Ceyx and Alcyone
heroKing and queen who loved each other so deeply the gods transformed them into kingfisher birds to be together after death.
The Myth
They called each other Zeus and Hera — and the real gods punished them for it with a shipwreck. Ceyx, son of Eosphorus, and his wife Alcyone were so devoted that they playfully used the names of the king and queen of the gods. Zeus sank Ceyx's ship with a thunderbolt while he was consulting an oracle. Morpheus appeared to Alcyone in a dream wearing Ceyx's drowned form. She found his body washed ashore and threw herself into the sea. The gods transformed both into halcyon birds (kingfishers). Aeolus, Alcyone's father, calms the seas for seven days each winter so they can nest — the halcyon days.
Symbols
Fun Fact
The phrase halcyon days — meaning a period of peace — comes directly from this myth.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Alcyone
nymphAlcyone and her husband Ceyx called themselves Zeus and Hera; as punishment, both were transformed...
Aeolus
godAeolus kept winds in a leather bag on his floating island.
Aeolus (Wind King)
godKeeper of the winds, appointed by Zeus to control the Anemoi from his floating island of Aeolia.
Eos
godThe rosy-fingered goddess of the dawn who rose each morning to open the gates of heaven for her...
Hera
godQueen of the Olympian gods and goddess of marriage. Known for her jealous rages against Zeus's...
Hera Teleia
godAn epithet of Hera as goddess of marriage and its fulfilment, worshipped as the divine model of the...
Morpheus
conceptThe god of dreams who appeared in the sleeping visions of mortals, taking human form. Son of Hypnos...
Zeus
godSupreme ruler of the Olympian gods and lord of the sky. Zeus overthrew his father Kronos and...
Zeus (King)
godZeus was the king of the Olympian gods, ruler of the sky, wielder of the thunderbolt — the supreme...
Zeus Xenios
godAn epithet of Zeus as guardian of guests and the sacred law of hospitality (xenia), whose violation...
Achilles
heroThe greatest warrior in the Greek army at Troy, nearly invulnerable thanks to being dipped in the...
Actaeon
heroActaeon was a master hunter who accidentally saw Artemis bathing naked — she transformed him into a...