The Enchanted Apple
Ah, the enchanting apple, one of the most magical of fruits! It is found in many stories, modern, legendary and mythical. The apple is a celebrated fruit in many cultures. What is it about this fruit that makes it so prominent in folklore, myth and legend?
In Greek mythology Hera receives an apple from Zeus, a symbol of fertility that is gifted to her upon their engagement. And then there is the story of Eris, which happens to be a personal favorite. I happen to admire upstarts, troublemakers and boat rockers as oftentimes there is good reason for them to be so. But I digress…
Eris was NOT invited to attend a wedding Zeus threw on Mount Olympus for King Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis so she became a “wedding crasher”. This uninvited guest in her anger threw a golden apple inscribed with the words “For The Fairest” on it amongst the assembled group of guests. Now there were many goddesses in attendance at this big gala, as you can imagine, it was the talk of the town, so several reached for the apple. Hera, wife of Zeus felt she deserved it but so did the lovely Aphrodite and Athena known for wisdom as well as skill in battle. Zeus in his craftiness handed the baton to Paris, the Trojan Prince to decide. Zeus was no fool and knew this was a no win proposition.
Paris, was promised Helen of Troy, by Aphrodite who was intent upon scoring that apple. This was despite the fact that Helen was already wed to King Menelaus. Now Helen was regarded as being the most beautiful mortal woman in the world. And Paris, being Paris, wanted this great beauty as HIS wife so Aphrodite was given the apple. Paris would go across the sea to stake his claim.
Thus the start of the Trojan War as Paris claimed his promised trophy bride. And you may remember that war lasted 10 years until Odysseus came up with a plan, aided by the Greek army. Remember the giant horse? This gifted Trojan horse, secretly filled with soldiers, descended upon the Trojans as they slept and overtook Troy. The beautiful Helen was escorted back to King Menelaus.
Eris is forever referred to as the goddess of discord for her actions at that wedding. However, what’s a woman to do??? Eris is blamed for a war started and fought by men over a woman? Come on,… yes, she’s an upstart, but really??? Eris gets blamed for revealing the over inflated egos and narcissism of the goddesses and gods? I think the moral of this story should be to invite the dark goddess to the party, it’s not good to piss her off. And I say this with sincerity and love for everyone has a dark side, it’s not just love and light. Everyone has an “Eris” within and suppressing it is most unhealthy in a multitude of ways. But again I digress….
The ancient Celts believed the apple to be a symbol of rebirth. In Irish folklore the wild apple was a sacred Chieftain’s tree and to cut it down without permission included a weighty penalty. In the Arthurian myths from Great Britain, when King Arthur is mortally wounded, his witchy half-sister Morgan Le Fey sweeps him off to the Isle of Apples on her boat to heal. And wizard Merlin was thought to practice his divination in an apple grove. Through the Judeo-Christian lens we have all heard of Eve being tempted by the serpent and eating the magical apple, the forbidden fruit. Apples are associated with being a Faye food as well as a Witches fruit. Even Disney got into the act with its animated version of Snow White in which the magical fruit was filled with poison. What about the modern day saying? An apple a day keeps the doctor away. And how magical is that Apple IPhone you hold in your hand?
