Metanira

Metanira
Demeter and Metanira, detail of an Apulian red-figure hydria, Antikensammlung Berlin (1984.46)

In Greek mythology, Metanira (Greek: Μετάνειρα, Metaneira or Metaenira; also Meganeira[1]) was a queen of Eleusis and wife of Celeus. While Demeter was searching for her daughter, having taken the form of an old woman called Doso, she received a hospitable welcome from Celeus, the King of Eleusis in Attica. He asked her to nurse Demophon, his son by Metanira. As a gift to Celeus, because of his hospitality, Demeter planned to make Demophon immortal by burning his mortal spirit away in the family hearth every night. She was unable to complete the ritual because Metanira walked in on her one night and screamed at seeing her child in flames, which distracted the goddess. Some say that Demophon, as a result, was destroyed by the flames, but in other sources he suffered no harm. In Ovid's Fasti,[2] the baby was Triptolemus and not Demophon, although in most other versions he was an adult by the time; some sources state that even his parentage was different. However, all versions agree that Demeter chose to teach Triptolemus the art of agriculture and, from him, the rest of Greece learned to plant and reap crops. He flew across the land on a winged chariot while Demeter and Persephone cared for him, and helped him complete his mission of educating the whole of Greece on the art of agriculture.[3][4][5] Some mythological traditions tell that Metanira's son Abas mocked Demeter and as punishment was turned into a lizard;[6] others, however, relate this of Ascalabus, son of Misme.[7]

References

  1. ^ Pausanias, Description of Greece, 1. 39. 1
  2. ^ book 5, lines 508-560
  3. ^ Homeric Hymn to Demeter, 5
  4. ^ Apollodorus, Bibliotheca, 1. 5. 1-2
  5. ^ Hyginus, Fabulae, 147
  6. ^ Ovid, Metamorphoses, 5. 450 ff
  7. ^ Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses, 24

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  • Metaníra — METANÍRA, Gr. Μετάνειρα, ας, des Celeus Gemahlinn, nahm die Ceres, unter der Gestalt einer alten Frau, in ihre Dienste, und vertrauete ihr insonderheit ihren jüngern Sohn, Deiphon, zur Erziehung. Indem aber solcher Knabe ganz ungemein wuchs und… …   Gründliches mythologisches Lexikon

  • Metanīra — Metanīra, Gemahlin des Keleos, Mutter des Demophoon, s.u. Demeter …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • METANIRA — Celci coniux Ovid. Fast. l. 4. ubi codd. vulgo Menelina, alii Menalia, alii Melanira, Μετανείρα est Nicandro in Theriacis, eiusque Scholiastae, itemque Nonno Dionys. l. 27. et 47. cui ἀρχαίη dicitur κατ᾿ ἐξοχὴν, ut et Nicandro. Μετανείραν etiam… …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Metanira — Con el nombre Metanira aparecen en la mitología griega tres personajes femeninos no siempre bien diferenciados: La llamada Metanira (Meganira, en Pausanias, o Metaneira) era una hija de Anfictión y de Cránae que fue reina de Eleusis por su… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Metanira — /met euh nuy reuh/, n. Class. Myth. queen of Eleusis, who took Demeter in to nurse her child. Also, Metaneira. * * * …   Universalium

  • Metanira — /met euh nuy reuh/, n. Class. Myth. queen of Eleusis, who took Demeter in to nurse her child. Also, Metaneira …   Useful english dictionary

  • МЕТАНИРА —    • Metanira,          Μετάνειρα, см. Δημήτηρ, Деметра, 2 …   Реальный словарь классических древностей

  • Triptólemo — de pie entre Deméter y Perséfone, recibiendo espigas de trigo. Relieve votivo, 440 430 a. C., Museo Nacional Arqueológico de Atenas. En la mitología griega, Triptólemo (en griego antiguo Τριπτόλεμος, ‘cáscaras latentes’ y a veces… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Celévs — CELÉVS, ëi, Gr. Κελεὺς, έως, (⇒ Tab. XXVII.) des Pharus Sohn und Kranaus Enkel, König zu Eleusine, Suidas in Ῥαριὰς, s. Tom. II. p. 252. nahm die Ceres gütig auf, als sie umher schweifete, und ihre verlohrne Tochter, Proserpina, suchte, wofür sie …   Gründliches mythologisches Lexikon

  • Demophon of Eleusis — In Greek mythology, Demophon (Ancient Greek: Δημοφῶν or Δημοφόων) sometimes written in English as Demophoon, was a son of King Celeus and Queen Metanira. While Demeter was searching for her daughter Persephone, having taken the form of an old… …   Wikipedia

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