Cyclopes

iheartdragons

New Member
I never really understood about cyclopes other than that they were one eyed monsters, at least that's what I was told. No one ever told me the story behind them or what the purpose of their myth was.
 

LegendofJoe

Active Member
Just off the top of my head the Cyclopes do have a back story. They were the children of Earth and Heaven, along with other large powerful beings
as the Titans, at the beginning of time. Hephaistus used them as his workmen in his forge and helped him
create his marvelous inventions. The fact that they have one eye may be because many blacksmiths burnt out one of their eyes do to
the sparks that went flying when hammering red hot items. So the Cyclops are a representation of that.
In the Odyssey the Cyclopes are shepherds that would eat humans if you came into contact with them.
Cyclops literally means "wheel-eye."
 

iheartdragons

New Member
What a great story LegendofJoe, thanks for the thorough response. Interesting about the blacksmiths burning out their eye form the sparks. I don't like the eating of humans part, yuck.
 

Caelus

Member
The Kyklops were 2 species, the elders and the younger generation. Of the elder generation, Uranus and Gaia created 3, though some sources say they in turn had 4 sons between them, which Apollo later killed out of spite. Zeus had killed Apollo's son with his thunderbolt which the Kyklops brothers had fashioned for him. The younger kyklops are a completely different type of creature, their forfathers were part of a group collectively known as the storm gods.
 

fibi ducks

Active Member
are the cyclopses self centred? I think having one eye suggests seing oneself as the centre of the universe.
 

Toni

Active Member
According to Mythology the Cyclops forged thunderbolts for Zeus and inhabited the island of Sicily. I don't remember anything being said about them having two eyes. It's always been one. They do make great monsters though don't they?
 

Myrddin

Well-Known Member
According to Mythology the Cyclops forged thunderbolts for Zeus and inhabited the island of Sicily. I don't remember anything being said about them having two eyes. It's always been one. They do make great monsters though don't they?
Having one eye is what makes them Cyclopes'. Otherwise they would just be giants.
 

fibi ducks

Active Member
i saw a documenatary about how ancient people accounted for giant fossil bones and giant bones of extinct animals. lots of excellent explanations of ancient monsters - griffins, dragons and more. For the cyclopse there were skulls of great hairy elephant type animals in Greece. they have one big hole in the middle where the trunk joined the head. so that's the cyclopse skull.(?)
 

Nadai

Active Member
What about Argus; he had 100 eyes! They all functioned separately from one another so that when one eye slept the others would stay awake! He made such a great guard that Hera used him to guard Io after she was turned into a cow by Zeus and given to her as a gift. But poor Argus, just doing his job, was murdered by Hermes when he went to steal Io away. Hera felt so bad that she took his hundered eyes and put them into the feathers of her bird the peacock.
I would much rather be like Argus than a cyclops! Cyclopses had NO depth perception!
 

fibi ducks

Active Member
What about Argus; he had 100 eyes! They all functioned separately from one another so that when one eye slept the others would stay awake! He made such a great guard that Hera used him to guard Io after she was turned into a cow by Zeus and given to her as a gift. But poor Argus, just doing his job, was murdered by Hermes when he went to steal Io away. Hera felt so bad that she took his hundered eyes and put them into the feathers of her bird the peacock.
I would much rather be like Argus than a cyclops! Cyclopses had NO depth perception!
I have a big soft spot for Argus, and I just don't know why. Is it something to do with the idea of him snoozing? Or is it that he seems quite vulnerable - so many eyes to get a bit of dust in...
There wasn't any explanation for him in the tv program, they didn't mention him. The notes in my myth compendium say that he was based on some priesthood that had fifty members and therefore 100 eyes. I'm not convinced though.
 
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