Selene

This page is on the Greek goddess. For other uses, see Selene (disambiguation).

In Greek mythology, Selene (Σελήνη, "moon") was an archaic lunar deity and the daughter of the titans Hyperion and Theia. In Roman the moon goddess was Luna.

Like most moon deities, Selene plays a fairly large role in her pantheon. However, Selene was eventually largely supplanted by Artemis, and Luna by Diana. In the collection known as the Homeric hymns, there is a Hymn to Selene (xxxii), paired with the hymn to Helios. Selene is described in Apollodorus 1.2.2; Hesiod's Theogony 371; Nonnus, Dionysiaca 48.581; Pausanias 5.1.4; and Strabo 14.1.6, among others.

The etymology of Selene is uncertain, but if the word is of Greek origin, it is likely connected to the word selas, meaning "light".Kerenyi, Karl (1951). The Gods of the Greeks (pp. 19, 197). 1951. The name is the root of selenology, the study of the geology of the Moon. The chemical element selenium was also named after Selene.

Depictions

In post-Renaissance art, Selene is generally depicted as a beautiful woman with a pale face, riding a silver chariot pulled by a yoke of oxen or a pair of horses. Often, she has been shown riding a horse or bull, wearing robes and a half-moon on her head and carrying a torch.

Myths

Genealogy

In the traditional pre-Olympian divine genealogy, Helios, the sun, is Selene's brother: after her brother, Helios, finishes his journey across the sky, Selene begins her own journey as night fell upon the earth. Her sister, Eos, is goddess of the dawn. Eos also carried off a human lover, Cephalus,Burkert, Walter (1985). Greek Religion (p. 176). which mirrors a myth of Selene and Endymion.

As a result of Selene being conflated with Diana, later writers sometimes referred to Selene as a daughter of Zeus, like Artemis, or of Pallas the Titan. In the Homeric Hymn to Hermes, with its characteristically insistent patrilineality, she is "bright Selene, daughter of the lord Pallas, Megamedes' son."

Lovers

Apollonius of Rhodes (4.57) tells how Selene loved a mortal, the handsome hunter or shepherd—or, in the version Pausanias knew, a king— of Elis, named Endymion, from Asia Minor. He was so beautiful that Selene asked Zeus to grant him eternal life so he would never leave her: her asking permission of Zeus reveals itself as an Olympian transformation of an older myth: Cicero (Tusculanae Disputationes) recognized that the moon goddess had acted autonomously. Alternatively, Endymion made the decision to live forever in sleep. Every night, Selene slipped down behind Mount Latmus near Miletus. (Pausanias v.1.5). Selene had fifty daughters from Endymion, including Naxos. The sanctuary of Endymion at Heracleia on the southern slope of Latmus is a horseshoe-shaped chamber with an entrance hall and pillared forecourt.

Though the story of Endymion is the best-known one today, the Homeric hymn to Selene (xxxii) tells that Selene also bore Zeus a daughter, Pandia, the "utterly shining" full moon. According to some sources, the Nemean Lion was her offspring as well. She also had an affair with Pan, who seduced her by wrapping himself in a sheepskin and gave her the yoke of white oxen that drew the chariot in which she is represented in sculptured reliefs, with her windblown veil above her head like the arching canopy of sky. In the Homeric hymn, her chariot is drawn by long-maned horses.

Luna

The Roman goddess of the moon, Luna, had a temple on the Aventine Hill. It was built in the 6th century BC, but was destroyed in the Great Fire of Rome during Nero's reign. There was also a temple dedicated to Luna Noctiluca ("Luna that shines by night") on the Palatine Hill. There were festivals in honor of Luna on March 31, August 24 and August 28.Grimal, Pierre (1986). The Dictionary of Classical Mythology (p. 262). Oxford: Basil Blackwell. ISBN 0631201025.Hammond, N.G.L. & Scullard, H.H. (Eds.) (1970). The Oxford Classical Dictionary (p. 625). Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198691173.

In popular culture

The name appears in fiction as the character Adam Selene in the novel The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein.

Selene served as a major inspiration for the character of Lanfear in the Wheel of Time book series. Lanfear also used the name Selene as a psuedonym in the serie.

The Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica makes a reference to her in their song "My Selene", from their album Reckoning Night. Some of the lyrics that suggest this would be: "Solitude's upon my skin. A life that's bound by the chains of reality. Would you let me be your Endymion?"

Also, the Guatemalan band "La Tona" named one of its greatest hits "Selene". Various analogies and references to the lunar behavior are presented there.

In the anime Sailor Moon the main character Usagi Tsukino was called Selenity (or Serenity; both names would be written the same way in Japanese and both have connections to the moon. Many fans believe that the name is a pun on both.) during her former life as the moon princess; her lover was named Endymion. Usagi's cat, and guide, is also known as Luna.

The Selene is also a secret unlockable ship in the Playstation game Einhänder.

The DC comics superheroine, Mary Marvel, derives her grace from Selene.

A Marvel comics supervillainess, also known as the Black Queen, is also called Selene

In Gargoyles both Luna and Seline were two of the three Weird Sisters that granted Macbeth and Demona immortality. Seline is the sister that represents Fury, whilst Luna is the sister of Fate. When Seline is in control of her sisters the triplets are identified as the Furies. When Luna is in control, they are identified as the Fates or Norns. The third sister Phoebe is the sister of Grace.

The main character in Underworld and Evolution is a woman named Selene who is a vampire.

References

Greek goddesses | Lunar goddesses | Titans