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Peter Davison
The Pleiades

Album US 2015 on Davisounds label
Electronic and Classical (New Age, Impressionist, Modern Classical, Neo-Classical)

The 7 daughters of Atlas and Pleione were so beautiful no man or God could look away. Zeus, in his jealousy and desire to protect the sisters turned them into doves and they flew into the sky becoming stars - The Pleiades constellation. 1. Maia Μαία the eldest of the daughters of Atlas and Pleione, said to be the most beautiful. Being shy, she lived quietly alone in a cave on Mount Cyllene. Zeus discovered the beautiful young woman and fell in love with her. He came to her cave at night, to make love to her away from the jealous eyes of his wife, Hera. As a result, Maia bore Zeus a son, Hermes. As a boy Hermes found a turtle and with its shell he created the lyre, like a harp. Later, Hermes stole some of Apollo’s oxen. Zeus stepped in and made Hermes give the lyre to Apollo in trade for the oxen, settling the crisis. Hermes became the messenger of Zeus and the Gods. Maia is a loving, caring person; a wonderful mother, sister and friend. There is a paricular bond between Maia the eldest and Merope the youngest. 2. Elektra Ηλέκτρα the second sister was a bright amber spirit. With Zeus she was the mother of Jasion and Dardanus. Her love for her children made her take a disastrous action. The Palladium was a wooden image of Pallas/Athena and was the protector of the city of Troy. Elektra took the Palladium to the city of Illium as a gift for Dardanus. This angered the Gods who set fire to Illium. When Elektra saw the city of her son perishing in flames, she tore out her hair for grief; her star in the Pleiades does not shine as brightly because of her deed. 3. Taygete Ταϋγέτη was the 3rd sister. With Zeus she gave birth to Lacedæmon, founder of Sparta. Taygete’s protectress was Artemis, the Mistress and Huntress of the Animals and the Forest. For the animals, to be hunted by Artemis was a high honor. The goddess turned Taygete into a doe with golden horns, the Cerynitian Hind. In this form, Taygete became the animal form of Artemis. Heracles’ (Hercules’) third Labor was to fetch the Golden Hind. Artemis as the Golden Hind fell in love with Heracles and began hunting him. This caused havoc in the Animal and Forest world. Eventually, she realized that what she was hunting for in Heracles was actually herself, her own divine spirit and she again became the Goddess, Artemis. The animal and forest world returned to normal. Taygete then was able to be herself and take her place in the Pleiades. "It is not easy to differentiate between the divine beast, the heroine and the goddess" says Pindar. (c. 522 – c. 443 BC). 4. Halcyon γαλήνιος the 4th sister, attracted the attention of Poseidon, God of the Ocean and bore him several children In some versions of her tale, she becomes the wife of Ceyx, King of Thessaly. Ceyx decides to sail across the sea to consult an oracle to find out if the gods are angry with him. Halcyone, fearing the dangers of such a voyage, begs him not to go. However, Ceyx sets out and, as Halcyone fears, drowns in a storm. Morpheus, the god of sleep and dreams, comes to Halcyone in a dream and tells her of her husband's death. Later when she sees his body washed up on shore, the gods transform both of them into kingfisher seabirds. Every winter Aeolus sends calm winds for a short time so that Halcyone can hatch her eggs in peace. From this story comes the expression "halcyon days," meaning a time of peace and joy. Halcyon’s spirit takes its place in the stars. 5. Celaeno Κελαινώ the 5th sister, was loved by Poseidon. With him she had four sons, Lycus, Nycteus. Eurypylus and Lycaon. She was also loved by Prometheus and had two sons, Lycus and Chimaereus. Her name means melon and she was fruitful. She is called the Lost Pleiad - her star is hard to find. Theon the Younger (c 335 – ca 405 BC) explained that she was struck by lightning! 6. Asterope Ἀστερόπη was the 6th sister. Her name means lighting, star, twinkling. There are many conflicting myths about her. My favorite example of these conflicting accounts is that she was the wife of Aisakos, a Trojan Prince with whom she had several children. Or, fleeing his amorous advances she stepped on a venomous snake and died, becoming one of the Pleiades. 7. Merope Μερόπη the 7th sister is the faintest of the stars because she was the only of the Pleiades to have married a mortal. Merope married Sisyphus, founder of the city of Ephyra (Corinth). Merope gave birth to 4 children. The star Merope is often called the “lost Pleiad” because she was at first not seen by astronomers or charted like her sisters. One myth says that she hid her face in shame because she had an affair with a mortal man, another says she went to Hades with her husband. Sisyphus was punished for chronic deceitfulness by being compelled to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down, and to repeat this action for eternity. Merope also means “bee eater” symbplizing the Queen; beeswax symbolizes shape shifting – a Queen who becomes a Star. 8. The Pleiades Πλειάδες The seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione were so beautiful no man or God could look away. The giant Orion chased them for seven years through the countryside. Zeus, in his jealousy and desire to protect the sisters turned them into doves who flew into the sky becoming stars. Zeus then turned Orion into the Hunter Stars, forever chasing the Pleiades.

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