scriven00 - 5-23-2012 at 02:43 AM
Divine twins of Greek Mythology
As a father of twins I am interested in the folklore and mythology of twins and strongly believe that the stories of the past can help to inform and
to prepare ourselves as parents. The archetype of the twin, or divine dyad, has been recognised by Carl Jung as one of the central archetypes
encountered on the road to individuation; twinhood represents the unification of the shadow and the ego in that process of becoming the person you
were truly meant to be. In Greek mythology the figures of Castor and Pollux cast light on the divine and earthly qualities and corresponds with the
widely held belief of ancient civilisations that one twin is supernatural.
Castor and Pollux were born of Leda, the wife of Tyndareus, along with another twin pair, Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. Leda, whilst pregnant by her
husband, was visited by Zeus disguised as a swan and their consummation resulted in two eggs being fertilised. Castor and Clytemnestra are usually
recognised as the mortal offspring of Tyndareus, whilst Pollux and Helen are consistently considered to be the children of Zeus. Castor and Pollux,
collectively known as the Dioscuri, were jointly involved in numerous adventures, they were excellent horsemen and became crew member of the Argonaut,
the ship captained by Jason. Pollux is recorded as defeating the King Amycus in a boxing match and both of the brothers were combatants in the
devestation of the city of Iolcus. They were also involved in the rescue of their sister Helen from Theseus. Such was the love that the two brothers
had for each other that when Castor was dying, following the dispute with their cousins, Zeus offered Pollux the chance to forego his immortality and
an eternity on Mount Olympus in favour of sharing his immortality with Castor. Pollux, unable to separate from his twin, opted to spend eternity with
Castor alternating between the heavens and Hades. The two became motifs of brotherly love and of the struggle between death and eternal life. Homer
speaks of them living each on alternate days.
"Homer's hymn to Castor and Pollux" (1818) by Percy Byshe Shelley, describes both the twins provenance and their celestial oakley sale connection to sailing and oakley ca sailors.
Discovering the story of Castor and Pollux helps to better understand the twinning process and the parental need to identify particular attributes to
each twin. The wisdom of the story is to be found in the strength of their fraternity and in the resolved conflict between divine and earthly status.