The myth of Hymenaeus, Greek god of marriage!
The myth of Hymenaeus represents one of the most romantic stories in all of Greek mythology, and unlike others, it does not tell of drama and deception, but of the struggle of lovers to make their love sacred.
The myth of Hymenaeus is therefore closely linked to marriage. It is not clear whether the word “hymén”, i.e. hymen, corresponding to the membrane present in the vaginal opening of virgin women, comes from the name of the god, or whether the Greek divinity was baptized thus taking inspiration from this term.
As is common in Greek mythology, there are different versions of the same myth of Hymenaeus. One of these describes the minor god as the son of Dionysus, god of wine and fertility, and of Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty. A second version relegates Hymenaeus as the son of Apollo, god of beauty and music, and one of his muses, probably Calliope, goddess of epic poetry and eloquence.
“Marriage is the primary cause of divorce.”
-Groucho Marx-
There is then a third version on the origin of the myth of Hymenaeus, according to which the god in the beginning was not a god but a mortal, son of Magnes. The three versions all have one element in common: they describe him as a young man of extraordinary beauty. In the third, however, he is described as having such a beautiful appearance that Apollo fell in love with him and never left his home again.
The myth of Hymenaeus
Hymenaeus was a young mortal of extraordinary beauty, but of very poor stock. He had the misfortune of falling in love with the daughter of one of the richest men in Athens, condemning himself to an impossible love due to his humble origins compared to those of the girl.
His feelings for the girl led him to follow her everywhere, but without being seen. Wherever she was he was there too, hidden admiring her, but close enough to listen to her conversations. This is how she discovered that, together with other women, she intended to go in procession to Eleusis to offer a sacrifice to Demeter, the Greek goddess of agriculture.
The myth of Imeneo tells that the young man decided to take the opportunity to get closer to the girl. Since men were not allowed in the procession, he decided to dress up as a woman and join the group. Hymenaeus’ beauty was such that he was easily confused with a woman.
A few hours after departure, the ship on which the women set sail was intercepted by some pirates. They took command of the boat and the women inside, steering towards a deserted place on the coast. Once they arrived, they decided to close their eyes to get some rest. Hymenaeus took advantage of this.
The young man showed his identity to the girls and made a plan. Thus they managed to attack the pirates and destroy them, one after the other. At the end of the undertaking, the girl he loved had fallen madly in love with him.
Hymenaeus took control of the ship and directed the women to a safe place. Then, he returned to Athens to tell what happened. He announced that he would free the women only if in exchange they granted him marriage to the woman he loved. The Athenians accepted his request willingly and, as agreed, preparations for the wedding began.
The myth of Hymenaeus tells of a wedding prepared down to the smallest detail between two young people deeply in love and the people of Athens ready to celebrate them. At the end of the ceremony, however, Imeneo suddenly fell to the ground, dead.
The deceased young man and the girl began to moan deeply. Both refused to accept their fate and prayed to the gods not to deprive them of their happiness. One of the guests at the wedding, the god Asclepius of medicine and healing, decided to intervene and resurrect Hymenaeus, moved by the couple’s tears.
From then on he was entrusted with the task of attending all weddings, as his absence was a sign of bad luck for married couples. For this reason, at every wedding the Greeks shout “Hymenus, Hymenus! O Hymenus, Hymenus!”, invoking the young man as a sign of good omen for the new union.
