Hyakinth or Hyakinthos (Ὑάκινθος), was a handsome young Spartan prince, son of Kleio and Pierus, loved by the gods Apollo and Zephyros (Anemoi) and in some myths the bard Thamyris. The West Wind, Zephyros(Anemoi), grew jealous of his rival in love, and
one day as the pair were playing discus, blew the discus off course causing it to strike Hyakinthos in the head and kill him. The grieving Apollon then transformed the dying youth into a larkspur flower (hyakinthos in Greek) which he inscribed with the wail of mourning "AI, AI." which translates to Alas! Alas!
Mythology[]
A Story of Jealously[]
Apollo was passionately fond of Hyakinthos. He accompanied him in his sports, carried the nets when he went fishing, led the dogs when he went to hunt, followed him in his excursions in the mountains, and neglected for him his lyre and his arrows.
One day they played a game of quoits (discus) together, and Apollo, heaving aloft the discus, with strength mingled with skill, sent it high and far. Hyakinthos watched it as it flew, and excited with the sport ran forward to seize it, eager to make his throw, when the quoit bounded from the earth and struck him in the forehead. He fainted and fell. The god, as pale as himself, raised him and tried all his art to stanch the wound and retain the flitting life, but all in vain; the hurt was past the power of medicine. As when one has broken the stem of a lily in the garden it hangs its head and turns its flowers to the earth, so the head of the dying boy, as if too heavy for his neck, fell over on his shoulder.
Hyacinth ( plant)
“Thou diest, Hyakinth,” so spoke Phœbus, “robbed of thy youth by me. Thine is the suffering, mine the crime. Would that I could die for thee! But since that may not be, thou shalt live with me in memory and in song. My lyre shall celebrate thee, my song shall tell thy fate, and thou shalt become a flower inscribed with my regrets.” While Apollo spoke, behold the blood which had flowed on the ground and stained the herbage ceased to be blood; but a flower of hue more beautiful than the Tyrian sprang up, resembling the lily. And this ws not enough for Phœbus; but to confer still greater honor, he marked the petals with his sorrow, and inscribed “Ah! ah!” upon them as we see to this day. The flower bears the name of Hyakinthos, and with every returning spring revives the memory of his fate.
According to a different myth, it was Zephyros who caused the death of the young man; jealous of his affair with Apollo he blew the discus to Hyakinthos' head, killing him. Apollo, distraught at the youth's death, forbade Hades to claim his soul; instead, he turned him into the flower of the same name.
Parents[]
Kleio (Muse) (Mother) & Pierus (Father)
Gallery[]
