Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



before the lance of the sun god to his northern 

 breeding grounds. A third Kuknos was a son 

 of Neptune and an invulnerable hero at the 

 siege of Troy. He was choked to death by 

 Achilleus — a swan slain by an eagle ! True 

 to his name, Neptune turned him into a 

 swan. 



This particular " historic " Kuknos betrays 

 his bird origin in another way. Having had 

 a son and daughter by a former wife, after her 

 death he marries Phylonome, who falls in love 

 with her step-son Tennes. Anger at his cool- 

 ness and fear of discovery cause her to slander 

 her step-son to his father, who places Tennes 

 and his sister Hemithea (demi-goddess) in a 

 chest, which floats ashore on the island 

 Leukophrys. Kuknos learns that his son is 

 safe and goes to Leukophrys prepared to take 

 him to his heart again, but the son rejects 

 his advances. This is the same story as that 

 of Kupselos, son of Eetion, who was placed 

 in a box and committed like Moses to the 



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