Mythological Beasts And Spirits: Water Horse

From The Fear of a Farmer (copyright: 2017 Robert Lambert Jones III).

Let us turn now to Celtic mythology (more specifically, Scottish legend) for another mythological creature: the Water Horse. Sometimes considered synonymous with a Kelpie,  sometmes considered distinct from it, this entity appears to be part creature and part aquatic spirit.

The Kelpie (1895) by Thomas Millie Dow.

It is a changeling (shape shifter) that appears in various versions as a woman, a man, a horse, or combinations of these. Whichever version you run across, it is usually a very deceptive and dangerous thing to encounter. In at least one Scottish legend, it lures people into mounting it for a ride, whereupon they become fastened to its back and unable to get off. It then plunges into the water and drowns them. In other accounts, it kills by devouring or crushing its victims. Regardless of the method used, it sometimes does this when it is in human form. This last possibility renders the following painting by Herbert James Draper particularly chilling.

The Kelpie by Herbert James Draper

The artistic portrayals I have seen are in three main categories. It can be human (usually female) as seen above. Secondly, it may simply be shown as a horse or a horse in the water. The following picture apparently combines the first two approaches.

The Water Horses of Loch Ness (2011) by R. Watson.

Finally, it is sometimes depicted as a hybrid between a horse and a fish or eel of some kind. This is more typical of modern fantasy art. The rather gruesome example below is oddly accentuated by the presence of the heron.

By Saltygottschalk.com.

I like the bold, clean lines of this next one. The style is more graphic.

From camstockphoto.com.

I also like the following blend of Celtic and Greek mythology.

Horses of Neptune by Walter Crane.

In the picture with which I began this post, I chose the hybrid approach. If you look closely, you can see that I adapted it from Ming Dynasty sculptures of horses. I substituted simple fins for the hair of the mane, chin, and tail. I also extended and pointed the ears. I will end with a profile of the head which I drew to enhance the visual character of this creature for my story.

From The Fear of a Farmer (copyright: 2017 Robert Lambert Jones III).

But wait! There will be another mythical creature next week…

 

The Goddess Mentality – Part 1

 

Painting by Jan Styka in which Athen inspires Odysseus to take vengeance

The Call of Perseus by Edward Burne-Jones

I remember being a somewhat insensitive adolescent male – well, insensitive and confused, actually. I mean, why did some women object to traditional roles, and why did they reject pursuing what I had been taught they had always pursued? Why wouldn’t they want men to regard them as beautiful and attractive? Of course, who gets to decide what is beautiful or attractive and the purpose that this serves? Although this was and is a complex, nuanced area of debate, I see now that many of the objections were against being defined by the expectations and desires of men. Let me say as a man that these are not always bad, but I know also that they are certainly not always good.

Zeus and Thetis on Mount Olympus (1811) by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres.

 I’m afraid the title of this post might promise more than it can possibly deliver. Let me concentrate on an irony. In the 1960s and 1970s, I heard arguments that women should not be placed on pedestals and treated as goddesses because this created impossible expectations and societal pressures which they could not hope to satisfy. Oddly enough, such unrealistic standards also have a tendency to sell real women short by ignoring  many other facets of their skills and personalities.

Detail from Pearls of Aphrodite by Herbert James Draper

Perhaps due to my age, I am struck by the contrast between then and now. While it is true that many women felt empowered by strong female characters from various works of fantasy during the time in question, it seems to me that this approval is much more prominent at present. I’ve even read at least one allegedly feminist post on the virtue of the goddess mentality. Why might this be? Perhaps it reflects the fact that the need to improve the ways in which women are regarded and treated is ongoing and that people who feel disadvantaged or mistreated may be prone to seeking exaggerated examples of equality or even superiority.

Pallas Athena by Jan Styka

With all the emphasis that feminism receives in current society, this raises some interesting questions.  Does feminism meet the needs of women, or does it leave them isolated and even more vulnerable to male exploitation by stripping away conventional protections? Then again, what does “feminism” actually mean? There are a number of definitions out there, and the version to which one subscribes is of importance when considering the previous question.

Okay, now I’ve done it. I was originally going to make this one post, but I have the distinct impression of choking on more than I can swallow. Before I bring down on my head the wrath of over 50 percent of the human race, please allow me to defer continuing this discussion until next week. Don’t excoriate me yet. Trust me – I’m a man.

