Myth of the Tornado

Before the Myth

          On Mt. Olympus, Zeus, king of the gods, had cast his eye over another fair, mortal maiden. Her name was Bellethon (Bell-o-thon), and she was the daughter of an important, wealthy family. Best of all, they worshipped all the gods. Enchanted by her beauty, Zeus came down to her doorstep in the form of a dove with a wounded wing. Bellethon, sighting the pitiful creature, took in the bird. Over time, her affection grew for the dove, supported by the facts that she loved and cared for animals and also had a special liking for birds.

          This bird in particular was a favorite of Bellethon, for it seemed, the dove nodded to some of her questions as if it understood her. It also cooed softly when she was upset. The time came one summer when Zeus’s wing healed. Though, Bellethon was loathe parting with this creature. This was the exact outcome Zeus wanted, so he surprised Bellethon by suddenly speaking to her. “Dear kind maiden of beauty”, he began, “Your heart reaches out for me, correct?” “Why, yes”, Bellethon answered boldly, but a bit mystified and startled. “I am Zeus, king of the gods of Mt. Olympus”, he declared. Bellethon, knowing that the gods could shape shift into creatures and had done this before to win other maidens’ hearts, realized that this was true, and felt a sudden rush of fear to be in the presence of an Olympian god. “Do not fear me”, Zeus soothed softly, “I have come to carry you away, if you trust me, grab my tail-feathers”. Bellethon was a bit hesitant but she was lured by this beautiful dove. As soon a she grasped the plume of feathers, Zeus shot out the window, with Bellethon holding on behind, eyes shut, teeth clenched, and holding her breath. Zeus dragged her as if she was as light as just another feather on his back.

          Zeus scaled the sky, gaining elevation. Going up, up, and up some more. After what seemed about an hour, they landed on an island that was named Cophile (Co-fill-ee), which was believed to be an island owned by the goddess Aphrodite. There, Zeus revealed his love for Bellethon, and that evening, they wed.