Greek Mythology Research
Narcissus:
Son of Cephissus, the river god, Narcissus was a hunter in Greek mythology. He was admired by many because of his appearance, and caught the attention of a Echo, the Oread nymph. She follows Narcissus through the woods as he hunts, he notices her. However, when Echo tries to hug him and express her feelings, Narcissus demands not to be disturbed. Echo wanders around the woods in despair, until there's nothing left of her but an echo sound.
There are similar themes to this story to the ideas surrounding Armilla. What if echo is a nymph from armilla? Narcissism could be an issue within societies inhabiting the city, which could be why Narcissus is so distracted by his own looks and reflection, casting away any love interests. incorporating echoes' into the city of armilla would be an interesting characteristic, and metal materials often bounce noises. How would this look in a visual concept? Greek architecture would be an interesting addition to Armilla, it would also make the contrast of modern metal and god statues (Hercules) less jarring and more fluent.
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| Greek Architecture |
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| Echo the Nymph |
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| Narcissus, God of Hunting |
Hylas:
Another character from Greek Mythology. Hylas was a young man who served as Heracles' friend, servant and lover. His abduction by water Nymphs has been retold through western art as paintings. Theocritus wrote about the love between Heracles/ Hercules and Hylas, stating that "We are not the first mortals to see beauty in what is beautiful", which could link to the nymphs of Armilla and their love of water. Could this quote refer to the human inhabitants that lived in the city before them? Hylas was never recovered from his capture by the water nymphs because he had also fallen in love with them, as they had with him. Hylas remained with the nymphs "to share their power and their love".
If I was to link Hylas to my Armilla interpretation, Hylas would be a crucial part of the cities history, as he loves the nymphs. Hercules could be seen as an enemy, since he was a past lover of Hylas. In previous interpretations of this city, Hercules was the main god of the city, but maybe it should be Hylas? Armilla should include statues of him rather than the God of the sea.
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| Water Nymphs |
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| Hylas And The Nymphs |
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