Halcyon days

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For other uses, see Halcyon Days.

The phrase Halcyon days is a literary commonplace in English language and culture, signifying ideals of prosperity, bonhomie, joy, liberation, or tranquillity.

The usage derives ultimately from the Ancient Greek legend of Alcyone. In the context of the legend, the halcyon is a type of kingfisher that builds its nest on the surface of the ocean; the bird charms the winds and waves so that seas remain unusually calm during its nesting season, the fourteen days preceding the winter solstice.

The usage descended through Old English influenced by the Greek language (ancient Greek Ἁλκυονίδες ἡμέρες [with spoken 'h'es], modern Greek Αλκυονίδες ημέρες [with mute 'h'es]), literally meaning calm days.

The phrase "halcyon days" became a stock phrase in English, perhaps a cliché, with a multitude of both traditional and modern applications. Among the latter:

• "Halcyon Days" is a poem by Walt Whitman (1819-1892)
• "Halcyon Days" is a song and the title of a CD by the Swedish band BWO (Bodies Without Organs)
• "Halcyon Days" is a song by the English Baroque composer Henry Purcell, written for the semi-opera The Tempest (circa 1695).
• "Halcyon Days" is a song by the British singer Siobhan Donaghy
• "The Halcyon Days" is a song by the Canadian band The Tea Party
• "Halcyon (Beautiful Days)" is a song by the Japanese band Mono
• "Halcyon Days" is a song by the band The Tages
• "Halcyon Days" is a song by the band Model Engine
• Halcyon Days is a play by Steven Dietz
• "Halcyon Days" is a song by the band A Wilhelm Scream
• Halcyon Days is an album by pianist Bruce Hornsby
• Halcyon Days is a double-disc compilation by the progressive rock band Strawbs
• "Halcyon Daze" is a song by the band Hidden in Plain View
• "Halcyon Days (Where Were You Then?)" is a song by the band Local H
• "Pretty Halcyon Days" is a poem by Ogden Nash
• "Halcyon and on and On" is a song by English techno duo Orbital
• Halcyon Days: Interviews with Classic Computer and Video Game Programmers is an electronic book written by James Hague.
• Halcyon Days is an album and title track by Steve Roach, Stephen Kent (musician), and Kenneth Newby.
• One of Plato's dialogues is named "Halcyon", in which Socrates and an interlocutor discuss the ancient myth. It is considered to be a forgery.
• "Halcyon Years" is cited in: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Algonquin Books, 2006)
• "Goodbye, Halcyon Days" is the name of the 27th volume and the 237th chapter of the Japanese manga Bleach