In Greek mythology, Halcyone and Ceyx were lovers who incurred the wrath of the god Zeus by mocking him and his wife. Angered, Zeus killed Ceyx. Morpheus, the god of dreams, told Halcyone of his fate and in her grief she threw herself into the sea. Compassionately, the gods changed them both into common kingfishers, or “halcyon birds”, named after her. The term, “halcyon days”,comes form the same story, Halcyone’s father Aeolus, god of the winds restrained the storms for seven days either side of the winter solace so Halcyone could make her nest and lay her eggs in safety.
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©Daniel Mackie
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With the exception of artists, inventors, and teenagers - we humans are diurnal daytime creatures on the whole, and although it’s one thing to be out and about during the night in a street lit urban environment, it’s a very different scenario if you find yourself in, say… oh, I don’t know, a forest per se. Where, if you’re lucky, you may hear the unmistakable cry or hoot of an Owl: natures very own nocturne, a stark reminder of the unknown peril of night, and a creature that has featured heavily in myth and folklore throughout the ages.
Daniel Mackie
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