Herculean Task #3

I have been told that as I labor over the 12 labors, I have made the reading a bit awkward and hard to follow. Maybe I let my brain get ahead of me and wrote more for my graduate classes which I used to teach. Okay, let’s make this a bit easier …

Hercules is the good guy but was made crazy by the goddess Hera. During that time of mental disarray, he accidentally killed his wife and kids. 

Hera, the goddess and the wife of the god Zeus, is mad for her husband Zeus, chief of all the gods, cheated on her … Hercules is the resulting child. She is taking everything out on Hercules. 

Hercules’ goes to his cousin Eurystheus … for Hercules is seeking personal redemption for the heart wrenching death of his family. He was doing this because an oracle told him go to Eurystheus.

Eurystheus is not really helping, but instead is trying to kill him. So, to make it look all above board, Eury gives Herc some trials he believes to be impossible and this prove deadly. These tasks, these labors, are twelve in number and Hercules takes them one at a time. These become known as the labors, or tasks, of Hercules. 

And now, when we face a nearly impossible task, we call it a Herculean Task.

Today, let’s look at Task Three … Capturing the Ceryneian Hind … A special female deer. The Ceryneian deer had golden antlers and hooves of bronze. The catch … this hind is sacred and belonged to Artemis, the goddess of the wilderness, the goddess of the hunt. And if Herc did kill or capture the hind, Artemis would probably be furious and thus kill Herc. Well, that was Eurystheus’ plan.

It is said the deer was so fast that it could outrun a flying arrow.

Herc tracked the hind … legend says he tracked it for over a year … all throughout Greece. However, Herc didn’t kill the animal, he captured it.

And Artemis did show up. Hercules showed humility. He explained to her that it was part of his penance. He also said he would return the hind after the completion of the labor. She accepted his apology and let him go.

PLOT TWIST …

Upon return to cuz Eurystheus, Eury claimed the deer for his own. Herc agreed but told Eury he should go bring the deer in from the outside himself. And when Eury came to claim the deer, Herc ‘accidently’ released the deer and the deer ran back to Artemis. Basically, Herc told Eury was too slow.

WOW. Not being a hunter myself, I don’t really realize how difficult a year long hunt would actually be. But hiking some of the more rugged National Parks, I have seen some magnificent creatures. But I appreciate the effort that he put into this task. As I head into Glacier, Tetons, Yellowstone, and Badlands very soon, I hope I do see some majestic animals.

TAKE AWAYS …

• Patience people. Some things take awhile.
• Honesty is the best policy (Herc was honest with Artemis). This saved His life.

What lesson do you see from this task?