Mythological Beasts and Spirits: Naiad

“You are in a place of peril. Walk in hope and righteous fear.
Stay your course. Be not distracted. There are winsome spirits here.”
From: The Staff in the Tree by Robert Lambert Jones III

This is another spiritual being from mythology and folklore which makes my imagination run. So much has been and can be done with Naiads. In Greek mythology, they were water nymphs who were particularly associated with bodies of freshwater such as rivers and streams. Certain of them were among the various classes of nymphs and sprites who were courted or raped by some of the male gods.

A Naiad by John William Waterhouse

Their behavior toward humans is described as variable in various legends. These feminine spirits could be helpful, frivolous, or jealous. They could also be dangerous. They have sometimes been shown as abducting…

Hylas and the Nymphs by John William Waterhouse

… or even drowning men. The pictures below take two different and compelling approaches. In The Kelpie by Herbert James Draper, we see a type of “before” picture. For me, the strength of this painting is in the combination of its title and the relaxed posture and facial expression of its subject. A subtle intensity smolders in her eyes, and the relative peace of the composition suggests her lethal capability.

The Kelpie by Herbert James Draper

This next painting is of the “during” variety. The posture of the Naiad is submissive save for the grip of her hands on a fisherman’s arms. This contrast is poignant, and the poor man is doomed while still alive.

A siren (or sprite or Naiad) is shown pulling a fisherman under in this painting by Knut Ekwall.

A question I have asked myself is whether or not the representations of women as being helpless or dangerous might have arisen as a result of attitudes which limit their roles in society. In such cases, are those who cannot be controlled regarded as threatening? I’ve gotten on my high horse before. Now I’ll beat my dead one by saying again that I think there is tremendous room for creativity in the way that female characters of many kinds can be portrayed in the mythologies we create for our entertainment and instruction. In my own poem, I have tried to use the Naiads’ combination of perceived vulnerability and lethal capability in portraying them as something which I hope is different.

As I said near the top of this post, Naiads are usually described as being freshwater nymphs or spirits. I will end with the creative approach in the painting below by Gustave Dore in which these mysterious creatures are shown in a different setting. They almost seem to be part of the rocks in this seascape.

Naiads of the Sea by Gustave Dore

Mythological Beasts and Spirits: Sprite

With her arms, the Sprite embraced him, pressed her mouth on willing lips,
Then drew back and laughed with pleasure, placed her hands upon her hips.
From: The Staff in the Tree by Robert Lambert Jones III

Sprites are spirits or fairies of various sorts. They are often identified with certain geographies or habitats such as water and forests. In my mind, it is hard to separate them cleanly from such beings as naiads, dryads, and nymphs. They are not always shown as feminine in gender. The following painting by Ernst Josephson is nondescript enough to draw in the imagination of the viewer. One reference interpreted “Nacken” as “The Water Sprite” and cited the year of completion as 1884 as opposed to the date given in the caption. I am not an art scholar, so I can verify neither.

Ernst Josephson: Näcken.
NM 1905

Here are a couple of additional offerings titled, “The Foam Sprite”…

The Foam Sprite by Herbert James Draper.

…and “Singing Sprite” by Herbert James Draper, a Pre-Raphaelite artist.

Singing Sprite by Herbert James Draper.

In closing, I must admit that the following painting by  Draper is what inspired the use of the Mountain Sprite in one of my own attempts at an epic story poem. I would describe her as attractively insubstantial, and she was a character which I could use for some spiritual symbolism.

Clyties of the Mist by Herbert James Draper

I have noted in posts from my Literary Legislation and Mythology on Canvas categories (black strip on the left of this page) that female characters from mythology are often visualized as wearing nothing or next to nothing. One could ascribe various meanings to this or offer different explanations as to why this is the case.

More spirits next week.

Mythology on Canvas (Part 17)

After reviewing so many paintings by various Pre-Raphaelite artists, I was struck by some similarities I would like to review through two sets of paintings which I have titled The Power of Three and Out of the Tree.

The Power of Three

The use of three central figures seems to recur quite a bit. I wonder if this number is the highest that can maximize visual impact while avoiding clutter. In this sense, the careful arrangement of three can be elegant.

Clyties of the Mist by Herbert James Draper

Moonbeams by Evelyn DeMorgan NT; (c) Knightshayes Court; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation

The Storm Spirits by Evelyn DeMorgan

Out of the Tree

There is something artistically appealing about the lines of a human figure blending with or emerging from the lines of a tree trunk and branches.

