Ariadne: The Mesmerising Sunday Times Bestselling Retelling of Ancient Greek Myth

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No longer was my world one of brave heroes; I was learning all too swiftly the women's pain that throbbed unspoken through the tales of their feats." In her novel Ariadne, Jennifer Saint retells events from the life of the mythological title figure. In Greek mythology, Ariadne is known for helping the hero Theseus slay the Minotaur — a beast who was the offspring of Ariadne's mother and a bull — and find his way out of the Labyrinth, the maze beneath her father's palace. In some versions of this story, she is said to have later caught the attention of Dionysus, the god of wine, who fell in love with her and married her. When we think of Greek myths we think of vengeful gods, legendary heroes, sweeping love affairs and dastardly deeds. They are transformative tales which explore the full range of human experience so it is hardly surprising that writers continually turn to them for inspiration. There are also festivals held in Cyprus and Naxos in Ariadne's honor. [3] [4] Etymology [ edit ] Bacchus and Ariadne by Titian: Dionysus discovers Ariadne on the shore of Naxos. The painting also depicts the constellation named after Ariadne. [5]

Were you familiar with these characters and myths already? Did any of the portrayals surprise you? How can retellings of classic stories change or expand our view of the original? What are some of your favorite retellings? Ariadne is a major character in Mary Renault's historical novel The King Must Die (1958), about the Bronze Age hero Theseus. Ariadne is horrified by the bloody rites she witnesses between Dionysus, the Maenads, and the resurrected goat. In attempting to understand the Maenads' participation, she reflects: "The ritual gave fearful shape to the anger and the grief that had driven so many of them here in the first place; they screamed and danced in their blood-soaked frenzy by night so that they could live serenely in the sunlight."Does this explanation make sense to you? Can you think of rituals or activities in our culture today that might fill a similar role? Does that justify them? The exploration of the darker side of the Dionysian cult was quite good but I felt the ending was incredibly rushed and the chance to show Perseus as a completely different kind of hero was lost. Because Saint did a great job of characterising the male villains. We'd had the cruel ruler Minos, the ladies man and fame hound Theseus, then the immortal reveller Dionysus, followed by the austere horse lover Hippolytus (less a villain, more a simpleton), it was a chance for us to finally get a middle of the road hero who was strong but also a good ruler. I know Saint tried to imply that Perseus and Ariadne unravelled all of that with a single glance but I don't think it worked. I also think the handling of the final showdown was poor. Dionysus is supposed to be welcomed to the city after the death of Ariadne through a deal brokered by Hermes. I feel like that would have been a strong point to make again about how women are the collateral damage in so many of these Greek myths but Saint didn't seem to want to take that route. This monster, also known as the Minotaur, demands blood and every year 14 innocent young men and women from Athens are given as a sacrifice. Despite being horrified by the brutality and loss of life, Ariadne does nothing.Kerenyi, Karl. Dionysos: Archetypal Image of Indestructible Life, part I.iii "The Cretan core of the Dionysos myth" Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1976.

Unlike Ariadne, Phaedra doesn't remember a time before the Minotaur: "I had always known that monsters existed. I could not fear the destruction of all that was good because everything had been ruined before I could remember and I had grown up in the tattered, stained remnants of my sister's golden days. She knew what it was to lose everything but I had nothing to begin with." How do the sisters' differentchildhoods change their outlooks on life? Compare and contrast their personalities ARIADNE gives voice to the misused Princess of Crete who betrayed her father to save Theseus from the Minotaur. Relevant and revelatory.’– Stylist Ariadne, played by Aiysha Hart, is a major character in the BBC series Atlantis (2013), which is loosely based on Greek myths. She falls in love with Jason and helps him conquer the Minotaur and escape the labyrinth. Later, her stepmother, Pasiphae tries to prevent their union. Stories told that, at the moment of her drowning, Scylla was transformed into a seabird. Far from giving her escape from her cruel fate, she was immediately set upon in an endless chase by the crimson-streaked eagle bent upon eternal vengeance. I could well believe the truth of it, for the gods did enjoy a prolonged spectacle of pain. Larson, Jennifer Lynn (1995). "The Wrongful Death of the Heroine". Greek Heroine Cults. Wisconsin studies in classics. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. p.141. ISBN 9780299143701 . Retrieved 12 February 2023. The motif of the hanged goddess or heroine is quite widespread. [...] the thread running through most of these stories is that they involve heroines who die a wrongful death. The same aetion is used all over the Greek world to explain hanging or swinging rituals. Hanging is a particularly feminine form of death in the Greek mind [...].Will Ariadne's decision ensure her happy ending and what of Phaedra, the beloved younger sister she leaves behind? An adaptation of the narrative of Ariadne appears in the novel Death in the Andes by Mario Vargas Llosa. Landon, Letitia Elizabeth (1838). "poem". The New Monthly Magazine, 1838, Volume 52. Henry Colburn. p.79.

I am a huge fan of Greek mythology and have been for years. The tale of Ariadne and Dionysus was always one of my favorites, so I leaped on this book the second I saw it, and though it started off strong, it was ultimately very disappointing to me. This story of Ariadne, princess of Crete and daughter of King Minos, reimagines the classic tale of Theseus and the Minotaur. It is the compelling story of her whole life rather than one event in it, and by widening the reader’s perspective we are skilfully given an insight not just into the novel’s captivating heroine but the stories of other women such as Medusa, Semele, Pasiphaë and Phaedra. The men, too, are well drawn, allowing for a deeper insight into why they act as they do without excusing their failings. Ariadne’s relationship with Dionysus is fascinating and the alternate perspective of Theseus a refreshing take in light of past misogynistic retellings. Beautifully written and utterly immersive. Hall, James (2018-05-04). Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-97358-1. I agree with much which has already been written. None of the men in the story would be considered role models with the possible exception of Daedalus. Private, quiet lives would be the best she could wish for her own sons. - patriciag The story is ladened with tragedy and also times of happiness, but there was always that overwhelming sense of foreboding. Don’t come into this story expecting gentleness. Ariadne is told with raw brutality, no holds barred.Before Ariadne runs away with Theseus: "Today I would seize my destiny for myself ... My story would not be one of death and suffering and sacrifice." When Ariadne falls in love with Dionysus: "He showed me that he was truly the best of all men, of all gods." Jennifer Saint’s beautiful debut is the reimagining of the Greek mythological story of Ariadne, Princess of Crete, daughter of King Minos and his queen Pasiphae. As a young girl, she is fond of dance, loves her younger sister Phaedra and even helps to take care of her brother Asterion (the Minotaur) when he was a baby, but unable to bear his bestiality as he grows. She grows up listening to her nursemaid’s stories about the gods, goddesses and mortal heroes whose lives have become legends. She is particularly moved by the story of Perseus and Medusa and the story behind how Medusa became a Gorgon. She is witness to her mother’s suffering brought upon by the birth of the Minotaur conceived as an act of revenge exacted by the gods against her father. She ponders over her own fate in a world where gods and men rule and women have no say in the decisions crucial to their lives and are but pawns in the hands of the men who control their fate. This book reminded me of “Circe” by Madeline Miller, especially as both characters find themselves alone on an island. I’d say read this if you also loved Circe. Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010). Etymological Dictionary of Greek. Volume I, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek. Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10. Leiden, Boston: Brill, 2010. p. 130. ISBN 978-90-04-17420-7.