The lion is probably one of the clearest symbolic figures. One associates power, courage and strength with him. No wonder that the lion is one of the most common figures in heraldry. But why has the lion always been such a powerful totem, even in Northern Europe? Where does the cultural use come from? The origin of the lion figure [...]

Before he dies, a swan sings the most beautiful tunes. For Homer, this was evidence of the joys the realm of the dead holds in store for the dying. “Swan song” is the name given to the artist's last work before his death. This expression has burned itself into our linguistic usage, not least through the legend of the two friends [...]

Hephaestus, the god of fire, created Pandora at the behest of Zeus as a punishment for humanity for Prometheus' theft of fire. Her name means something like “all-gifts”. Endowed by the gods of the Greek pantheon with all the gifts they could bestow on her, she was absolutely irresistible to men. Epimetheus is [...]

The satyr is a hybrid being and demon of Greek mythology. He has similarities with the god Pan and the god Priapus. Dionysus is considered the father of the satyr. He is not a god in the sense of a radiant, flawless and exalted entity. It is a very worldly, hedonistic figure. But where the father can still [...]