The Dryad by Evelyn De Morgan

The Tree of Forgiveness by Edward Burne-Jones

The only way I can think of to conclude this series and segway into other topics is to quote Monty Python. “And now for something completely different…”

Mythology on Canvas (Part 16)

The Kelpie by Herbert James Draper

This painting really grabbed me. The Kelpie by Herbert James Draper might be my favorite from this artist. It is far more than a depiction of a nude woman on a rock in a stream. That in itself makes for an interesting composition, but it is only upon realizing what a kelpie is that the viewer feels the full impact. This particular work abounds with subtlety and implication.

Kelpies were said to be shape-shifting creatures which sometimes appeared as women and which drowned unsuspecting men who were drawn too close to the water. Now the power of this painting becomes evident when we realize that this gracefully proportioned woman in languid repose is extremely dangerous. Her relaxed, pensive posture is in contrast to the motion of the rapids and the damage of which she is capable. The realism of the rocks, water, and trees provide vividness to the scene.

Finally, there is the expression on the woman’s face (shown also in the above study sketch for the final painting). She looks calm, enigmatic, and threatening. The angles of her eyebrows, the slant of her glance, and the set of her mouth betray a grim determination. One can almost see the treacherous thoughts forming behind her forehead.

This series will conclude next week before we go on to other topics.

Mythology on Canvas (Part 15)

Clyties of the Mist by Herbert James Draper

Clyties of the Mist by Herbert James Draper is, to me, an interesting concept painting. “Clyties” can have various meanings, but stands for mountain sprites (or mountain spirits) in this instance. The composition makes use of three figures (as we have seen in examples from previous posts), and this draws the eye. The graceful, windswept, dance-like poses blend with or emerge from the swirling mist while light from above and a background of rugged mountain scenery contribute to the effect. This painting evokes untold stories. Again, what is implied or not shown lends power to the work.

Next week: one more painting by Draper.

Mythology on Canvas (Part 14)

The Lament for Icarus by Herbert James Draper

The legend of Icarus (Latin variation) is an interesting story which originated within Greek mythology. He assisted his father, Daedalus, in building the labyrinth to house the Minotaur for King Minos of Crete. We can avoid going into the military and political backgrounds as to why, but Athenian youths and maidens were being sacrificed to the Minotaur. Daedulus and Icarus were imprisoned on the island of Crete for giving Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, a ball of string which enabled Theseus to find his way back out of the labyrinth after killing the Minotaur, a creature with the body of a man and the head of a bull. I remember being fascinated with this story when I was in sixth grade.

Daedalus fashioned two pairs of wings out of feathers and wax so that he and his son could escape, but Icarus flew too close to the sun. The wax melted, disintegrating the wings, and Icarus fell to his death in the sea. The tale stands as a warning against the overconfidence of youth.

The Lament for Icarus by Herbert James Draper shows the aftermath of these events. The body of Icarus is being mourned by three nymphs. He has apparently been retrieved from the sea, and his wings are incongruously intact. But how effective would the picture be without them? They immediately draw the eye. Another element of drama is added by the expression on the face of the nymph at the top. The style of the painting is realistic, its content fantastic. The overall brownish cast with paler highlights (especially at the center) adds to the sense of mourning. Again, the reflection of light off of the water in the background adds to the overall effect of the painting.

We will examine a somewhat more abstract composition by Draper next week.

Mythology on Canvas (Part 13)

Herbert James Draper is perhaps the most realistic of the Pre-Raphaelites in his technique and composition. I will start off with a painting which I used in my very first post.

Ulysses and the Sirens by Herbert James Draper, c. 1909

Ulysses and the Sirens is taken out of The Odyssey by Homer. As his ship passes the island on which the sirens live, Ulysses (Roman variation of the Greek Odysseus) commands his men to stop their ears with wax so that they would not be bewitched by the song of the sirens. These dangerous spirits are known to lure sailors to death on the rocks by their song. Ulysses himself wants to hear their singing, so he has his men lash him to the mast of the ship. Thus bound, he will be unable to endanger his crew while in an irrational state. Since his men cannot hear the dangerous melody, they do not steer the ship on a catastrophic course.

 In the interesting composition shown above, the sirens are seen climbing aboard the boat rather than singing from shore. These figures are interestingly posed. The intensity of the drama, however, is on the faces of the men. Those who cannot hear look visibly alarmed and even angry while their captain has a crazed expression on his face. Notice the vacancy in his eyes. To complete the effect, the water adds an almost subliminal element of vividness and motion.

More next week.