Celaeno

In Greek mythology, Celaeno (/sɨˈliːnoʊ/; Ancient Greek Κελαινώ Kelaino, lit. 'the dark one', also Celeno or Kelaino, sometimes [misspelled] Calaeno) referred to several different figures.

• Celaeno, one of the Harpies,^[1] whom Aeneas encountered at Strophades. She gave him prophecies of his coming journeys.^[2]

• Celaeno, one of the Pleiades. She was said to be mother of Lycus and Nycteus by Poseidon;^[3] of Eurypylus (or Eurytus), King of Cyrene, and Lycaon, also by Poseidon;^[4] and of Lycus and Chimaereus by Prometheus.^[5]

• Celaeno, one of the Danaids, the daughters of Danaus. Her mother was Crino. She married and killed Hyperbius, son of Aegyptus and Hephaestine.^[6] She was also believed to have had a son Celaenus by Poseidon.^[7]

• Celaeno, an Amazon. She was killed by Heracles whilst he was undertaking the ninth labour.^[8]

• Celaeno, daughter of Hyamus and granddaughter of Lycorus. She was the mother of Delphus by Apollo.^[9]

Modern references

The following modern uses derive from the Ancient Greek mythical name:

• Celaeno, a star in the Pleiades open cluster of stars.
• USS Celeno (AK-76), a United States Navy Crater class cargo ship
• Ship Celaeno builder A. HALL & Co Aberdeen. Rig: SHIP. Construction: Wood. Yard Number: 233. Completed in June 1863. Weighed 702 tons and measured 173.0 feet x 30.2 feet x 18.7 feet. The Celaeno made eleven trips to New Zealand.

In literature

• The star Celaeno features as a location in the Cthulhu Mythos stories of August Derleth.
• The harpy Celaeno appears as a captive of a traveling witch's Midnight Carnival, in the Peter S. Beagle classic fantasy novel, The Last Unicorn and the 1982 film based on the book.
• Celaeno is the name of the chief Goddess in the Celaeno Series by Jane Fletcher.
• Celaeno is also the name of Skylord Lysander's flying ship in the Shadow Of Israphel series by the Yogscast. It crashed on the first SoI episode.

References