The Resurrection of Glaucus, Prince of the Keftiu

On Crete, many rare herbs grow in wild meadows or beneath the trees, and some cling precariously to the sheer rock cliffs deep in the mountains. Some of these plants are indigenous only on Greece’s largest island and nowhere else on Earth. One of these rare plants may hold secrets well hidden by the gods over time. We believe a legend offers clues as to the source of creation, life, and rebirth. Now that you are interested, let me share a myth with you.

A Miracle of Keftiu

It was a shimmering Summer day, and Glaucus was playing blissfully with a ball one of the athletes had given him. Tossing and kicking his toy in and out of the columns of the palace temple, the son of King Minos was a picture of Keftiu health, beauty, and vitality. At length, the colorful ball dropped out of sight. Glaucus raced to retrieve it, down a stairway into the enormous storerooms where olive oil, wine, and honey were stored in huge vases or Pithoi. Glaucus pranced down the stairs into the cellar to fetch his ball, and he met the most peculiar sight there.

Perched on the edge of one of the open pithoi was a tiny white mouse staring into the mouth a the vessel. There in the center of a pool of golden honey, the young prince’s ball spun round and round like a floating top. Puzzled, Glaucus stood and watched the mouse as the mouse watched back, both of them looking in concert at the funny sight of the spinning ball. Suddenly, the little mouse turned to paw at the floating, slippery sphere with his forefeet and fell headlong into the tall pithoi jar. The prince of Keftiu seized the moment and ran to assist the little white rodent now in peril. Unfortunately, this large pithoi was twice the height of King Minos’ son.

Undaunted, Glaucus thought fast and ascended a stairway behind the jar so that he could reach in to save the little creature and his ball. But, of course, the fates were at play, and the boy leaned in too far and fell head-first into the giant vase. Sweet cold irony lets the prince’s splash wash the mouse and the ball over the rim of the pithoi. Sweet Glaucus, however, was trapped upside down in the narrow space of the vessel, and he could not right himself.

Knossos pithoi — Huge pithoi vessels at Knossos Palace/Temple – Nikater

Hours passed until King Minos and his wife Pasiphae finally missed their son. A search was carried out all across Knossos and its surrounds, but nowhere was Glaucus. After some days, the desperate king of the Keftiu visited the famous Oracle at Delphi to learn of his son’s fate. The oracle informed him and Queen Pariohae of a marvelous creature born amongst the Keftiu. The seer proclaimed, “whoever finds the true likeness of this creature will also find the child.” The creature the oracle referred to was an unusual newborn calf that changed from white to red and then to black. Polyidus of Corinth (Probably the god Asclepius) came to them, comparing the calf with the natural ripening of the mulberry plant. Seeing the Oracle’swisdom and understanding of the powerful seer, Minos sent Polyidus to find the missing prince.

Apollo Entrusting Chiron with the Education of his son Asclepius (Polyidus) – Public Domain

After a short tour of the temple, Polyidus saw a strange owl driving bees away from one of Minos’ storage cellars. Descending the damp storeroom stairs, he observed the spilled honey, the ball, and Glaucus’ body inside the pithoi. Minos was overjoyed that his son was finally discovered. Since the Oracle prophesied whoever found him would restore him, the king of the Keftiu demanded Polyidus restore his son to life. The seer protested that he did not have such power, so the Keftiu king locked Polyidus in the cellar with his dead son until he fulfilled the prophecy.

It wasn’t long after the storeroom was bolted shut that a snake appeared between the lifeless body of Glaucus and the seer. Startled, Polyidus killed the serpent with a sword left in the cellar with him. Then, a few minutes later, the strangest thing happened. A second snake appeared in the dim torchlight of the basement. Seeing its mate dead, the second snake retreated into the shadows. After a short time, it reemerged, carrying a strange herb, which brought its mate back to life. So, following the snake’s example, Polyidus used the same herb to resurrect Prince Glaucus.

Gifts of Paradise

The story of Polyidus and Glaucus has been the subject of many myths and legends. It was the subject of a lost play of Euripides, his Bellerophon, and of one by Aeschylus’ and Sophocles’ lost The Mantises. Today, there is a scant mention of this beautiful story. No one has tried to associate the rare herb, the incantations, or any of the other variables Polyidus might have used to bring the dead back to life. I cannot fathom why this is so, given the gravity and meaning of the story. What it? The possibility hammers in my brain each time I recall this fantastic tale. And the herb, the honey, some incantation as yet unknown, begs the ultimate question, “Is a reawakening possible?” And what of eternal life, as was the gift of the Garden of Eden? You may be surprised by new evidence.

