Lynx – wryneck bird
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Greek mythology, Iynx was an Arkadian Oreiad nymph; a daughter of the god Pan and Echo. She cast a spell on Zeus which caused him to fall in love with Io. In consequence of this, Hera metamorphosed her into the bird called iynx (Eurasian wryneck, jynx torquilla).
According to another story, she was a daughter of Pierus, and as she and her sisters had presumed to enter into a musical contest with the Muses, she was changed into the bird iynx. This bird, the symbol of passionate and restless love, was given by Aphrodite to Jason, who, by turning it round and pronouncing certain magic words, excited the love of Medea.
Ritual object with eleven birds on a wheel
Greek
Late Geometric Period 750–700 B.C.
Place of Manufacture: Greece, Attica, Athens
DIMENSIONS
Height: 6.50 cm (2 9/16 in.); diameter: 21.5 cm (8 7/16 in.)
MEDIUM OR TECHNIQUE
Terracotta
The Ancient World
CLASSIFICATIONS
Sculpture
Iynx-wheel. Eleven iynx birds (wry-necks) with folded wings are seated on the rim of a four-spoked wheel. One bird is restored. Linear geometric designs on upper and lower parts of the wheel. On the underside, two groups of ten and twelve apotropaic eyes (leaves), cross-hatching cross-hatched triangles, and checker-board.
Provenance
By date unknown: according to MFA archival card: from Phaleron; by 1928: with Seltman; purchased by MFA from Seltman, March 1, 1928, for $ 463.30
Credit Line
John Michael Rodocanachi Fund
Similar wheels were used as votive offerings from the early geometric times to the late antiquity.
They were associated with sorcery often in order to bring back unfaithful lovers. By extension, they could also function as apotropaic objects.
The bird on the wheel is the Iynx (Jynx torquilla), the Eurasian wryneck in the woodpecker family. To attract a match the bird rotates the neck for an entire circle and sings with a voice that sounds like the flute. In mythology, Iynx was a Nymph, a daughter of the god Pan and either Peitho or Echo. Hera turned her into a bird to panish her for casting a spell on Zeus which made him fall in love with Io. Sorceresses used the bird tied on spinning wheel while casting a love spell.
Over time, the bird ceased to be used, and the word Iynx now declared the magical wheel, as it is depicted in vases in the hands of the Erotes or even the lovers themselves. Such wheels, sometimes made of metal, have been depicted hanging on trees, along with other sound-producing objects, such as cymbals.
Iynx was also a toy in the form of a wooden wheel with two holes in the center, through which two threads were passed. Τhe alternating pulling of the threads and twisting of the wheel produced a distinctive sound, echoing the voice of the bird Iynx.
Today, it is thought that the strophalos came from this…..
Jinx, Wryneck-Bird
IYNX was the nymph inventress of a magical love-charm known as the iynx–a spinning wheel with a wryneck bird attached. Iynx used her enchantments to make Zeus fall in love with her or, some say, with the nymph Io. Hera was enraged and transformed her into a wryneck bird.
The English word “jinx” is derived from Iynx’s name.
Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.
Quotes from Classical Literature
Suidas s.v. Iynx (trans. Suda On Line) (Byzantine Greek lexicon C10th A.D.) :
“Iynx : The daughter of Ekho (Echo) or Peitho (Persuasion), also Aphrodite, conquerer in the games : bewitching Zeus with drugs she was turned to stone for such things by Hera. And she was called kinaidion (wryneck) by some. There is also a little instrument which is called iynx, which enchantresses are accustomed to turn about as they cast charms on their beloveds. It is also a bird, which is believed to have the same power. Wherefore they bind [them] on wheels.”
Suidas s.v. Iynx :
“Iynx : That which attracts the spirit to desire and love . . . It is a bird suited to the evils of love charms, say that it was the daughter of Ekho (Echo), some [say] of Peitho (Persuasion). ‘Kleopatra (Cleopatra) [i.e. historical queen of Egypt] thought that by those same charms by which [she had overpowered] Caesar and Antony she would also overpower Augustus as the third.’”
I read somewhere and can’t find it now, that in Greek temples or one temple (not sure) there t=were these wheels hung from the ceiling that they would spin and the messages they received =from them (through the priests were messages from the gods.
MORE … https://www.persee.fr/doc/mom_0244-5689_1989_ant_19_1_1251