Explanation of the Myth of Halcyon. Author María Koutsantonaki, teacher of the 2º Genikó Lykeiou Pyrgou for the Erasmus+ project "Mythology in Our Language"

2. Ο μύθος της Αλκυόνης και οι
αλκυονίδες μέρες
The myth of Halcyon and Halcyon's days

3. Halcyon was the daughter of Aeolus ,god of winds
and she lived at the sea shores with her husband
Kifka . The couple felt so loved and happy ,so they
likened themselves to the pair of gods, Zeus and
Hera.

4. For their insult, Zeus raged so much ,so he decided to
punish them. He transformed Kifka into vulture.

5. Halcyon without knowing what had happened ran
everywhere crazy to find her beloved husband. The
Olympian Gods saddened and transformed her into the
seabird ,Halcyon, who seeks her missing husband in the sea .

6. Halcyon's misfortune, however, did not stop here. Contrary to
other birds that give birth in the spring ,Halcyon gives birth
during the heavy winter ,when the ragging waves of the sea
grab the eggs of baby birds and that makes her cry
heartbreakingly.

7. Once again Olympian
Gods felt sorry for her.
Zeus commanded the
winds to abate for
consecutive 15 days in
January and the sun
warms the nature so
that Halcyon can be
able to sitter her eggs.

8. So next time that you might listen about Halcyon's days
remember about the myth our ancestors made. This myth tries
to explain why in Greece in January in the heart of winter we
have 15 days of good and warm weather.