Those Halcyon Days in Winter

In Greece, the halcyon days are two weeks of good weather in winter when the days are pleasant and the seas calm. Seven days of this beautiful weather precede the winter solstice and seven days follow it. Here’s whom the Greeks have to thank for it.

Ceyx, the King of Thessaly, was the son of the evening star Hesperus, and his wife Halcyon was the daughter of Aeolus, the god of the winds. Ceyx glowed with the beauty of a star for he was indeed his father’s son. He was a just and gentle ruler and his wife Halcyon loved him dearly. Even the gods in the heavens envied their love and watched them secretly from above.

Once, in a playful moment, Halcyon and Ceyx called each other Hera and Zeus, which didn’t quite go down well with the gods. After all, Zeus was the king of the gods and Hera was his wife. How dare Ceyx and Halcyon even imagine they were the divine couple!

When his brother Daedalion died throwing himself off a cliff , Ceyx was inconsolable and sought to consult the oracle of Apollo at Delphi. For this, he had to embark on a voyage across the seas. But Halcyon would not hear of it. ‘The seas are treacherous and I cannot let you go,’ she cried. ‘Believe me, I know how hard it is for my father to trap those errant winds that seek to create storms and typhoons!’

But Ceyx was adamant. He began gathering his bravest men and prepared to set sail. Halcyon, on seeing that her beloved was determined to make the journey, insisted that she go along with him.

Ceyx knew what perils awaited him at sea and did not want to risk Halcyon’s life. ‘Dearest Halcyon, by the rays of my father’s star, which lights up the skies at dusk, I promise I shall return after two full moons. You must trust me and await my return!’ Halcyon watched through her tears as her husband set sail along with his men. She thought she could feel her poor heart break as the ship disappeared from view.

As Ceyx and his crew ventured on to the high seas, the eastern wind began to blow up a storm. Soon, the swirling waves of the seas rose high enough to touch the sky and the rains poured down from above. Their ship was tossed in these torrential waters and a bolt of lightning struck their mast. Ceyx knew this was the end and his thoughts went to Halcyon.

As he yearned for his beloved, another quick thought replaced his longing for her with relief that she need not share his fate. He called for help, to his father and his father-in-law, but his cries went unanswered. As he descended into the dark waters, he sent up another prayer to Poseidon, the god of the sea, that the waves may carry his poor body to his wife so that she could give him a proper burial.

Meanwhile, Halcyon, sick with worry, prayed to Hera to keep her husband safe. Hera, who heard her prayers, knew of Ceyx’s fate and took pity on her. She summoned Iris, the rainbow messenger of the gods. ‘Iris, go at once to the abode of Hypnos and tell him to send a vision to that unfortunate Halcyon. She needs to know that Ceyx has drowned.’

Iris flew down to the cave of Hypnos, the god of sleep, and conveyed the news. Hypnos in turn summoned his son Morpheus and asked him to reveal the truth to Halycon. Morpheus, a shape-shifter who could assume any human form, appeared as Ceyx in Halcyon’s troubled slumber. She saw him in the waters, pale with tears streaming down his already wet face. ‘The sea has claimed me, dearest Halcyon. Weep for me now for I shall never return!’

On awakening, Halcyon rushed to the seashore for the dream had been clear to her. As she wept inconsolably, she saw Ceyx’s body being brought to her along by the waves that made for the shore. As she threw herself in the water to unite with her dead husband, Zeus and the rest of the gods were moved to pity.

She was transformed into a sea bird, a kingfisher, and Ceyx was brought back to life as one too. Halcyon laid her eggs near the shore and they floated gently upon the waves. Aeolus, her father, kept the winds at bay so the eggs would not be disturbed. Zeus decreed that the winter seas remain calm for a period of fourteen days so the birds may keep their eggs safe in the winter. And then they lived, Ceyx and Halcyon, as sea birds, together forever.