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Alcyone
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about one figure of Ancient Greek mythology. For the star, see Alcyone (star). For the Pleid see Alcyone (Pleiades) For other uses, see Alcyone (disambiguation).
Alcyone (Greek: Ἁλκυόνη) was a Greek demi-goddess. She was the daughter of Aeolus and wife of Ceyx, she had a son called Eosphorus and the king of Thessaly. They were very happy together, but, when Ceyx perished in a shipwreck, Alcyone (whose name means "queen who wards off storms") threw herself into the sea. Out of compassion, the gods changed them into the halcyon birds. When Alcyone made her nest on the beach, waves threatened to destroy it. Aeolus restrained his winds and made the waves be calm during seven days in each year, so she could lay her eggs. These became known as the "halcyon days", when storms never occur. The halcyon has become a symbol of tranquillity.
With Anthedon, she became the mother of Glaucus.
Ovid: Metamorphoses XI, 410ff. et passim.
