Pandora’s Box

Miths Miths and and

LegendsLegends

Has your curiosity ever Has your curiosity ever got you into trouble?got you into trouble?

Have you ever been so Have you ever been so desperate to know a desperate to know a secret that you took secret that you took

no notice of a no notice of a warning?warning?

All through history All through history there are stories of there are stories of people being told people being told not to open doors, not to open doors,

caskets, cupboards, caskets, cupboards, gates and all sorts of gates and all sorts of other things and, in other things and, in

so many of the so many of the stories, the people stories, the people just did not listen. just did not listen.

One person who did One person who did not listen was not listen was

Pandora. Her story Pandora. Her story comes from Ancient comes from Ancient

Greece and her Greece and her curiosity brought a curiosity brought a

whole heap of whole heap of trouble!trouble!

In ancient Greece there In ancient Greece there were two brothers named were two brothers named

Epimetheus and Epimetheus and Prometheus. They upset Prometheus. They upset

the gods and annoyed the the gods and annoyed the most powerful of all Gods, most powerful of all Gods,

Zeus, in particular. This Zeus, in particular. This was not the first time was not the first time

humans had upset Zeus, humans had upset Zeus, and once before, as and once before, as

punishment, he had taken punishment, he had taken from humans the ability to from humans the ability to make fire. This meant they make fire. This meant they could no longer cook their could no longer cook their meat and could not keep meat and could not keep

themselves warm.themselves warm.

However, However, Prometheus was Prometheus was

clever and he knew clever and he knew that, on the Isle of that, on the Isle of

Lemnos, lived Lemnos, lived Hephaestos, the Hephaestos, the

blacksmith. He had blacksmith. He had a fire burning to a fire burning to

keep his forge hot. keep his forge hot. Prometheus Prometheus

travelled to Lemnos travelled to Lemnos and stole fire from and stole fire from the blacksmith. the blacksmith. Zeus was furious and decided that humans Zeus was furious and decided that humans

had to be punished once and for all for their had to be punished once and for all for their lack of respect.lack of respect.

Zeus came up Zeus came up with a very with a very

cunning plan to cunning plan to punish the two punish the two

brothers. With the brothers. With the help of help of

Hephaestos, he Hephaestos, he created a woman created a woman

from clay. The from clay. The goddess Athene goddess Athene

then breathed life then breathed life into the clay, into the clay,

Aphrodite madeAphrodite made her very beautiful and Hermes taught her her very beautiful and Hermes taught her how to be both charming and deceitful. how to be both charming and deceitful. Zeus called her Pandora and sent her as Zeus called her Pandora and sent her as

a gift to Epimetheus.a gift to Epimetheus.

His brother His brother Prometheus had Prometheus had

warned him not to warned him not to accept any gifts accept any gifts

from the gods but from the gods but Epimetheus was Epimetheus was

completely completely charmed by the charmed by the

woman and woman and thought Pandora thought Pandora was so beautiful was so beautiful that she could that she could

never cause any never cause any harm, so he harm, so he

agreed to marry agreed to marry her.her.

Zeus, pleased that Zeus, pleased that his trap was working, his trap was working,

gave Pandora a gave Pandora a wedding gift of a wedding gift of a

beautiful box. There beautiful box. There was one very, very was one very, very important condition important condition however, that she however, that she

must never opened must never opened the box. Pandora was the box. Pandora was

very curious about very curious about the contents of the the contents of the

box but she had box but she had promised that she promised that she

would never open it.would never open it.

All she could think All she could think about was; what could about was; what could

be in the box? She be in the box? She could not understand could not understand why someone would why someone would send her a box if she send her a box if she

could not see what was could not see what was in it. It seemed to in it. It seemed to

make no sense at all to make no sense at all to her and she could think her and she could think of nothing else but of of nothing else but of opening the box and opening the box and unlocking its secrets. unlocking its secrets.

This was just what This was just what

Zeus had planned.Zeus had planned.

Finally, Pandora could Finally, Pandora could stand it no longer. When stand it no longer. When

she knew Epimetheus she knew Epimetheus was out of sight, she was out of sight, she

crept up to the box, took crept up to the box, took the huge key off the high the huge key off the high

shelf, fitted it carefully shelf, fitted it carefully into the lock and turned into the lock and turned

it. it. But, at the last moment, she felt a pang of But, at the last moment, she felt a pang of guilt, imagined how angry her husband would guilt, imagined how angry her husband would be and quickly locked the box again without be and quickly locked the box again without opening the lid and put the key back where opening the lid and put the key back where she had found it. Three more times she did she had found it. Three more times she did this until, at last, she knew she had to look this until, at last, she knew she had to look

inside or she would go completely mad!inside or she would go completely mad!

She took the key, She took the key, slid it into the lock slid it into the lock and turned it. She and turned it. She

took a deep took a deep breath, closed her breath, closed her eyes and slowly eyes and slowly

lifted the lid of the lifted the lid of the box. She opened box. She opened

her eyes and her eyes and looked into the looked into the

box, expecting to box, expecting to see fine silks, see fine silks, gowns or gold gowns or gold bracelets and bracelets and

necklaces or even necklaces or even piles of gold coins.piles of gold coins.

But there was no gleam But there was no gleam of gold or treasure. of gold or treasure.

