NOTE: This story is now published on my portfolio site, here.
Hippolyta held her little Diana, finally asleep after a long day of learning from all of her aunts. The angelic looking 7-year-old had a slight smile on her face, resting with her head in the lap of her mother. Looking down at her, Hippolyta reflected on the mystery of her child, formed from clay and given breath by the gods, who had scarcely interacted with humans or Amazons for centuries. She wondered what was awaiting Diana; what would her destiny be? The pride Hippolyta felt over her daughter and her incredible abilities at such a young age and her adoration for the child were tempered by a constant uneasiness at the thought of Diana's destiny, still unknown.
The Amazons were a proud race of women, all as fiercely loyal to each other as sisters, and all more accomplished in every way than even the most powerful of men in the world outside of Themyscira. Isolated on their island for centuries, the women had spent the time training in the art of war, but also expanding their understanding of the universe through the most advanced scholarship in the world. Hippolyta, as their leader, far surpassed everyone in accomplishment and wisdom, but had still felt something was missing.
On the day Diana was granted life by the gods, Hippolyta was overjoyed to hear each gift given to her precious daughter by all of the deities present: beauty comparable to Aphrodite, the strength of Demeter, Athena's wisdom, speed and the power to fly from Hermes, the hunter's eyes of Artemis along with her unity of spirit with animals, and from Hestia a sisterhood with fire and the ability to always find the truth. All of these combined led to Diana becoming the prodigious child she was today, but as the years progressed, Hippolyta's joy mixed with apprehension, knowing the gods would not have been so generous if they did not have some greater purpose for the girl.
And yet... she was still just a child. Endlessly curious and stronger than she knew, she was not impervious to the pain of the constant scrapes she was getting herself into. She still had a need for her mother, and would for years to come. Gazing at her little gift from the gods, Hippolyta marveled at the power within her daughter that should have been at odds with the elements of her humanity that still made her vulnerable. But those elements only seemed to make her stronger - they taught her to be cautious and wise, more considerate of others. Hippolyta knew the day would come when Diana would realize she was set apart. When she would be called to whatever purpose was meant to be her destiny. But for now, she relished the ability to hold her, stroking her cheek and guarding her as she slept.
Author's Note:
My imagination was captured in the reading about the origins of Krishna as portrayed in Cradle Tales of Hinduism. Especially the difficulties and uniqueness of a mother raising a child she knows is more powerful than she is, but still needs her. In my reading notes on that chapter, I talked about the parallels between the origin story of Krishna and the story of Christ's birth and early childhood, which made me consider what other parallels in other myths there were. Our modern superheroes are, I think, a 21st century equivalent of the supernatural myths of old, so Wonder Woman came to mind. She is the child of the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, and depending on which origin story you read, was formed by Hippolyta in clay, and given life and all of her special abilities by the Greek gods. The Amazons were themselves set apart from the human race and possessed greater abilities, but as Diana was given all of her gifts, including life itself, from the gods, I imagine that Hippolyta would have still sensed her daughter was beyond all of the other Amazons both in ability and destiny.
I got the photo from here: https://jedi-counsel.com/2017/06/02/the-psychology-of-wonder-woman/
Hippolyta held her little Diana, finally asleep after a long day of learning from all of her aunts. The angelic looking 7-year-old had a slight smile on her face, resting with her head in the lap of her mother. Looking down at her, Hippolyta reflected on the mystery of her child, formed from clay and given breath by the gods, who had scarcely interacted with humans or Amazons for centuries. She wondered what was awaiting Diana; what would her destiny be? The pride Hippolyta felt over her daughter and her incredible abilities at such a young age and her adoration for the child were tempered by a constant uneasiness at the thought of Diana's destiny, still unknown.
