The Goddess Echo

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Echo, Ringing-in-the-Ears.
AXO
Alternate meaning: Sound.
[to Whom the nineteenth day of June, day 170, is dedicated]

Geography/Culture: Greek. She is especially associated with Mount Helicon.
Linguistic Note: Greek eta-chi-omega, (echo), 1) 'a sound', but properly of a returned sound. 2) generally, a ringing sound. A ringing in the ears. Also: eta-chi-eta, (eche), 1) a sound or noise of any sort. 2) the roar of the sea, the groaning of trees in a wind. 3) a cry of sorrow. Related English words: echo, echoic, echoism, echolalia.
Description: Nymph Goddess of mountains, lonely glens, glacial lakes and sad songs; {Presider over all accoustic phenomena and sonar}; She Whose voice is heard in the groaning of trees; She Who cannot speak till spoken to; Consoler of rejected and grieving lovers.
The story of Her love for Narcissus and Her pining away till only the 'sound' of Her voice remained is said to have evolved from the personification of the original meaning of Her name.
To Whom Sacred: narcissus (the flower which Her beloved became at his death: Greek narkissos, from narke, 'numb', origin of narcotic, an effect which the flower was supposed to have); wryneck; {bat; whale}; rocks (which are Her bones); echos.
Male Associates: seducer, Pan, Pasture. She loved Narcissus, Benumbing or Narcotic.

Titles/Variants, etc:

She was an attendant of Hera.
Some say Mother of Iambe.
Mother of Lynx, below.
One of the Oreades, below.
Perhaps Mother of Syrinx, below.

Source: Encyc Brit v8 884a; Graves GMv1 101, 190, 287; Shipley DWO 246.

Lynx, Wryneck.
LÜÑKS
Geography/Culture: Greek
Description: Prophetic caster of spells, perhaps especially love charms.
To Whom Sacred: wryneck, also called snake-bird or cuckoo's-mate (into which, it is said, She was turned by Hera); oracular wheel, called iynge, 'wryneck', (worked by a rope).
{Add this to the Her Sacred Symbols: The wryneck is a spring migrant which hisses like a snake, lies flat along a bough, erects its crest when angry, writhes its neck about, lays white eggs, eats ants, has v-shaped markings on its feathers (like those on the scales of oracular serpents) and always nests in willow-trees. It is the prime orgiastic and erotic bird of the Goddess.}

Titles/Variants, etc:

Daughter of Echo.
Perhaps a title of Hera.
Perhaps a title of Io, (the wryneck was the messenger which attracted Zeus to Io's arms).
Philyra is traditionally associated with the wryneck.
The wryneck is the totem bird of a college of priestesses who serve Thetis.

Source:Graves GMv1 192; Graves WG 173-4, 193, 255.

Oreades, Mountain-Nymphs.
0RA1DAS

Geography/Culture: Greek.
Description: Nymph Goddesses of of mountains, rocks and grottos.
To Whom Sacred: song; weaving (they wore robes woven in caves on looms visible only to the clairvoyant); belts left on rocks; the anointing of rocks with fragrant oils; offerings left in caves.

Titles/Variants, etc:

They are the hunting companions of Artemis.
Daphoine is one.
Echo, is an Oreade.
Perhaps Metope is one, since She is a Sister of Daphoine.
Transcription variant: Oreads.
Variant: Orestiades.

Source: Monaghan BGH 230; KD.WWGRM/171.

Syrinx, Reed.
SÜRYÑKS
Alternate meaning: Pan-Pipes.
Geography/Culture: Greek: Arcadian.
Linguistic Note: the alternate meaning is of course derived from Her story and not the meaning at all!
Description: Shapeshifting Goddess of fresh-water, music, the pastoral life and sheep-tending; Virgin huntress.
To Whom Sacred: reed-bed; reed [bull-rush?]; the syrinx, (ie: shepherd's flute or Pan-pipes).
Male Associate: When pursued by Pan She changed into a reed which he cut into varying lengths, and bound together producing the pipe by the playing of which he remembers Her.

Titles/Variants, etc:

Perhaps Daughter of Echo.
Though some say She is a river Nymph, others say She is one of the Hamadryades, {Tree-Coeval-Energies}, Who are linked with Druntia.

Source: Graves GMv1 101-2; New Larousse EM 149, 161; Kravitz WWGRM 218.

printed June 1990 -- worked on July, July 1990; July, August 1991; June 1995
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