Scheda
In the Greek-Roman culture the swan is the archetype of beauty and nobility. Indeed Zeus chose the appearance of a swan to seduce Leda. The animal is holy to Apollo and the beauty of its song is already stressed in the XXI of Homeric Hymns, dedicated exactly to the god. In the ancient tradition before dying the swan emits a melodious sound, similar to a song (cf. Plato, Phaedo, 84-85). It is symbolically linked to the music and to the Muses like Erato (muse of Lyrical Poetry) and Clio (muse of History). For Ripa the swan is attributed to the Good Omen.
For an introduction to funerary symbols click here
Traduzione a cura della classe 5 H del Liceo Scientifico “Augusto Righi” di Bologna, nell'ambito del progetto di scambio culturale con il Liceo "Europaschule" di Bornheim, Germania, maggio-ottobre 2014.