There were no shining There were no shining bracelets and not one bracelets and not one

beautiful dress! The look beautiful dress! The look of excitement on her of excitement on her face quickly turned to face quickly turned to one of disappointment one of disappointment and then horror. For and then horror. For

Zeus had packed the box Zeus had packed the box full of all the terrible full of all the terrible

evils he could think of. evils he could think of. Out of the box poured Out of the box poured

disease and poverty. Out disease and poverty. Out came misery, out came came misery, out came

death, out came sadness death, out came sadness - all shaped like tiny - all shaped like tiny

buzzing moths.buzzing moths.

The creatures stung The creatures stung Pandora over and over Pandora over and over again and she slammed again and she slammed the lid shut. Epimetheus the lid shut. Epimetheus ran into the room to see ran into the room to see why she was crying in why she was crying in

pain. Pandora could still pain. Pandora could still hear a voice calling to her hear a voice calling to her

from the box, pleading from the box, pleading with her to be let out. with her to be let out.

Epimetheus agreed that Epimetheus agreed that nothing inside the box nothing inside the box

could be worse than the could be worse than the horrors that had already horrors that had already been released, so they been released, so they

opened the lid once opened the lid once more.more.

All that remained in All that remained in the box was Hope. the box was Hope.

It fluttered from It fluttered from the box like a the box like a

beautiful dragonfly, beautiful dragonfly, touching the touching the

wounds created by wounds created by the evil creatures, the evil creatures, and healing them. and healing them.

Even though Even though Pandora had Pandora had

released pain and released pain and suffering upon the suffering upon the world, she had also world, she had also

allowed Hope to allowed Hope to follow them.follow them.

Pandora’s Box – Origins

What What type of type of myth is myth is this?this?

People have always wanted to know why People have always wanted to know why things happen in the world the way they do. things happen in the world the way they do. Before there was much science, they did not Before there was much science, they did not have much understanding of how the world have much understanding of how the world works, but they still wanted to know, just as works, but they still wanted to know, just as much as we do. Human curiosity always asks much as we do. Human curiosity always asks

why .. and then human creativity finds ways of why .. and then human creativity finds ways of giving an answer. giving an answer.

Pandora’s box is an Pandora’s box is an origin myth – the origin myth – the

attempt to explain the attempt to explain the beginning of beginning of something.something.

The story of The story of Pandora and Pandora and

her box comes her box comes from Ancient from Ancient Greece and is Greece and is

very old. very old. Because of this, Because of this,

there are there are several versions several versions

of the myth. of the myth.

Are there other Are there other versions of the story?versions of the story?

In Greek mythology, In Greek mythology, Pandora (meaning ‘all-Pandora (meaning ‘all-giving’) was the first giving’) was the first

woman on earth. Before woman on earth. Before humans there were the humans there were the

immortals (the Gods and immortals (the Gods and Titans). The brothers, Titans). The brothers,

Prometheus and Prometheus and Epimetheus were Titans Epimetheus were Titans (Giant people) who had (Giant people) who had fought on the Gods’ side fought on the Gods’ side

in a war. in a war. Some say they were cousins of Zeus, king of Some say they were cousins of Zeus, king of the gods; he asked Prometheus to create the gods; he asked Prometheus to create

man out of clay and water (in many versions man out of clay and water (in many versions Hephaestus helps in this). Hephaestus helps in this).

Epimetheus had to create Epimetheus had to create the animals and give them the animals and give them

their gifts of courage, their gifts of courage, swiftness etc. He gave out swiftness etc. He gave out all the gifts and had none all the gifts and had none

left for Man. So left for Man. So Prometheus decides to Prometheus decides to

make man stand upright, make man stand upright, like the gods, and give like the gods, and give

them fire (which Zeus did them fire (which Zeus did not want them to have – not want them to have –

some say he had removed some say he had removed it as a punishment). So it as a punishment). So Prometheus stole fire – Prometheus stole fire – some say from Zeus’ some say from Zeus’

lightning, others from the lightning, others from the sun and yet others from sun and yet others from

Hephaestus’ forge. Hephaestus’ forge.

Most agree that Zeus asked Hephaestus to Most agree that Zeus asked Hephaestus to make Pandora (the first woman) also out of make Pandora (the first woman) also out of earth and water, and he intended her to be earth and water, and he intended her to be a punishment. Each god and goddess gave a punishment. Each god and goddess gave Pandora a gift (talent), of beauty, charm, Pandora a gift (talent), of beauty, charm,

music etc but also others, like curiosity and music etc but also others, like curiosity and persuasion – gifts that could be used for persuasion – gifts that could be used for

good or ill. good or ill.

Then Pandora was given a Then Pandora was given a container – in the original container – in the original

Greek stories it was a jar and Greek stories it was a jar and did not become a box until did not become a box until the Sixteenth century AD. A the Sixteenth century AD. A scholar called Erasmus, who scholar called Erasmus, who

lived in Rotterdam in lived in Rotterdam in Holland, translated a story of Holland, translated a story of Pandora from Hesiod’s work. Pandora from Hesiod’s work.

Hesiod was a Greek poet Hesiod was a Greek poet who lived about 700BC. who lived about 700BC.

Erasmus wasErasmus wastranslating the Greek into Latin (which translating the Greek into Latin (which scholars did all their writing in, in those days) scholars did all their writing in, in those days)

and translated the Greek word ‘pithos’ and translated the Greek word ‘pithos’ meaning jar into the Latin word ‘pyxis’ meaning jar into the Latin word ‘pyxis’

meaning box. And a box it has stayed to this meaning box. And a box it has stayed to this day!day!