Icarus and the Sun-Maiden

Words shall be woven into a glorious tapestry, but whence these words came I beg of thee, fair muses, daughters of mighty aegis-bearing Jupiter, o, I shall speak to thee, and call upon the great gods of Olympus. Speak to me now and let the words now spoken be boundless, and allow their beauty to be endless and tell this story of changes, of the fall of doomed Icarus and his love for his sun-maiden.

~~~~~~~~~~

Wise old Daedalus and his dear son Icarus sat, bent and consumed in their woes. As Apollo's chariot crossed the cerulean sky, and fair Diana glided later across twilight, they never stilled. Forced in solitude, captured by the King Minos with the golden touch.

Unbeknownst to Daedalus, Icarus sought paths and ways to escape their dreaded home. He gazed through to the world beyond, across the Aegean and to the sun. His gaze so sought the freedom beyond, that the rays of Apollo's chariots near blinded the youth, and soon formed in his eyes into a maiden, with golden skin kissed by the rays, and fair arms unlike any maiden he had seen before. Sheltered for so long Icarus knew not better, and his heart grew fond of this view.

As days passed and Daedalus sought fashions to escape their prison, Icarus sought his solace in his sun-maiden. Unabashed he gazed longingly to his love, desperate to know her name. Once, when he did bear to tear his gaze from his beloved, he rested unsettled and the wind whispered in his ear.

Startled awake, Icarus rushed to look upon the sky, but only the winking gods looked back. Now he sat silently, and breathed out the words the wind spoke to him. "Stoic Apollo has seen my woes and the gaze I send to my beloved." Icarus did not understand the whispered word sent when the world did sleep.

But now a silent dove descended to a place beside the youth, and spoke calm words to him. "You, the great son of the inventor, have enraptured the sun-maiden, the dear companion of Apollo." The dove wove together a convincing tale, and so the son of Daedalus believed him wholeheartedly, blind to the treachery beneath the dove's words. "Lend your ear and I shall tell of how you can be with your maiden forevermore. Your father has found a fashion to be rid this stone prison, but will tell you things you must not abide. Now heed these words—Fly high towards your lover's rays, and you shall be with her until the end of your days." With the words spoken, the dove spread wide and climbed high into the night sky.

With the dove's words still hanging in his ears, Icarus returned to sleep, to await the morning's arrival. Awoken now before Apollo's chariot had begun its journey, Daedalus brought his son to see their salvation.

Two pairs of wings, fashioned from candlewax and the feathers of visiting birds, bound and crafted along a wooden skeleton hewn from their own dinner chairs. Strapped to their backs with the fabric of worn clothes, Daedalus brought his son to the entrance of the world. Before they took off now, Daedalus placed his weathered hands upon the shoulder of his own child and spoke—"My dearest Icarus, now mind my words. I advise you to take a middle course. Fly not too near the water, or the mist will dance upon the feathers and loosen their bonds. Fly not too near the sun, or the rays will melt the wax and you will fall. Hear me well, my son, and fly true. Follow me now and keep my course and soon we shall have our freedom. Fly between sea and sun."

Fair Icarus, dear son of Daedalus did lend his ears to his father's woes—swift and seamless they jumped from their prison and fell quickly below. The wind did sing, breathing out quickly and lifting the two men into its embrace. Soar they did now, their prison growing smaller and smaller in the distance.

Free now from the confines of their prison, Icarus could see the sheer beauty of the world below him. As far as they could see the sea spread, Neptune's kingdom cradled beneath Jupiter's. Wary of his father's words Icarus held true to the course, but soon he cast his gaze above. Foolish Icarus brought his gaze upon the golden kingdom, and as he cast his gaze to the light fair Apollo's chariot spread as it crossed beneath the crystalline sky it taunted the youth. And as the chariot flew above Icarus's heart swelled with joy.

The sun-maiden of Icarus glowed above him, wrapping him in her warm embrace. Desperate to be with his beloved, Icarus beat his arms quickly, ascending higher and higher. He could see her clearly now, and the voice of his father below was muted. "Fair maiden," he called. "Please, tell me your name and let us forever be bound together."

As the light grew around him so did the heat. Closer and closer he came to Apollo's chariot, and the divine god cast his gaze on the desperate youth. Saddened by his desperate pleas, stoic Apollo gathered together some of the light from his chariot and cast it into the form of a maiden. He breathed into her and so she lived. "Go now, young one, and be called Julip after the rose water that is as sweet, and appease this man I see."

The heat from Apollo's chariot grew too warm for the wings of Icarus, and the wax began to melt, falling to the sea below—yet Icarus ignored the heartbroken calls from his father, and continued on as the dove did say. The maiden of Apollo was before him now, and he spread his arms and brought her into his embrace. The maiden pulled back and smiled and knew that she was meant for this man before her. "I am called Julip. What is your name, my beloved?"

"Icarus, my sweet." He pulled her close, and together they soared through the sky, unaware that her heat was melting his wings. "Please say we will never be parted."

Julip, aware of what she has done to the wings of Icarus, pulled away. "We cannot—yet if you join with the ocean, then I can forever look upon you and wrap you in my warm embrace."

Aware now that his wings are gone, Icarus beat his arms uselessly. "I call upon you fair gods of Olympus, please hear my plea. Let me be forever joined with Neptune's kingdom below and I shall be forever content and pay tribute to you." The wind now wore no arms to catch imprudent Icarus as he descended to the rolling crests beneath him. His gaze caught his father circling above, and with his father's name on his lips the salt water enveloped him.

His body broke with the waves, and the great current pulled and swirled around the pitied fool. Neptune heard the prayer and—benign and benevolent—saw poor Icarus as his body rolled and fell with the sea nymphs. Saddened by the beauty that was fast-fading from the youth, gracious Neptune in all his splendid glory called upon his deepest power and joined Icarus with the crashing waves.

And so Daedalus watched his son plunge below into Neptune's kingdom, unaware of his fate. The father flew forward with his broken heart until once again he found land. He arrived at the kingdom of Sicily, where Cocalus of Camicus welcomed him.

While his father lived on, Icarus became eternal, giving his name to his final home, and was eternally joined with his beloved sun-maiden, forever watching as she danced above following Apollo's chariot, and sending her heat to wrap him in her embrace. Icarus finally found the freedom he so long sought, although he gained it in a fashion he never did suspect. No longer plagued with earthly woes, Icarus cast aside all fear and doubt, and truly escaped his mortal bindings.