Tell Me a Story: Artemis And Orion (a Greek myth)

Artemis, like her twin brother, Apollo, was born for greatness. From birth she knew she wished nothing more than to be a great huntress and to live in the mountains and forests of Arcadia hunting and exploring. Naturally her father, the mighty Zeus, granted his daughter's wish. He also gave her seven nymphs to protect her. The Cylops gave Artemis a bow and arrows made of pure silver. Pan gave her hounds to help in her hunt. Soon Artemis' skills as an archer rivaled even those of Apollo, and like her brother, she became a fierce competitor.

Artemis spent her days and nights hunting. She could love with the heat of a thousand fires, but she also could be cold and unforgiving. Her reputation and her longing for solitude were fierce, and mortals stayed clear of her. No one wished to upset the Moon Goddess, and so in the silent forests she hunted while the nymphs laughed and played.

One day Artemis was bathing in the sacred pool when a young man named Actaeon happened to walk past. He had heard tales of the goddess, of course, but never had he imagined she was so beautiful. He stood entranced, staring, unable to move, hardly able to breathe.

When Artemis turned, she saw him standing there. Furious, she hurled a handful of water at him, and as the droplets touched his skin, he was transformed into a mighty stag. Then Artemis whistled for her hounds, and they raced toward her. Unaware this stag had once been young Actaeon, they tore him apart.

The story of Actaeon's death traveled everywhere, but one famous hunter, Orion, did not care. He was unafraid of anyone or anything, and besides he could not resist the lure of these woods, for he had fallen passionately in love with Merope, one of the nymphs. Wherever she wandered, he followed.

Still, he was careful to keep his distance from the goddess. But one day as he and his dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor, were hunting, he suddenly caught sight of something white in the bushes. Thinking this was a flock of rare birds, he moved in stealthily. When he was near, a flash of white swept past him, and that's when he saw these were no birds but the seven nymphs dressed in white tunics.

Off they ran, Orion chasing them. They were fast as the wind, but so was Orion, and he was big and strong. Then, just as he reached out to grab Merope's tunic, Artemis heard her cry for help, and just in time, she transformed the nymphs into seven white doves. Up and up and up they flew, into the bright winter sky.

As they sailed higher and higher, Artemis sought Zeus' help to protect them. Magically, the nymphs were transformed into a cluster of seven stars, and forever afterward they lived together in the sky, and people called them Pleiades, or the "Seven Sisters."

The goddess turned on Orion, but when she saw how strong and brave and quick and beautiful he was, she was dazzled. Before long they were hunting together, challenging each other to races and archery contests. At night they sat by a fire and told each other stories, and their laughter filled the forest. Soon they were fast friends.

Apollo loved his sister dearly, but he was vain, and he grew jealous of this friendship. "How can you love a mere mortal?" he asked Artemis.

"He is heroic," she told her brother. This infuriated Apollo.

One night Orion was asleep when he dreamed that a giant scorpion rose from the forest floor to challenge him. Orion reached for his sword and struck the creature, but he could not pierce its armor. All night long he fought the monster. Just before he woke, the deadly sting of the scorpion barely missed piercing his heart.

Orion sat up drenched in sweat. "Ah," he sighed in relief, "only a dream," and he walked outside. But there, to his horror, stood the giant scorpion of his dream. Apollo had sent him to kill Orion.

A great battled ensued, and once again Orion could not pierce the scorpion's armor. The creature charged and circled, and charged again, moving closer and closer, backing Orion toward the sea. Orion turned and plunged into the water, and as fast as he could, he swam far from shore.

Meanwhile, Apollo went to see his sister. He told her that an evil man named Candaeon had attacked one of the forest priestesses and that Candaeon was trying to escape by swimming across the sea, hoping to escape Artemis' fury.

The goddess was enraged. Someone had attacked one of her own? She could not bear such an idea, so she raced to the sea, Apollo close behind. When they reached the shore, Apollo pointed in the distance at a tiny speck upon the water. "That is him," he said, though in truth the head he pointed to was Artemis' beloved Orion.

Artemis loosed her arrow with unerring accuracy, and that arrow made its mark.

Apollo's relief alarmed his sister. "Whom have I killed?" she asked, and when she learned she had killed her true friend, she frantically swam out to sea to retrieve his body.

But she was too late. Orion's spirit had already departed.

Tenderly, and with great sadness, the Moon Goddess took Orion's body in her silver moon chariot and placed him in the sky as a tribute to their friendship. To this day there he remains, his faithful hounds, Canis Major and Canis Minor, beside him.

"Tell Me a Story 2: Animal Magic," the second CD in the audiobook series, is now available. For more information, visit www.mythsandtales.com.