And so went the tragic love between Papys, the lost sailor of the seas, and the mysterious siren.
So heart wrenching and harrowing the account, it is said that all who heard it became speechless, dumbstruck or tongue-tied, unable to utter a single word.
What meaning and awareness could two people have for love. What potential for greatness. What cataclysm of disaster.
And to this very day, the tale is passed just as it was when first uttered from the lips of Papys himself.
Following his revelations, Papys made a solemn vow to alter his faultful ways and pledged first and foremost to honor committment to love.
It is unclear where Papys encountered shipwreck. Some think as far west as the Great Pillars is where he met demise. This may well be true, for Papys making his way back out onto the seas, joined up with the wandering Sea People, estranged souls like himself who are thought to be the lone survivors of sunken Atlantis.
Together they sailed for two harsh years across the open seas in search of a new home. Finally, they reached the endearing land of Phrygia, a sunny peninsula extending from Hellespont to the protected waters of Propontis and,in the direction of the rising sun, to the hidden waters of Pontus Euxinus.
They named their new home Dardanus.
The days passed and life slowly was more livable, though happiness remained elusive. Then on one sunny, balmy day as Papys was riding the flickering waves of Propontis, as he was dreaming with the billowing sails gently breathing to the rhythm of the wind-he saw again-the crystal eyes. The crystal eyes he should never forget.
The stare, piercing his every inch of being, pervading him with the same charm for which he agonized and yearned. Abruptly, he turned away, not wanting to look. Not wanting to be tempted. But some things by nature we cannot change. Unable to keep himself suspended in pretense, he gave in, turning to his leeward side and the omnipresent glow of the crystal eyes.
And there in all her wonderous glory and unspeakable beauty stood the naiad, Clyromneme.
No words of sorrow were spoken. No gestures of propiation. No utterances of apology. It was as if the world had started over.The old ended and a new one begun. The magic that had been lost, suddenly returned.
From that moment on, they never parted sight. Trusting themselves once more, Papys and Clyromneme were wedded man and wife.
They spent magic nights on the moon-illumined waters of Propontis among the dreaming islets, recounting the stars where thry once lived and the secrets of the old ways of living and being. By day, and at the zenith of summer solstice, they sauntered the hidden strands and off coves of Pontis Euxinus where sunlight dappled within the rock, pebbled sands, loitering to the magic tales spun by night stars the evening before. There they dreamed. Learning again the old ways that had been forgotten. While along the enchanting shores of Biga, they practiced their games of whims and fancy and making love.
As the days passed, their love grew stronger. Clyromneme found herself with child and gave to Papys a son who they named Troas.
Papys and Clyromneme taught Troas the secrets of life they had recovered, and Troas following their example soon rose to become the great Prince of Dardanus.
Troas was wise and good. He ruled the Sea People by the Golden Rule of Love. And the Sea People flourished and prospered and succeeded to heights never before imagined. Their numbers increased as more mortals and naiads, many of whom had been set to siren ways, intermarried and followed the secret path.
Some claim the Sea People never die and are immortal. Though they live, they are no longer recognized, for they live as spirits drifting like the winds. Some, from time to time, assume forms as they wish, but unbeknownst to the mortal world.
According to tales of old salts, they became immortal because they came to understand the secret of how love makes up the woof and warp of the Universe. In the same way that contrast between land and sea becomes a unity of one planet.
Though some accounts by old salts suggest to having heard the shrill siren call along cloistered fiords, sheltered firths and secluded bays where some sirens yet choose to remain solitary among the fishes and coral, not a single soul to date has been lost to the treacherous, craggy coasts.
Thus goes the tale of The Timeless Spell, its trials and tribulations, and how it was overcome.
~~
Copyright 2010 Francis Don Daniels All Rigts Reserved.
Thanks to Susi Galloway for her permission to include "The Siren's Lure"
with this writing. You may view other of Susi's fine art works by going to
http://susi-galloway.artistwebsites.com
