Thursday, September 8, 2011

Galatea and love impeded by form

In case we're not quite done with Galatea: just wanted to draw attention to the myth (from Theocrito?), in which nymph Galatea is beloved by cyclops Polyphemo, who attempts to revise his form and affect (combing his hair, learning to play bagpipes, see fig. 1) in order to attract her. Galatea is repulsed by Polyphemo's fundamental brutality and loves the beautiful man (?) Aci; Polyphemos avenges himself on Galatea by killing Aci with a rock (see fig. 2); Galatea escapes the cyclops and transforms her dead lover into the river Acis--another form that, like Polyphemo, is impossible to love.


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