Classical Greek gods allegorisedThe classical Greek gods allegorised. Date: 18th century
Queen Maeve / LeyendeckerQueen Maeve
The Song of the SirenTwo beautiful sirens sing their entrancing songs from their seats on some perilous rocks - their magic and beauty luring sailors to a terrible end... Date: 1932
Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life in Norse mythologyYggdrasil (Yggdrasill), the sacred ash, the Tree of Life, the Mundane Tree of Norse mythology, whose branches overhang the Universe
He was Jack Frost by Helen JacobsEnchanting illustration featuring a glistening Jack Frost lecturing a group of snowdrop fairies or pixies in a snow covered woodland glade
Philemon and Baucis, two hospitable cottagers, ask the gods that they may die together, so P is turned into an oak tree and B to a linden, their branches intertwining
Icarus & DaedalusDaedalus encouraged his son Icarus to fly from the island of Crete to the sun. But the sun melted the wax with which his wings were fastened on and Icarus fell into the sea
Freya in her ChariotIn Scandinavian mythology, the Goddess of love, marriage and the dead. She was the wife of Odin, and is the counterpart of Venus, and is sometimes identified as Frigg
Merlin & Vivien & TreeMerlin and Vivien rest under a massive tree
Odin and HoundsOdin (Wodan), Scandinavian supreme god of the dead etc with his hounds Hugin, Munin, Geri and Freki, fierce enough but they will not save him from the wolf Fenrir
Freia / RackhamFreia standing under a tree
Myth / Freyja & NecklaceFreyja and the necklace
Odysseus & Argos / BrownOdysseus is recognised by his dog, Argos
Kraken attacking ship during a stormA mythical Kraken attacking a sailing vessel during a storm
Achilles ShieldsTHE SHIELD OF ACHILLES in 12 Tables: 3 of a Town in Peace; 3 of a Town in War; 3 of Agriculture and 3 of Pastoral Life
Odin & Brunnhilde / LeckeOdin and Brunnhilde
Myth / German and NorseThe wolves Skoll (repulsion) and Hati (hate) pursue Sol (sun) and Mani (moon) across the skies; if they should catch them, the world will be plunged again into darkness
Laocoon Sculpture 2The Laocoon, antique marble sculpture by Hagesander, Polydorus and Athenodorus, of Rhodes: it was rediscovered in a vineyard in Rome in 1506, and is now in the Vatican. Date: 1st century BCE
FREYJAA powerful goddess who represents sexual freedom - she has many lovers among the gods
German and Norse MythFreya (Freija/Frigga) spinning the clouds
Lady Godiva rides her horse naked through the streets of Coventry while Peeping Tom looks on Date: 1860
Pandora and her BoxHephaistos created Pandora, on Zeuss orders, to bring ruin to mankind : married to Epimethus, she brought a box which when opened released all the evils
Eros / Cupid StothardThe Greek god of love : his Roman equivalent is CUPID. Here he is pointing a bow and arrow at a victim
Persephone & DemeterPersephone (Proserpina) is reunited for the Spring and Summer with her mother Demeter (Ceres) until each Autumn and Winter, when she must return to her husband Pluto (Hades)
Blue Bird (Bird Sirin) - Sergey Solomko. Date: circa 1903
Tortoise and Hare (Fol)The Hare and the Tortoise Date: 1912
Judi Trott as Maid MarionThe actress Judi Trott (b 1962) as Maid Marion in the popular 1980s television series Robin of Sherwood (1984-86)
Thor Fights the JotunesThe god Thor fights the giants (the Jotun or Jotune) from his chariot with his hammer, thunder & lightning
Fable / Wind and SunTHE WIND AND THE SUN Both disputed over who could cause the traveller to shed his cloak; the wind blew strongly, but in the suns gentle heat the man derobed
Portland vase in the British Museum. Cameo vase in blue and white glass with historical or mythological figures. Handcoloured copperplate engraving by Henry Moses from A Collection of Antique Vases
PERSEUS & MEDUSA PERSEUS & MEDUSAPERSEUS slays MEDUSA, not looking at her because to see her is fatal; his horse Pegasus also looks away
Pergamon Altar. Athena against the giant AlcyoneusPergamon Altar. Built by order of Eumenes II Soter. 164-156 BC by artists of the school of Pergamon. Marble and limestone. East frieze. Gigantomachy. Struggle between gods and giants
Prometheus carrying fire. Jan Cossiers (1600-1671). Oil On Canvas
Angerona GoddessA Roman goddess of obscure attributes : depicted here with finger to lips, she is also represented with her mouth bound, so there are connotations of secrecy
Hector & AndromacheHector and Andromache with their baby son, Astyanax (Scamandrios), held by a nursemaid. Hector asks the gods to make his son braver and stronger than himself
CARMENTARoman goddess of prophecy, protectress of women in childbirth
Icarus and DaedalusDaedalus and his son Icarus escape from Crete with man- made wings, but Icarus flies too near the sun : the heat melts the wax on his wings, plunging him into the sea
Herne the HunterHerne the hunter hangs himself because his hunting skill has been taken in payment for the miraculous cure of a mortal wound. But every night he leads a spectral hunt
FORTUNARoman goddess of luck and prosperity, carrying a cornucopia full of goodies
Dr Faustus FrontispieceDoctor Faustus
Spring-Heeled Jack winged monsterWinged man-monster who terrified residents of Blackheath and other London suburbs from 1837 for many years but was never caught Date: 1830s
Birth of AphroditeShe is born from the foam of the sea
Dante / Virgil Cross StyxCharon, the ferryman of the Styx, carries Dante and Virgil to the Underworld
Hypnos, God of SleepHYPNOS is the Greek god of sleep, known as SOMNUS to the Romans; he lives in a cave in the Cimmerian country where the sun never shines
Beowulf & DragonBeowulf, now an old man, uses his young companion Wiglafs shield to defend himself against the fire dragon
Zeus / JupiterZeus (Jupiter) and Hera (Juno) sit with his eagle, visited by Poseidon (Neptune) Hermes (Mercury) and his son (by Alkmene, not Hera, hence her gesture) Herakles
Medusa and PerseusThe only way to defeat Medusa is not to look at her : Perseus keeps his gaze averted as she seeks to destroy him
Achilles & PenthesileaAchilles pities Penthesilea after slaying her
