At last, Hermes approached and greeted Chiron with great deference. He said:
“Good morning, venerable teacher, I have just come to pay you my respects, for your renown has reached even my ears.”
The old Centaur ran his fingers through his long white beard, and smiled:
“Your words do me honour, messenger god, I am but a modest tutor. Come along, and I will introduce you to my pupils.” This is how Hermes found himself face to face with Jason. “This one was entrusted to me when he was four months old,” explained Chiron. “Soon, he will be eighteen years old. He will be able to leave and go into the world. I have complete faith in him.”
Hermes instantly liked the honesty in Jason’s eyes. One could sense in that face a yearning for life and the world.
“If you ever have need of me one day,” he said to Jason, “do not hesitate to send for me.” Hermes spent the evening with the old teacher and then he returned to Olympus reassured. He could feel proud that his sons would be accompanying this courageous young man.
That night, Hermes had hardly left the Centaur’s cave when old Chiron approached Jason. The young man was whittling part of a reed to a point with his knife. He was fashioning a long, sharp tip to use as a spear. Chiron sat by his side.
“Jason, you are now old enough to know the whole truth about your story. You are a king’s son. Your father was king of Iolcus. But your uncle Pelias took his kingdom. And so that you might never reclaim it from him, he sought to kill you. Your parents entrusted you to me to save you from this horrid Pelias.”
When he heard these words, Jason stopped his whittling. He stood up, threw his point to the ground, and said simply:
“Well, then, it is about time I went and put things right. Pelias must return my kingdom back to me. And believe me, Chiron, he shall give it back to me!”
Old Chiron smiled under his beard. He had expected no lesser reaction from this pupil whom he loved so much.
“I will leave tomorrow,” Jason said to him, gazing far into the distance.
“I do not need to wish you to be brave when you face your enemies,” Chiron replied, “for you do not lack courage. But never forget that a king’s son must always come to the aid of others. Be brotherly, my child, and you shall overcome every danger.”
Would the advice of the old Centaur suffice to make Jason victorious?
To be continued…
EPISODE 76
IN WHICH JASON BUILDS THE SHIP OF THE ARGONAUTS
Previously: Hermes went to meet young Jason, who had been raised by the old Centaur Chiron. Jason has just been told that his uncle had stolen his kingdom and he decides to go away without delay and reclaim it from him.
Jason had never left old Chiron’s side. On that particular morning, the sun had barely risen when he set off on his journey. His long, curly hair floated loose on his shoulders. He was clad in a leopard’s skin, a parting gift from his old teacher. And in each hand he carried a spear he had carved himself. Chiron looked at him go. His gait was proud and light. The world awaited him.
Soon Jason came to the banks of a bubbling torrent. The waters had overflown and were cutting off the road. A very old woman was sitting on a stone by the roadside. She was dressed in old, bedraggled clothes and she trembled like a leaf. When he saw her, Jason took pity on her. He said to her: “Hey, old woman, would you like me to help you cross the torrent? Climb on my back and hold on tight.” The old woman accepted and knotted her arms around the young man’s neck. Jason entered the icy waters. The old woman, for all that she had been trembling a moment ago, was clutching Jason’s throat with astonishing strength. The current was strong, but Jason was even stronger. Suddenly his foot sank in the mud, and so that he would not fall into the stream, he tugged sharply at his leg. His sandal was torn from his foot and remained in the torrent, but he managed to cross and set the old woman down on the opposite bank. She was no longer trembling. Her glittering eyes were staring hard at the young man. She thanked him and left. Jason was unaware that he had just carried on his back the goddess Hera, the wife of Zeus. She had wished to put his generosity to the test. His behaviour had won her over: from that moment on Jason would be under her protection.
After he had walked for a long time, Jason arrived at Iolcus. No one knew him there and yet everyone turned around as he passed. And what is more, everyone smiled at him, to Jason’s great astonishment. An oracle had predicted to the cruel king Pelias that he would be overthrown by a stranger who would arrive wearing only one sandal on his feet. The inhabitants of Iolcus detested King Pelias, and they hailed Jason with his solitary sandal as the one who would rid them of Pelias.
