ACHILLES The greatest, most beautiful, and strongest of the heroes of Greek mythology, and one of the most renowned heroes of all time. In Greek legend the grandson of Aeacus, chief of the Myrmidons (ant clan); son of Peleus, sun hero and co-king of Ioclus, and the sea or moon goddess Thetis. Thetis bore seven sons, six of whom, as surrogates for Peleus, she burned to death and placed as immortals in heaven. To render Achilles immortal Thetis dipped him in the river Styx, holding him by theheel. Although the son of a sun hero and himself an aspect or personification of the sun, he was not immortal; he had not passed through the burning process and his heel, where held by his mother, remained vulnerable. Thetis disguised him as a girl to save him from serving as a warrior, an incident suggesting androgyny. He was discovered, and served in The Trojan war on the side of the Greeks. In an argument over Briseis he withdrew from the war, but returned to avenge the death of his friend Patroclus. He vanquished several heroes in single combat. Likewise in single combat, he killed Hector; Paris, aiming at his vulnerable heel, kiIled him and fulfilled a prophecy. Achilles, which means without lips, a name given to him because his Lips did not touch his mother' s breast Inasmuch as he had been brought up by his tutor Chiron, embodies ak (ach), meaning great. He typifies beauty, disputes, a dodger, faithful friend, manly valor, one who hides in woman's skirts, quarrels, strength with one fatal weakness, sulkiness, vulnerability, war, wrathfulness. He exemplifies one of the horrors of war, the death of the young. The Achilleis Is a solar epic: the sun is separated early from the darkness or twilight of dawn (Thetis), is hidden by clouds (woman's clothes), from which he emerges in glory. His affair with Briseis may be related to the Vedic myth of Aharya and Brisaya. His various combats are battles of light; the sun (Achillies) eventually tramples on darkness (Hector). Soon after victory the sun sets, so Achilles' death follows that of Hector. His vulnerable heel compares with Balor's eye and Balder's mistletoe. Also resembles Abel, Bran, Diarmuid, Harpocrates, Krishna, Llew Llaw, Math, Mopsus, Talus. See crucifixion; heel-- hob- bling; king, lame; surrogate.
This still need some work- has only been partially optically scanned.
LLEW (LLEU) LIAW GYF'FES Literally,, Lion with the Steady Hand. CyT-nric solar deity- also a corn divinity. Son of Gwydion and Arianrhod, twin of Dylan. Nephew of Govannan, the smith. Arianrhod aspired to be the foot holder of Math., but carrying the twins, she failed to pass the test of virginity required. For this reason she resented her twin sons and dropped Dylan into the sea, where he became a water god. Gwydion saved Llew, whose growth from infancy, like that of all sun deities, was marvelous. Arianrhod placed the curse of namelessness on her son. Gwyd ion tricked her into calling him Llew Llaw. Infuriated, she placed other curses on him, say ing he should never bear arms until she gave them to him, and he must never marry a woman of any people of the earth. Again Gwydion tricked her, and she gave her son arms. Then Gwyd ion and Math made him a wife out of the blossoms of broom, nic-adc-o, sweet, and oak, called Blodeuwedd. Although a great beauty Blodeuwedd was wiithout a soul, and she A-ornied out of her Husband the secret of his vulner ability. He could be injured only when he stood on one foot on a caldron (earth) and one on a buck (fertility) with his hair tied to an Oak branch (sky). Thus the sun cou injured only as he was about to set. Blodeuwedd revealed the proper moment to her lover Gronw Pebyr, lord of darkness, and he hurled his spear into Llew Llaw's groin.
Llew Llaw did not fall and touch the ground with his sacred heel because his hair was tied to a sacred oak. After receiving his wound he transformed into an eagle, in which form Gwydion located him. Gwydion healed the poisoned injury and magically restored Llew to his own shape. Llew then returned to his home, where he in turn killed Gronw. Dylan is sometimes understood to be another form of Llew Llaw, and the transformations of Llew began at the Winter Solstice. His seasonal names and shapes are: Dylan, fish shape, spring season. Llew Llaw, lion shape, summer season, starting at the Vernal Equinox. Name withheld, transitional form, autumnal season, starting at the Sumnier Solstice. Nant y Llew, eagle shape, winter season, starting at the Autumnal Equinox. Llew is the counterpart of the Irish sun god Lug (Lugh). Gyffes, a form of gyves (fetters), probably originally meant long, alluding to the long rays of the sun.