Harpagus; whether this is genuinely Iranian material we do not know. The
motif reappears in several other Greek myths, such as that of Procne and
Tereus as it was treated in Sophocles’Te r e u s.
There are parallels in Nordic and Ossetic tradition. Sigurd’s widow Gudrun
was married to the Hunnish king Atli (Attila). After he treacherously killed
her brothers, she slew the children she had had by Atli, mixed their blood into
his beer, and fed him their roasted hearts, pretending it was veal. When she
told him the truth, the hall was filled with moaning (Atlakviða 33–8, Atlamál
82–5; Skáldsk. 42).
Eddic scholars have naturally suspected the influence of Classical myth. But
this can hardly be supposed in the case of the Caucasian legend. The surly and
mean-minded Syrdon, having a grudge against Hæmyts, the hero of the iron
moustache, steals his wondrous cow, takes it to his secret second home,
slaughters it, and puts the meat in a cauldron to stew. The furious Hæmyts
finds his way to the dwelling. Failing to catch Syrdon there, he kills his wife
and twelve sons and throws their bodies into the stewpot. Syrdon returns,
wonders where his family has gone, and sticks a large fork into the stew, only
to discover what has happened.^96
Another Greek story about a hero’s child, while arousing pity and terror,
has a happier outcome. Bellerophon’s sons Hippolochus and Isander were in
dispute over the kingship of Lycia and had to prove themselves in a feat of
archery. The son of each was to lie on his back with a ring set up on his chest,
and the challenge was to shoot through the ring without harming the boy.
Hippolochus’ wife refused to let her son take part in the dangerous enterprise,
but his sister Laodamea supplied hers, Sarpedon, and because of this he, and
not Hippolochus’ son Glaucus, became the king. Everyone will be reminded
of the Swiss legend of William Tell, who had to shoot an apple off his son’s
head. There are several earlier occurrences of the motif in Norse sagas and
other Germanic sources.^97
HOW TO KILL A HEROA hero’s legend is not complete without an account of his death. But he is, by
definition, a difficult man to kill; and a quiet death in retirement is not the
stuff of story. His demise, therefore, calls for special measures.
(^96) Sikojev (1985), 258–61; a variant, ibid. 275; cf. Colarusso (2002), 144, 145.
(^97) Sch. (T) Il. 12. 101 (cf. Erbse ad loc.), Eust. 894. 36; Saxo 10. 7. 1–3 pp. 274 f.; Grimm
(1883–8), 380–3, 1393.
- King and Hero 443