The Amazons were a proud race of women, all as fiercely loyal to each other as sisters, and all more accomplished in every way than even the most powerful of men in the world outside of Themyscira. Isolated on their island for centuries, the women had spent the time training in the art of war, but also expanding their understanding of the universe through the most advanced scholarship in the world. Hippolyta, as their leader, far surpassed everyone in accomplishment and wisdom, but had still felt something was missing.
On the day Diana was granted life by the gods, Hippolyta was overjoyed to hear each gift given to her precious daughter by all of the deities present: beauty comparable to Aphrodite, the strength of Demeter, Athena's wisdom, speed and the power to fly from Hermes, the hunter's eyes of Artemis along with her unity of spirit with animals, and from Hestia a sisterhood with fire and the ability to always find the truth. All of these combined led to Diana becoming the prodigious child she was today, but as the years progressed, Hippolyta's joy mixed with apprehension, knowing the gods would not have been so generous if they did not have some greater purpose for the girl.
And yet... she was still just a child. Endlessly curious and stronger than she knew, she was not impervious to the pain of the constant scrapes she was getting herself into. She still had a need for her mother, and would for years to come. Gazing at her little gift from the gods, Hippolyta marveled at the power within her daughter that should have been at odds with the elements of her humanity that still made her vulnerable. But those elements only seemed to make her stronger - they taught her to be cautious and wise, more considerate of others. Hippolyta knew the day would come when Diana would realize she was set apart. When she would be called to whatever purpose was meant to be her destiny. But for now, she relished the ability to hold her, stroking her cheek and guarding her as she slept.
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| Hippolyta holding the Royal Daughter of Themyscira, Diana. |
Author's Note:
My imagination was captured in the reading about the origins of Krishna as portrayed in Cradle Tales of Hinduism. Especially the difficulties and uniqueness of a mother raising a child she knows is more powerful than she is, but still needs her. In my reading notes on that chapter, I talked about the parallels between the origin story of Krishna and the story of Christ's birth and early childhood, which made me consider what other parallels in other myths there were. Our modern superheroes are, I think, a 21st century equivalent of the supernatural myths of old, so Wonder Woman came to mind. She is the child of the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta, and depending on which origin story you read, was formed by Hippolyta in clay, and given life and all of her special abilities by the Greek gods. The Amazons were themselves set apart from the human race and possessed greater abilities, but as Diana was given all of her gifts, including life itself, from the gods, I imagine that Hippolyta would have still sensed her daughter was beyond all of the other Amazons both in ability and destiny.
I got the photo from here: https://jedi-counsel.com/2017/06/02/the-psychology-of-wonder-woman/
Hey Alena,
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved your retelling of this story! I am a pretty big super hero nerd, so the use of the amazons, princess Diana, and the overall story taking place in the world of Wonder Woman was really intriguing to me, as I was hooked right away and couldn't stop reading. I also loved your use of diction, it really helped me become even more immersed in the story. Great work and I can't wait to read more!
Hi Alena,
ReplyDeleteWOW great job with your story! I really enjoyed your version of this story. I wonder if you have written a lot in the past because it really seems like you have! I appreciate all your attention to detail you included. It made the story a lot easier to read and a lot more fun to follow along with. Also, such a good photo for your story. I have a very bad habit of just getting pictures from the original stories which I think can get pretty boring. It makes me want to try a more original picture in my next story. Great job!
Hi Alena I enjoyed reading you story, The Royal Daughter of Themyscira. I especially enjoyed all your intention to detail with wording sentences and your ability to paint a picture for the reader. I myself, loved seeing Wonder Woman in theaters. When I saw and read your story I was able to make multiple connections with your story to Wonder Woman's story. I can see where you got your inspiration from haha. Loved reading your story again, looking forward to reading more!
ReplyDeleteHi again, Alena! I just want to start off by saying that I absolutely loved reading your story. From the way you write to the inspiration you pulled from Wonder Woman, I loved every single detail. With that being said, I’m glad to see that you were able to retell a story of a mother raising a child and the importance of the bond that they create.
ReplyDelete