The Dittany herb that grows wild in Crete, is currently only suggested (PDF) by the European Medicines Agency as a remedy for the relief of cough from colds and mild disorders of the stomach. In medieval times the herb indigenous to Crete island was used to treat everything from epilepsy to fevers and menstrual cramps. Today, scientists are studying (PDF) Carvacrol, which is “a monoterpenic phenol produced by the herb for biological and pharmacological properties as an antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, spasmolytic, and a vasorelaxant.” Furthermore, other clinical studies suggest Cretan dittany’s high amount of carvacrol and rosmarinic acid inhibited the growth of specific colon cancer cells by as much as 95%. It’s also been found out that the phenols also exhibited an antiproliferative effect. Dictamnus essential oil also has a very high antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antiproliferative value. Stil, no studies I’ve found have combined Dictamnus’ important compounds with other components. And discussion of ritual performances such as might have occurred during the resurrection of Glaucus is rare.

Cosmic Circles

What if we consider the Glaucus myth as fact? This seems like a logical exercise if we consider the young prince having been submerged in stored honey for a time. Of course, honey’s curative properties have been known for many centuries. Recently scientists began studying how various types, colors, and viscosities of honey can benefit healing. This recent research, for instance, delves deeply into the immunological properties of honey. And the scientists also discovered unusual regenerative capabilities. Now, medical researchers are studying honey from a molecular/biological standpoint. The indications are the product of bees is good for repairing or even replacing damaged tissues and organs.

Simply put, the biochemical properties of honey can be employed to help in stem cell regenerative healing through helping scaffold building. Scaffolds are the 2D or 3D support that host and promote the growth and differentiation of stem cells. The science is complex, of course, but perhaps not for a “seer” or “diviner,” as the case may be, a god of medicine like Asclepius (Polyidus).

Interestingly, the name of this herb comes from the Greek word diktamo (δίκταμο), which is, in turn, a derivative of Dikteon Andron. For those unfamiliar, this is the mountain cave where the god Zeus was born. Another fascinating coincidence (or variable) is that the dittany bush may be the plant referred to as the “burning bush” from the biblical story. Dittany produces volatile oils, which easily ignite when hot weather causes the chemicals to become an aerosol. This volatile aspect of dittany is thought to be the source of the story of God appearing to Moses in a burning bush to instruct him to return to Egypt (13th century BCE?). The strange supposition that Moses might have been Egypt’s only monotheistic Pharoah Akhenaten is a subject for future research. For now, it’s tantalizing to remember that Akhenaten’s queen, Nefertiti, was said to have been a princess of Keftiu (Minoan). Since both lived roughly the same time span and since the Israelites were led out of bondage by a prince of Egypt according to religious scripts, this facet of the Keftiu myth is remarkable. God, a burning bush on a high mountain, and miracles. It’s all a puzzle of extraordinary coincidences.

I make mention of these seemingly disconnected elements for a purpose. For those who recall the skepticism, our race of beings is capable of. It’s clear humanity has cycled through belief in science over the centuries. For the reader who thinks of Aristarchus (310 BC to 230 BC) and his assertions about our solar system being Heliocentric. Remember, Nicholas Copernicus (1473 to 1543) resurrected Aristarchus’ ideas 1,800 years later. Johannes Kepler also advanced science by suggesting that the planets travel in elliptical orbits. Another famous scientist who the experts doubted was Galileo Galilei.

So, as you can see, time, space, and our situation lead us to discover and then forget solutions to the most significant questions of our existence. Some may think me crazy or a crackpot for wondering about the Glaucus myth. But I must ask the question, “Was Glaucus brought back to life by a combination of science and the metaphysical? I sit here recalling the last time you sat at a Catholic mass or almost any Orthodox Christian service. The power of a focused mind, soul, and energy can accomplish amazing things. And with rediscovered miracle drugs, in the combinations only a seer might know, deployed with God’s help…

Well then, myth looks more like history. And Keftiu’s secrets draw closer to those who passionately inquire and search.

Feature photo: Aeneas being led through the underworld by the famous Cumaean Sibyl, the daughter of Glaucus of Crete, and an inspiration for Mary Shelley’s (of Frankenstein fame) The Last Man.