Son of Zeus and Hermes too : LETTER

Sunday 19 February 1995 00:02 GMT

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I WAS very interested to read Tom Paulin's Masterclass (Sunday Review, 12 February) in which Poussin's magnificent Blind Orion Searching for the Rising Sun was appraised. I would like to correct one detail pertaining to the Great Hunter's parentage. Poseidon (Neptune) was only one-third Orion's father, the other two being Zeus and Hermes. The three of them urinated on an ox-hide that was buried for nine months whereby the baby Urion (later Orion) was produced. He was blinded by King Oenopion of Cos for making love to the King's daughter. As a son of Poseidon he was able to walk on water and made his way to Lemnos where he engaged the boy Cedalion who guided him to the sunrise that restored his vision.

Brian Mellowship

London SE12

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