The Gods Must Be Sexy

Three Obscure Greek Myths Laid Bare

Greek gods and the mythology surrounding them have been a part of the storytelling lexicon since their creation. They serve as some of the first stories shared in human history and continue to impact human life and culture as we know it today. Some myths have been embedded into public consciousness, such as The Odyssey or King Midas turning everything he touches into gold. While these myths maintain popularity for a reason, others remain known only to those who take the time to study Greek mythology. 

Let’s dive into some of these lesser-known myths and consider how they might be best adapted for a story or serve as inspiration for your next big idea. 

The Phallic Cult of Dionysus

Dionysus, the god of winemaking, festivity, insanity, and theatre—among other things—stars in many famous and important myths. For example, he plays a key role in Ariadne’s story. However, one part of his mythology less discussed is Dionysus’ quest to free his mother, Semele, from the Underworld. 

In order to travel there, Dionysus seeks the help of a shepherd named Prosymnus. As a reward for leading him on the correct path, Prosymnus requests the right to have sexual intercourse with Dionysus. The god agrees to this request, taking an oath to consummate it upon his return from Hades. But on his way back from the Underworld, Dionysus takes a different path and Prosymnus passes away. Still wanting to fulfill his oath, Dionysus goes to Prosymnus’ tomb, carves a piece of fig wood into the shape of the shepherd’s phallus, and simulates sex atop the tomb.

This raunchy tale explains the existence of a fig-wood phallus-shaped object found during the Dionysian Mysteries. It demonstrates the importance of not breaking oaths as well as Dionysus’ contributions to the creation of things often considered taboos. 

Here at Brink, we embrace the taboos and think this little piece of Dionysus’ mythology would make a funny, sexy addition to a longer story. In fact, because Dionysus encapsulates chaos, many of his lesser-known tales provide great fruit for all kinds of stories. A TV show depicting his antics or a comic focused on him would make for riveting storytelling.

Gender-Bending Justice

Perhaps best known for his role in The Odyssey wherein he guides Odysseus through the Underworld, Tiresias is a blind prophet who plays a role in many popular myths. However, his lesser known past and origins provide fruitful storytelling fodder. 

In his earlier years, before he becomes blind, Tiresias comes across a pair of copulating snakes and hits them with a stick. This displeases Hera, the goddess of marriage, women, and family, and the protector of women during childbirth. Known for being vengeful, Hera punishes Tiresias by transforming him into a woman. Tiresias thus becomes a priestess of Hera. He eventually marries and has children, passing the gift of prophecy onto his daughter Manto. After seven years of living as a woman, Hera finally changes Tiresias back into a man. 

Sometimes, this story is used to explain how Tiresias goes blind. Hera and Zeus argue over who experiences more pleasure during sex, women or men, with Hera arguing that it must be men. They ask Tiresias to answer this question, since he has lived as both, and Tiresias says women do, by far. Hera thus strikes him blind while Zeus gifts him prophecy and longevity.

This myth plays with concepts of gender, vengeance, and duty. While Tiresias appears in plenty of other adaptations—including Sophocles’ plays Oedipus Rex and Antigone—the story of his transformation and adaptation of life as a woman would be particularly fascinating to put to film, novel, or television. 

In fact, the story is reminiscent of the Korean drama Mr. Queen, wherein a man is put in a woman’s body and gets pregnant. This storyline could be viewed as the man’s punishment for misogyny, or it could be taken as an exploration of the fluidity of gender and what it means to give birth. Either way, the concept leads to interesting questions about, and reflections regarding, sex and gender.

The Calm During the Storm

In The Beautiful and Damned, F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “Halcyon days like boats drifting along slow-moving rivers; spring evenings full of a plaintive melancholy that made the past beautiful and bitter, bidding them look back and see that the loves of other summers long one were dead with the forgotten waltzes of their years.” 

This phrase, “halcyon days” in today’s context refers to “a happy or successful time in the past.” But its origins come from the Greek myth about Alcyone and Ceyx. 

Alcyone, a Thessalian princess, became the queen of Crete after marrying King Ceyx. She was also said to be the daughter of Aeolus, god of the winds. Alcyone and Ceyx’s marriage was a happy union. In fact, the two loved each other so much they often referred to one another as Zeus and Hera. Unfortunately, this sacreligious affection angered the gods, and so while Ceyx was at sea one day, Zeus killed him with a thunderbolt.

The god of dreams, Morpheus, disguised as Ceyx, visited Alcyone in a dream to tell her of her husband’s fate. In her grief, she threw herself into the sea. Feeling bad, the gods changed both her and Ceyx into “halcyon birds,” also known as common kingfishers, so that they could live the rest of their days together. When Alcyone, as a bird, needed to lay her eggs in the middle of winter, her father Aeolus calmed the winds and stopped the storms so she could land and safely deliver. This act of love led to the phrase “halcyon days,” referring more specifically to a period of days in the winter when the skies are clear and the winds die down. 

A story detailing love, hubris, and regret, Alycone and Ceyx’s myth has great potential to be turned into a larger work. Their devotion to each other, ultimately leading to their downfall, and the love a father has for his daughter has great potential to inspire poetry and song. 

The Realm of the Gods

Now that you’ve discovered three new myths about Greek gods and goddesses, do you feel inspired to write? If you’re looking for even more inspiration, take a peek at the latest issue of F(r)iction, on sale now.