Iynx

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In Greek mythology, Iynx was an Arkadian Oreiad nymph; a daughter of Peitho and Pan, or of Echo. She cast a spell on Zeus which caused him to fall in love with Io. In consequence of this, Hera metamorphosed her into the bird called Iynx (Eurasian Wryneck, jynx torquilla).^[1]

According to another story, she was a daughter of Pierus, and as she and her sisters had presumed to enter into a musical contest with the Muses, she was changed into the bird Iynx.^[2] This bird, the symbol of passionate and restless love, was given by Aphrodite to Jason, who, by turning it round and pronouncing certain magic words, excited the love of Medeia.^[3]

[edit] See also

Jinx

[edit] References

This article incorporates text by Leonhard Schmitz from the article "Iynx" in the public domain Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology by William Smith (1870), vol. 2, p. 692.

[edit] Footnotes

^ Schol. ad Theocrit. ii. 17, ad Pind. Pyth. iv. 380, Nem. iv. 56; Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 310. (cited in Smith)
^ Anton. lib. 9. (cited in Smith)
^ Pind. Pyth. iv. 380, &c.; Tzetz. l. c. (cited in Smith)