The Mythology Book

121

See also: Hades and the Underworld 48–49 ■ Apollo and the Oracle of

Delphi 58–59 ■ The founding of Rome 102–05

I

n Roman tradition, a nymph

named Carna was born in the

ancient and sacred grove of

Alernus (a god of the underworld)

on the banks of the Tiber River.

She spent her time hunting deer

across the fields with her spear

and trapping them in nets. All the

young men were dazzled by her

beauty and thought she must be

the sister of Phoebus (Apollo), the

god of the sun. To each of these

suitors who pursued her, Carna

would say, “It’s too bright out here,

and with light comes shame. Lead

me to a secluded cave.” While the

young man led the way, Carna

would hide among the trees and

vanish from sight.

Janus and the nymph

Carna then caught the attention

of the two-faced god of doorways,

Janus, who desired her as the

others had. When he spoke softly

to her, she as usual suggested

retiring to a cave. But when she

disappeared into the thicket, Janus

saw where she was hiding, for he

had eyes in the back of his head.

He pounced on her and took his

pleasure. To reward her, he made

her Cardea, the goddess of the door

hinge, who opens what is shut and

shuts what is open, and gave her a

branch of flowering white hawthorn

to drive evil spirits away.

The ability to banish evil would

prove useful in Cardea’s role as the

protector of babies in the cradle.

She saved the five-day-old Proca

(the great-grandfather-to-be of

Romulus and Remus) from an

attack by shrieking owls that

preyed like vampires on infants. ■

ANCIENT ROME

FOR LYING WITH

ME, TAKE CONTROL

OF THE HINGE

CARNA AND JANUS

IN BRIEF

THEME

Seduction and reward

SOURCE

Fasti (“The Book of Days”),

Ovid, 8 ce.

SETTING

The grove of Alernus on the

banks of the River Tiber.

KEY FIGURES

Carna A beautiful nymph,

who became Cardea, goddess

of the door hinge.

Phoebus God of the sun,

known as Apollo in Greek

my t holo g y.

Janus The god of gateways

and doorways, who raped

Carna before making her

into a goddess.

Proca A baby; the ancestor

of Romulus and Remus, the

founders of Rome.

Lead me [Carna]

to a secluded cave;

I’ll come.

Fasti

US_120-121_Pygmalion_and_CarnaJanus.indd 121 01/12/17 4:22 pm