When Jason arrived at the palace, Pelias received him trembling. He could not take his eyes off the feet of the young man. Jason revealed his identity right away:
“Good morning, uncle, I am Jason, your brother’s son. I have not come to seek a quarrel with you. You may keep your riches, you only have to return to me my throne and my kingdom.”
Pelias had no desire at all to oppose Jason. Yet he was even less willing to return the throne to him. He therefore proposed the following:
“Nephew, in order to be king, you must prove your mettle. I shall return to you your throne if you can prove to me that you are worthy of it. Bring me back the Golden Fleece, and I shall cede my place to you.”
This Golden Fleece was very far away, in a country called Colchis. And, what is more, it was guarded by a ferocious dragon. Pelias was certain to be rid of Jason in this manner for all eternity. Yet he obviously did not know his nephew very well. Jason replied in a clear voice:
“Have no fear, Pelias, I shall return, with the Golden Fleece!” Then he left the palace, to prepare his departure.
The news spread very quickly across the entire land. Many a brave youth yearning for adventures volunteered to accompany Jason. During the months which followed, Jason assembled around him a company of fifty young men, ready to follow him to life or death. At the same time, he had been building an enormous ship, the biggest and the most beautiful of all the vessels that had ever sailed the seas. Jason decided to go and seek for the prow of the ship an old oak tree which had spent its life near Chiron. He hoped that he would take with him in this manner a little of his old teacher’s wisdom. And in fact, once the huge tree trunk was in place at the front of the ship, every time Jason huddled beside it at night the tree would begin to speak and counsel him. Thus was this ship built, which was given the name Argo. And the company of Jason’s men were called the Argonauts.
The ship was ready to depart. The last cases of food were being loaded when two young boys presented themselves. They were two brothers. They were quite young and frail, and Jason frowned.
“In what way could you be useful to me?” he asked.
“You need someone to sing and tell of the adventures you shall experience,” replied the first.
“You need someone to carry all your messages,” added the other.
Jason smiled; and he accepted. He had just received on board with him Echion and Eurytus, the two sons of Hermes. As the worthy sons of their father, they had grown up in no time at all. Some hours after his birth, Hermes had already been walking. Some months after their own, Echion and Eurytus were young adolescents.
“We are now ready,” cried Jason, “cast off the mooring ropes, and let us set out on the quest for the Golden Fleece!”
To be continued…
EPISODE 77
IN WHICH THE ARGONAUTS REACH THE ISLAND OF WOMEN
Previously: Jason has come to reclaim his kingdom from his uncle Pelias. He in turn has asked him to bring back to him the Golden Fleece. Jason has therefore organized a great expedition. He has had an enormous ship built, the Argo, and has taken fifty-two companions on board.
The shore was full of people when the Argo took to the sea.
Hermes had slipped amidst the crowd to witness the great departure. He had recognized his sons among the Argonauts sitting at the oars and he
was very proud of them. Soon, a melodious music could be heard. It was one of the Argonauts playing the lyre. Hermes drew nearer and to his joy he recognized Orpheus. Right then, one might have said that it was Orpheus’ music which was gently pushing the enormous ship towards the open sea. Everyone applauded and Hermes was among the first to rejoice at this spectacle.
Jason and his friends rowed with great zeal. The Argo was making fast progress. After some weeks, food began to grow scarce. Jason decided to bring the ship into berth at an island. Warriors in full armour began to appear on the shore where the Argonauts were going to disembark. Jason had no desire to fight, but they needed to restock with provisions. Little Echion was then seen sidling through to the front line; he leapt onto the ground and approached the warriors: “Noble inhabitants of this island, we have not come here as foes, we are the Argonauts. And if it so pleases you, I shall go ahead and tell you our story…” Startled, the warriors lowered their spears and their shields. Their faces remained concealed behind the visors of their helmets, but they appeared to be listening to the frail young man. Echion then told them the story of Jason, whose kingdom had been usurped by Pelias; then about the way in which the Argo had been built. He did not omit a single detail and he spoke for a long, long time. “Fifty-two of us left from Iolcus, and our leader is called Jason. He is noble and valiant and we must go and conquer the Golden Fleece, which is guarded by a dragon.” When Echion had finished telling his whole story, the warriors no longer had any desire to fight. They threw their weapons on the ground and removed their helmets. And what did the Argonauts discover then? That the warriors were women! All of them women! On that island, men had cruelly mistreated their wives. So one day the women had killed all the men, and they had lived since only among themselves, wearing their husbands’ armour to defend themselves.
