Thursday, October 14, 2010

MERMAID ART/ 'The Pool of the Naiads'/ Mythology of the Hot Springs: Medicinal Spirits/ DIGITAL ART by Eric Whollem/ A line drawing interpreted through mixed media



The Pool of the Naiads
2010
by Eric Whollem
mixed media digital art
COPYRIGHT BY THE ARTIST

Mermaids of the Freshwater Springs

The Greeks called the spirits of the pools and rivers Naiads. They
were conceived of as beneficent spirits, often accredited with the
spirit of prophecy.

Hot springs were conceived by the Europeans as the sites of
medicinal spirits of the spring. Their names are many. I will
mention just a few: Maponos, Damona, the Griselicae Nymphae,
Sequana, Virotutis, Segeta, Luxovius, the Suleviae, Borvo, Bormanus,
Borvoni, and Bormo. The famous American product, Bromo Seltzer,
was named after a medicinal Naiad.

Naiads can be male or female.

THE VIDEO BELOW
EXAMINES MYSTICAL
ASPECTS OF MERMAIDS AND MERMEN


            PORTAL OF THE SEASKY by Eric Whollem


THE SALT SEA AND THE SALTS OF THE HOT SPRINGS

The wife of Neptune was Salacia, the spirit of the waters of the
underworld. Her name relates to 'salt.' The Goddess Sul or Sulis
from the Salisbury Plain in Britain was a Goddess of the spring,
a Naiad related etymologically to Salacia.

The Greek God Poseidon was a god of the sea and also of the
springs, but his wife, or one of his wives, was Amphitrite, the
dolphin Goddess, thus a mermaid of the salt sea.

The waters of hot springs contain salts of sulphur and other
minerals. Thus there is a mythic connection between the springs
and the sea. The Underworld is often conceived of as a place of
sulphur and heated waters. . . a huge hot spring.

The Romans worshipped Cloacina, a Naiad, at a large temple
site, a place of bathing. The well-known brand of soap named
Clorox was probably rooted in the name of Cloacina.

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My posts on MERMAIDS can be found on this link:

BELOW ARE A FEW
SAMPLES OF
MY MERMAID ART


AMONG THE STARFISH
by Eric Whollem

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

MERMAIDS AMONG THE BLOSSOMS
by Eric Whollem

THE OUSEL
by Eric Whollem

This link will take you to my posts of ABSTRACT ART:

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