Hello, hello, hi, Twiskiesss! It has been a long time since I'm post something here, right? hehehe my bad, my bad. But now I come back! hehehe welcome back to me! just like usual, I'm back with something interesting. Today's topic is abouuuutt Orion's Complete Mythology! I've already tell you about a short version of Orion's mythology at two posts below this, now let's discuss the complete mythology, Twiskies!
Okay, let's start. Actually, there are so many versions of Orion's mythology. In Greek old mythology, Orion is a son of Poseidon, the sea god Euryale. But there is also another version that says that Orion is a son of Hyireus (son of Poseidon and Alcyone, one of Poseidon's Pleiades.) so, basically in this version, Orion is Poseidon's grandchildren. Also, beside these two versions, there is also another version from old American tribe that told about Orion being a hunter. Buuuut, in this article, I'll explain clearly the Greek version. let's get started!
So, Twiskies, Orion once worked for King Oinopion but was banished and blinded after raping his daughter Merope. Looks like Orion is a bad guy, right, Twiskies? But in this version, Orion is a then Orion sought the help of Hefaistos who lent his assistant, Keudalion to take Orion to see Helios who could restore his sight. Orion then rested on the island of Delos and became Artemis' best friend and most favored follower. Here's the complete lore, Twiskies.
Oenopion had offered the great hunter his daughter if he could rid the island of the nasty animals. Orion did, of course, but Oenopion, who despised losing his daughter, broke his pledge. He pretended there were still plenty of wild creatures on Chios.
Orion then stole his prize and attacked Merope in her room. When Oenopion learnt of the crime, he solicited the help of Dionysus and the god of wine to get Orion drunk, after which the satyrs blinded him. Fortunately for Orion, reaching the point where the sun god Helios first rose above the seas, far to the east, would restore his sight. So he rowed across the water. He took up Cedalion, a servant of Hephaistos.
When he arrived in Lemnos, Cedalion served as his guide throughout. Helios arrived at his destination and restored Orion's sight. Meanwhile, Eos, the goddess of dawn and Helios' sister, fell for the charming hunter, Orion. It is said that their affair caused the gorgeous shade of the morning light. But as for the death of Orion, there are three version of it, Twiskies.
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Scorpio Constellation
Source: Personal Document |
Version One: Orion's Arrogance Brings Him to His Death.
As for the first version, several ancient writers including Hyginus, Ovidius, and Hesiodos presented alternative accounts of Orion's demise that deviated from the more common Artemis narrative. In these versions, it was Gaia, the primordial Earth Mother and ancestress of all life, who orchestrated Orion's death. Two primary motivations drove Gaia's fatal intervention. Foremost was Orion's hubris—the mighty hunter had boasted of his prowess, declaring himself superior to even the divine huntress Artemis and her mother Leto. Such arrogance against the Olympian deities could not go unpunished.
Gaia, ever watchful and protective of cosmic order, was deeply disturbed by his presumptuous declarations. In her wisdom, she summoned forth Skorpio, a monstrous scorpion of enormous size and deadly potency, to humble the hunter. The creature emerged from the depths of the earth with pincers raised and venom primed, sent expressly to avenge Orion's transgression against divine hierarchy. The confrontation between the great hunter and the venomous arachnid would become immortalized in the heavens.
Version Two: Orion Being A Good Guy.
In this alternative telling, Orion's confrontation with Scorpio begins as an act of filial and chivalrous devotion. The mighty hunter positioned himself as guardian, shielding both his mother and the goddess Artemis from the venomous creature's assault. Though his intentions were noble, Gaia remained unmoved by this display of heroism, perceiving it merely as another manifestation of his underlying arrogance.
The Earth Mother, determined to humble the boastful hunter, commanded Scorpio to strike with lethal precision. As Orion fell to the scorpion's deadly sting, his courage in the face of certain doom captured the attention of Zeus himself. The king of gods, impressed by the hunter's valor even in death, granted him posthumous honor.
Artemis, perhaps harboring affection for the fallen hero, carried his form upward and placed him among the stars as a brilliant constellation. Yet Zeus, ever mindful of maintaining cosmic balance, positioned Scorpio nearby in the heavens—a perpetual celestial warning against the perils of hubris. Thus, throughout the annual celestial dance, when Scorpio rises ascendant in the night sky, Orion's stars noticeably diminish, an eternal reminder of mankind's proper place in the divine order.
Version Three: Orion and Artemis Are in Love
Another version of Hyginus is that Artemis and Orion fell in love with each other over time and Orion had the courage to propose to her. Artemis was so blinded by love that she accepted Orion's proposal without listening to Apollo who tried to warn her (in some versions Apollo warned Artemis because he was Eos' lover). But Artemis was too deaf to listen to Apollo who eventually got frustrated and tried another way to avoid the marriage of Artemis and Orion. Apollo asked Gaia to send a scorpion that chased Orion into the sea.
Apollo then challenged Artemis to show her archery skills. Without thinking because of his arrogance, Artemis shot a black object in the middle of the sea until the waves brought Orion's body ashore. The grieving Artemis wept over him and placed him in the sky. In revenge, Artemis killed Koronis, Apollo's lover.
Soooo, Twiskies, that was Orion's complete mythology. there are sooo many versions of Orion's death, but all of them involved the Scorpio. that's also the reason why Orion constellation always dimmed when the Scorpio constellation shines brightly in the night sky.
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