Apollo and Artemis… Lars and I

Here on the island of Mykonos, dotted with the picturesque blue and white buildings of the Greek Isles, I look across the Mediterranean to the tiny island of Delos. On the island of Delos, the birthplace of Apollo and his twin sister, Artemis, the children of the God Zeus and the Titaness Leto, sits one of the many sacred archeological sites in Greece. The only inhabitants are the gods themselves. The island holds a temple dedicated to the brother-sister duo that are know for their love and protectiveness toward each other. Here, in Greece, the bond of a brother and sister is one not to be tampered with or taken lightly. This bond is something god-like, unbreakable by any circumstance. Every restaurant, travel agency, hotel and bar is either owned or operated by sibling and cousins. The family is of utmost impotence in daily Greek life. On the streets, in the cafes and everywhere you turn you see brothers and sisters laughing and fighting, loving and sharing life. The family unit is much like the pantheon of Greek Gods, a mess of drama and rivalry held together by love and overwhelming protectiveness.

Almost all of the stories of Apollo and Artemis are about how they protect and love each other. In one, Artemis is fighting off two brothers trying to rape her. Just in the nick of time Apollo sends a deer between the two brothers. The brothers shoot for the deer, miss, and accidentally kill each other. In another Artemis and Apollo team up to kill the giant Tityus after trying to rape their mother, Leto. Many stories tell of the brother-sister duo avenging their mother’s honor by killing off any being trying to bring harm upon her. Defending family honor is the responsibility of every sibling in Greece. If any man is rude or inappropriate to a Greek women, he better be ready for the wrath of her brothers. It goes for any women, if you break a boy’s heart you better know his sisters will hunt you down!

I see myself and my brother, Lars, mirrored in every story of Artemis and Apollo. Apollo is the god of youth, music and healing. Lars, my younger brother is a musician with one of the biggest hearts I have ever encountered. He has always been concerned with the well being of others, stopping his own life to care for those around him, healing them with his music and kind words. Lars, without a second thought, has many times offered to kill the men that have broken my heart. He would gladly but himself in danger to protect my honor and safety just as Apollo would for his sister, Artemis. Artemis, the goddess of wild animals and the hunt reminds me of my own love for the wildness of nature. I have lived most of my adult life in the wilderness of Idaho and Montana hiking and fly-fishing their great mountains and rivers. As a team, Artemis and Apollo and Lars and I, have taken on the world, protecting our families and each other. The myths of family ties of the gods and the myths of my family ties are one in the same; love and protection rule the family here and on Mt. Olympus.

PS: Lolas blog is.... www.medicineandmythology.wordpress.com

and her Fliker is....http://www.flickr.com/photos/medicineandmythology

And my Flicker, that has been taking WAY too long to upload is...www.flikr.com/photos/andreaerpenbach