia without his wife and was drowned during a raging
storm at sea. His grieving wife Halcyone, apprised of his fate in a dream by Morpheus, a
messenger of Somnus the god of sleep, later finds his body floating towards shore. It is
then that she is transformed into a bird who embraces his lifeless form with her wings and
arouses her lover. The two, changed into birds, then mate and produce their offspring.
Each year during winter solstice Halcyone protects the nest which floats upon the ocean,
while her father AEolus keeps the winds at bay. The sea then settles into a tranquil,
"halcyon" state. The "halcyon" is identified with the kingfisher. The word refers to both the bird and its nesting period. References are made to the "halcyon" in both Milton and Keats. Milton writes,
Example: With its sun-dappled walkways and idyllic green fields, the arboretum provides a halcyon setting for contemplation. |