“Is there no woman among the Argonauts?” asked the queen, surprised.
“Yes, there is, me!” replied a female voice. The Argonauts stepped aside, letting a young beauty get through who was dressed like a man. “My name is Atalanta,” she said.
Atalanta was a redhead, clear-skinned and with green eyes. She was a champion at hunting and at the foot race. No one had ever succeeded in defeating her, not even a man. She was fearless and as sturdy as a rock. She had pleaded so hard with Jason that in the end he had agreed to take her on board. The queen of Lemnos appreciated the fact that Jason had taken a woman with him in his company. “Welcome to all of you,” she said. Now everyone on that shore was laughing. The women of Lemnos led the Argonauts to their homes. They ate and they drank and they slept as much as they wanted. The women were not in a hurry to see them leave, and time went by in this manner.
One man alone had stayed on board the ship, and that was Orpheus. He was always thinking of Eurydice, his lost love, and he did not wish to be received by any other woman. Every evening, he played the lyre. After some long nights spent in this way, Orpheus began to feel anxious. And what if this island were a trap? What if the Argonauts never left the arms of the women of Lemnos? He decided therefore to play a more fiery music, an impatient and restless music. A music which told of the sea and of the great horizon. He played the whole night through. Jason heard the song of Orpheus and a shiver ran through him, that of adventure. He stood up and went to knock on the doors of the houses where his companions slept. “Come on, we are leaving again, the Golden Fleece awaits us!” Despite the tears and the supplications of the women, the Argonauts took to the sea once more.
Jason was happy to be sailing again. On the following night, he went to speak to the great oak. “We almost allowed ourselves to be seduced by the sweetness of life,” Jason said to it. “I had not foreseen that sort of danger! Do you see any other peril lying in wait for us?”
In a soft murmur the old tree replied: “Beware of the black shadows…”
To be continued…
EPISODE 78
IN WHICH HERACLES CLASHES WITH THE GIANT SHADOWS
Previously: The ship of the Argonauts arrived at Lemnos, the island of women, and it almost did not leave again! Yet now it is sailing once more towards the land of the Golden Fleece.
The journey was progressing well. The rowers were joyful, the air was pure and the sky very blue. Jason was happy to be the leader of this band of jovial and brave companions. The sea did not scare them. This is how the Argo arrived at the country of the Doliones. A long strip of land protruded into the sea and a harbour had been built there. The king of the country came to greet them himself. He was richly dressed, for this was his wedding day. “Be welcome, and come with me to enjoy yourselves!” he said to Jason and his friends, leading them all the way to his wedding banquet. Only Heracles remained on board to keep watch on the ship. All along the way to the king’s palace, Jason could not stop looking at an imposing black mountain which towered above them not too far away. He remembered the words of the old oak: “Beware of the black shadows.” “You seem somewhat preoccupied,” said the king, astonished. “This black mountain will not harm you in the least, for no harm will come to you in my house.” Jason threw back his long hair, took a deep breath and chased away his dark thoughts. The wedding celebrations were magnificent.
