Cox, George - Aryan Mythology Vol 2.pdf

34 MYTHOLOGY OF THE ARYAN NATIONS.
BOOK mother of Asklepios is a daughter of Phlegyas (the flaming),
____ T J . and
Apollon woos her on shores of the lake Boibeis ;
l
or, if
we take another version given by Apollodoros, she is Ar-
sinoe, a daughter of Leukippos (a name in which we see the
flashing steeds which draw the car of Indra or Achilleus),
and a sister of Hilaeira and Phoibe, the radiant maidens
whom the Dioskouroi bore away. 2 When the myth goes on
to say that when Apollon had left her Koronis yielded her-
self to the Arkadian Ischys, we have a story which simply
repeats that of Prokris, for as Kephalos returns disguised
and wins the love of the child of Herse (the dew), so is
Ischys simply the strength or power of the lord of light
(Arkas). In each case, the penalty of faithlessness is death;
and the mode in which it is exacted in the myth of Koronis
precisely corresponds with the legend of Semele. Like
Dionysos, Asklepios is born amidst and rescued from the
flames ; in other words, the light and heat of the sun which
ripen the fruits of the earth, scorch and consume the clouds
and the dew, or banish away the lovely tints of early morn-
ing. 3 Throughout the myth we have to deal with different
versions which, however they may differ from each other,
still point to the same fountain-head of mythical speech.
In one form the story ran that Koronis herself exposed her
child on the slopes of mount Myrtion, as Oidipous was
left to die on Kithairon. There he is nourished by a goat
and a dog, incidents which are reproduced in the myths of
talibus excisis literse testantur quod, si which Orpheus vainly yearns to give to
vita comes fuerit, felices in mundo Eurydike as she vanishes from his sight,
habeantur?' Deutsche Mythologic, 362.
l 'Pind. Pyth. iii. 14.
The Teutonic myths must clearly be - Apollod. iii. 10, 3.
compared with that of Hlodr (Lodur), 3 The Dawn cannot long survive the
who is born with helmet and sword, and birth of the sun. Hence the mother of
this again with the story of Athene, Volsung dies as soon as her child has
who springs fully armed from the fore- kissed her. So in Grimm's story of the
head of Zeus, a story as transparent Almond Tree, the mother of the sunas
that of Phoibos Chrysaor. These, child, who is as white as snow and as red
therefore, are all dawn-children or sons as blood, is so delighted at seeing her
of the bright heaven. In the latter babe that she dies. The same lot is the
case the forehead of Zeus, the sky, is portion of the mother in the story of
cloven; in thp former, the body of the Little Snow-white, the Dawn-maiden—
dawn. In other words, the dawn dies story which suggests a comparison with
almost before the sun has had time the myths of the glass of Agrippa and
to bid her farewell. It is impossible of the well of Apollon Thyrxis as
not to see in the kiss which Volsung related by Pausanias.
gives to hia dving mother the embrace