Hippocamp

Artist: Crystal Dunne

This odd looking creature is called the Hippocamp. It's the "Horse of the Sea" Nereid nymphs and sea gods rode in the mythology of ancient Greece. Poseidon's chariot was sensibly driven by two to four of these fishy tailed equines. As Poseidon was god of both horses and sea, it's fitting such aquatic horses should draw his chariot. He was also, scarily enough, the god of earthquakes. Homer called him the Earthshaker.

 

Chariot of Poseidon - Floor Mosaic 

In this picture, Poseidon is pulled by four of the composite creatures. I can't see any chariot in this mosaic, but perhaps it's hidden under the sea foam churned by the Hippocamps' racing hooves. This is a busy little mosaic. We can only hope Poseidon avoided the fish, swimmers, people riding dolphins and the very large shrimp found at the top of the mosaic. I think that's a shrimp anyway.

 

The ancients believed Hippocamps were the adult version of sea horses. Sea horses belong to the genus Hippocampus. The name Hippocampus comes from the ancient Greek and means horse (hippos) and sea monster (kampos).

  

Chariot of Poseidon Drawn by Hippocamps - Roman Mosaic 3rd A.D.

A color mosaic of Poseidon driven by two Hippocamps. Poseidon was a disagreeable god who fought with everyone. He especially fought with his brothers Zeus and Hades over the portioning of planet Earth. I wouldn't want to be the poor Hippocamps compelled to pull his chariot. This is a very fine mosaic though. Take a moment to consider the amount of work required in creating this artwork.  

Nereid Riding a Hippocampos - Mosaic - Imperial Roman

This Hippocamp has an especially long and convoluted tail. Nereids were the goddesses of the sea. They were the special patrons of sailors and fisherman, and came to their aid if hurt or in danger. 

A Hippocamp carved on the Trevi Fountain in Rome. I saw the Trevi Fountain many years ago. Though I threw a coin in the water, I have yet to return. 

 

A nice coin depicting Poseidon and two Hippocamps. It's a shame Hippocamps don't really exist. I would enjoy boarding a ship for a Hippocamp watch.

The Salmon of Wisdom

Let's go back to Ireland to meet the Great Salmon of Wisdom. This wonderfully brainy fish (fish IS brain food) can be found in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. The story goes that a common salmon gobbled up nine hazel nuts it found bobbing in the Well of Wisdom. These were obviously not ordinary hazel nuts. They were hazel nuts bobbing in the WELL OF WISDOM. Eating these special nuts gave our friend the salmon all the knowledge found in the wide world. It also meant the first person to catch and eat the fish would gain all the knowledge the cooked salmon contained. 

A poet named Finn Eces dedicated seven years of his life to find this very wise salmon. Finally, after seven long years, he pulled it to shore. To be honest with you, if this salmon was so wise, why did it get caught?! This is a mystery I cannot explain. Finn Eces told his young apprentice Fionn to get out the pan and cook the salmon so Esos could become the wisest man in the whole world. As you may know, nothing ever goes as planned. In the process of cooking the salmon, Fionn burnt his thumb on a bit of frying oil. Placing the scorched thumb in his mouth, he soon learned all the salmon's knowledge was contained in that one drop of oil. Fionn, and not Finn Eces, became the brilliant one. 

        

When Eces saw Fionn, he noticed the glint of wisdom in the apprentice's eyes. Angrily, he asked Fionn if he ate a piece of fish on purpose. "No." Fionn countered back, " I only burnt my thumb on a bit of hot oil, and licked it off to remove the sting!" After that, all Fionn need do was bite his formerly burnt thumb, and all the salmon's knowledge would magically appear in his mind.