Night had fallen on the small harbour. Heracles had dozed off on the ship’s deck. He did not see the enormous shadows, which now crept in the town’s streets, approach. It was as though these Giants had emerged from the belly of the black mountain. They were walking slowly towards the ship. The whole town was revelling at the palace, the streets were deserted. Only one young Argonaut, called Hylas, sneaked out of the palace just then. He was Heracles’ equerry and the affection they had for one another was so great that the young boy had decided to leave the banquet to go and keep Heracles company. He was bringing him an amphora of wine to drink. When he saw these enormous creeping masses passing in front of him, Hylas barely had enough time to shrink back so as not to get squashed. The hair on his head stood on end! These Giants had six arms each. They were horrid to look at, and they were walking towards the harbour. In spite of his fear, Hylas pressed against the walls and hurried to reach the ship before the Giants did. Fortunately for him, it was a moonless night. He jumped on the ship’s deck just as the first Giant arrived. Quickly, he woke up Heracles: “Pick up your club! We are being attacked by an army of Giants!” he yelled. Heracles woke up with a start, sprang to his feet and without a moment’s thought began to swirl his club in front of him. It smashed the skull of the first Giant, who was getting ready to clamber aboard the ship. Heracles knocked out the Giants one by one, without even giving them the time to move their horrid arms. Soon the ship’s deck was covered with Giants. Hylas, horrified, ran to the palace to warn Jason. But by the time the Argonauts arrived, Heracles had already won the combat. Piles of Giants were lying on the ground.
Before everyone’s stupefied eyes, Heracles simply said: “I am feeling a little peckish now, to be honest; you wouldn’t happen to have something for me to eat?”
The king and his subjects burst out with joy: the Giants of the black mountain had been vanquished for the first time.
“Why didn’t you warn us of the existence of these monsters?” asked Jason, bewildered.
“Please do not hold it against me,” the king apologized, “but we like receiving guests so very much! And no one ever dares to pay us a visit because of these Giants, who attack all strangers. I was afraid that you would have left in a hurry… The Giants caused us no harm, but they have prevented us from receiving passing guests for a great many centuries now.”
After many days of feasting with the Doliones, the Argo took to the sea once more.
To be continued…
EPISODE 79
IN WHICH GREAT MISFORTUNES BEFALL THE ARGONAUTS
Previously: While the king of the Doliones was receiving the Argonauts in his palace, an army of gigantic shadows with six arms attacked the ship. But Heracles has succeeded in putting them all to flight.
Since the beginning of th
eir journey, the Argonauts had encountered a very friendly sea. But after their departure from the land of the Doliones, everything changed. Was Poseidon vexed with this company of young men who seemed to fear nothing? He caused a violent storm to rise. The sea became turbulent and the waves heaved up the Argo on every side. The ship would plunge into the waters and come out again valiantly, yet no one could steer it any longer. Jason, besieged by dark thoughts, decided to question the talking oak in order to learn their future. Yet the oak only replied: “You shall lose several of your companions at your next stop.” In the days that followed the storm died down somewhat, but Jason’s face remained preoccupied. Poseidon was satisfied to see these young men stop laughing and jesting at last.
It was in this sad state of mind that they brought the ship to berth close to a forest to spend the night. Heracles decided to take advantage of this opportunity to go and fetch wood in order to carve himself a new oar, for his own had been broken during the tempest. He took with him Hylas, his young equerry. “In that case, take this pitcher with you,” shouted one of the Argonauts to the youngster, “and bring us back some fresh water!” While Heracles was felling trees, looking for the best wood for his oar, Hylas went into the undergrowth to look for a spring. He wandered a little farther away from the clearing where Heracles was cutting his wood, and he very quickly found a beautiful spring of cool water. Thrilled with his discovery, Hylas plunged his pitcher into the water. But he did not know that several nymphs lived in that spring. They saw the handsome youth bending down above them, and they thought that his beauty was so very tender, so perfect, that they immediately decided to lure him towards them. They quickly seized him by the neck and dragged him to the bottom of their spring. Hylas only had time to let out a scream and he disappeared deep into the waters. This scream reached the ears of Heracles, who sprang to his feet and began to run through the forest in every direction searching for his equerry. “Hylas! Hylas!” Heracles cried. Only the birds of the forest replied to his calls, however. Filled with despair, he ran like a madman right and left, rummaging inside every tuft of grass, wandering farther and farther away from the ship and from the Argonauts.
The Adventures of Hermes, God of Thieves Page 20