Hymn to Artemis
Awaken, Muse –
And speak
Of the long-suffering foolishness of a man,
Weak enough to fall prey to his desires.
Tell me, Muse,
The tale of fair-tressed Artemis,
Deadly huntress and daughter of favored Leto.
Born on the isle of Ortygia, hidden from the eyes
Of Hera, the queen of the immortal gods
And consort to lightening-wielding Zeus.
Twin of Apollo, god of the sun and giver of light.
Speak, Immortal One,
Of the lusting hunter Actaeon, who dared
To look upon virgin Artemis in all her glory.
Sister of far-shooter Phoebus Apollo, with
Shafts of gold filling her quiver and a bow,
Curved and supple, forged by Hephaestus,
Crippled patron of craftsmen. Reveling in the
Clear cool waters of Gargaphia, Artemis,
Goddess of the hunt and wild things, bathed.
Hunting, grandson of Cadmus, Actaeon,
Trained by the centaur Chiron, stopped.
Hearing the quiet laughter of children, the
Twinkling sounds of bells as water flows
Over orbs of purest glass, the mortal man
Quieted his hounds. Creeping closer, hidden
In the shadows of green leafy bushes, Actaeon
Watched, mesmerized. Waterfalls of light
Cascaded down around the goddess of the hunt,
Framing her supple body in a golden shower.
Nymphs splashed playfully in the shallows,
Companions to the shooter of stags. Naiades,
Daughters of Amnisus, twenty all in count,
Virgins in their prime, young and innocent.
Arethusa, Britomartis, Nephele, Maera, Rhanis,
Aura, Pheraea, Hyale and Callisto, most favored
Of all attendants to great Artemis, protectress
Of the innocent and bold of heart.
The crackle of leaves underfoot, the snap
Of a dry branch, stopped all revelry. Cautious
Looks and fearful glances roamed surrounding
Trees, searching for the source of the noise.
Sharp and piercing, the goddess’s gaze lit upon
A spot of color in the bushes. Blue and bright,
A contrast against the leafy green bowers.
Stringing her bow with nimble fingers, healer
And mistress of death, Artemis drew a shaft
Back, releasing the quarrel into the bushes.
A moment of silence, then the quick fluttering
Of wings, as a jay flew from a tattered nest.
Sighs of relief followed the maidens, pure in
Their hearts, all. Laughter ensued, ending
All worries. Yet unknown to all, Actaeon,
Mortal hunter and defiler of the beauty
Of virgin Artemis, watched with greater
Interest. Such precision of aim only spurred
His lust on further. Nothing could persuade
The student of Chiron to look away, not even
The threat of death, for those who looked upon
Artemis’ untouched body could never leave to
Tell of the tale. Immune to Aphrodite’s wiles,
At home in the wilderness, fair-haired huntress
Of the night, Artemis continued with a watchful
Eye. Every sound and movement caught
Her attention, wary and watchful.
Feeling the gaze of the goddess, Actaeon
Stepped out from the shelter of the bushes.
Panic followed his appearance in the
Sheltered glade, hidden from prying eyes.
Intruding upon the calm serenity of the
Maidens of the river and their mistress,
Twin to chariot-riding Apollo, the hunter
Approached with desire in his steps.
Flocking round, naiades all, hid their
Friend and companion from sight.
Anger roused the goddess to fury,
So waving all her handmaidens off,
Far-shooting Artemis beckoned the
Hunter close. Cyprian Aphrodite guided
His steps, bringing him toward the dread
Goddess of the hunt. All worries left,
For only the beauty of the goddess
Could placate the desires coursing
Through his veins, driving him to
Foolishness and the beckoning hands
Of Aidoneus, lord of many and commander
Of the underworld.
Masking her distaste, Artemis, pure in
Thought and form, wove a spell of
Entrapment for the misguided hunter.
Confusion and change followed Actaeon,
Believing the goddess to welcome
Him with open arms. A fierce smile
Upon her lips, the huntress washed her
Hands in the spring of Gargaphia. Clean
And untouched by the lustful thoughts
Of Actaeon, mortal hunter of beasts,
Artemis beckoned her companions close.
Puzzled and unsteady, Actaeon stepped
Nimbly to the water’s edge, leaning in
For a drink of clear, clean water. Short
Fur and full antlers met his eyes. Backing
Away in panic, he ran from the goddess of
Wild animals, fearing her wrath. Soon,
The baying of hounds followed on his path,
Scenting young flesh and salty blood.
Feeling eyes watch his flight of terror,
The stag, young and foolish, looked back.
Hounds of once human Actaeon chased
Their master through the trees, seeing only
What the virgin goddess of the hunt desired.
A faulty step, a misplaced stone, tripped
Unsteady Actaeon, leaving him prey to the
Jaws of his faithful hounds. Pleading, cajoling,
The grandson of Cadmus, kicked futilely, only
To fall back on the ground, victim to
His own foolish endeavors. Cheering on the hounds,
Artemis of the golden bow, watched in satisfaction
As the man who dared to look upon her
Splendid nakedness left the world
Of the living and slipped onto the raft for
Hades, flowing swiftly on the
Three-headed Cerberus, guardian of unruly spirits
And the gates of the underworld.
Calling back the dogs with a whistle,
The daughter of blessed Leto, closed
Her eyes to the slaughter and turned
Her back to the mangled body of Actaeon.
Accompanied by her favored companions,
Artemis returned to the glade with
Animals following in her footsteps.
And so, I bow down before your beauty,
Deadly goddess of the hunt, virgin and
Protector of the innocent. Now, I turn
To another tale of love and life, ending
Your tale of change and praise.
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