This is going to be a series, about the weird sexual mythology surrounding swans and humans. There’s the swans in Swan Lake, who finally take on human female form.
But the most famous shape-shifting swans are male. They include Zeus, with Leda, and Gottfried, brother of Elsa von Brabant, who in swan form carries Lohengrin, knight of the Grail, from Montsalvat in Northern Spain to one of the rivers that passes through Brabant in what is now Belgium. (Frankreich, back then.) That’s an epic journey for a river-based creature, and someone should write an opera about it.
One interesting thing about swans is that they have penises, unlike most birds.
Anyway, with the help of my lovely model, and Amazing Special Effects, my Sinful Sundays are going to be taken up for a while with stories and poems about the whole human-swan connection.
Take it away, Mr Yeats!
A sudden blow: the great wings beating still
Above the staggering girl, her thighs caressed
By the dark webs, her nape caught in his bill,
He holds her helpless breast upon his breast.
How can those terrified vague fingers push
The feathered glory from her loosening thighs?
And how can body, laid in that white rush,
But feel the strange heart beating where it lies?
A shudder in the loins engenders there
The broken wall, the burning roof and tower
And Agamemnon dead.
Being so caught up,
So mastered by the brute blood of the air,
Did she put on his knowledge with his power
Before the indifferent beak could let her drop?
Definitely far too cold here this morning to be swanning around naked outdoors like that.
Great image and very apt interpretation.
KW
Excellent idea and great shot. I am alos a fan of yeats
Great shot but my nips are hardening at the thought of the cold lol
Ah well, it was warm where the photo was taken.
Clever image, as my eyes were first drawn to the swan before I saw the woman. I look forward to more facts about swans 🙂
Rebel xox
I was in Aruba not long ago and there were a few women floating on bliw up swans in the pool. Seems i may have missed the possible innuendo at the time.
Ride the white swan !!!
Looks like fun . . . and no I’m not even going to mention the penis !!!
Xxx – K
Such a playful picture and I look forward to seeing more in the series
Mollyx
Thank you for reminding me of the Yeats poem, it’s so powerful. Great image too. If you suggest a painting of Leda for An Arttwist prompt I’d be delighted to include it…
She does look like she’s having fun swanning around like that.
That picture is hilarious. Awesome job.
Pingback: #SOSS The men in my life no | Midnight at the Oasis