Echidna, a photo from Viterbo, Lazio

Photographer's Note

Echidna - Sacred Wood - Bomarzo (VT)
At the beginning of the avenue leading to the Ogre, the most famous figure in the park of the Monsters of Bomarzo, there are three menacing figures who seem to want to prevent visitors from passing: they are the Echidna, with the body of a woman and the lower part a snake shape, two Lions side by side and the Winged Fury, with the body of a woman and the tail of a snake. Daughter of Ceto and Forco, the Echidna is a monstrous primordial being of Greek mythology.
She has the appearance of a woman but with a serpentine lower body.
She lived out of this world, in the Arima cave. She was the wife of Tifeo with whom she had generated a series of terrible beings: the dogs Ortro and Cerberus, the Chimera, the Harpies, the Hydra of Lerna, the Sphinx, Ladon and the mythical and invulnerable Lion of Nemea.
In mythology the Echidna, Tifeo and their progeny represented obstacles to the establishment of the cosmic order, the realization of which inevitably entailed their destruction. Thus, if first it is Zeus himself who eliminates Tifeo with lightning bolts, then the various heroes of the Greek myth will continue his work: Hercules, in carrying out his twelve labors, captures Cerberus and kills Ortro, the Hydra and the Nemean Lion ; Oedipus, solving the famous enigma, forces the Sphinx to kill himself; Bellerophon, with the help of the winged horse Pegasus, kills the Chimera. Echidna, on the other hand, will fall by the hand of Argo panoptes (all eyes).

pierrefonds, ikeharel, ChrisJ, jemaflor, jean113, mcmtanyel heeft deze opmerking als nuttig gemarkeerd

Critiques | Translate

pierrefonds (115436) 2022-06-20 5:08

Hi Silvio,

Les arbres cadrent bien la sculpture. La prise de vue permet de voir les détails de la sculpture Echidna. La lumière donne de belles teintes aux couleurs de l'image. Bonne journée.

Pierre

ikeharel (114477) 2022-06-20 5:10

A bit decayed statue, but shown its ancient grandeur of artwork, Silvio.
Good use of the light & shadows upon this spot.
Arrivederci,
Ike

holmertz (103540) 2022-06-20 6:38

Hello Silvio,
This is another ancient sculpture coming close to pornography. The artist may have tried to avoid being doomed by the church by crossbreeding the woman with a snake. Nut people probably had their fantasies anyway. It's a peculiar but interesting photo with well managed light in nice surroundings.
Best regards,
Gert

ChrisJ (172378) 2022-06-20 7:24

Ciao Silvio

The Australian Echidna looks less menacing!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echidna

The lower snakes half looks south east Asian from Thailand or China but the upper woman half has a Greco Roman look. Tfs!

Fis2 (171823) 2022-06-20 10:09

Witaj Silvio!
Another intersting sculpture.
Picture makes impression.
Good framing and colors.
Well done.
Good evening.
Krzysztof

jmdias (116341) 2022-06-20 12:22

silvio

a surprising view, funny and so well done. a rare sample os sculpture for sure.

take care

jorge

lousat (139914) 2022-06-20 12:30

Ciao SIlvio,un mix donna e serpente che spesso vediamo anche nella realta'...ahhaa...scherzi a parte, posizione da kamasutra e stile molto originale, altra notevole sorpresa da Bomarzo. Buona serata,Luciano

PiotrF (55862) 2022-06-20 16:40

Hello Silvio
A very nice view of interesting sculpture.
I like nice details, good composition and sharpness.
Fine presentation
Regards
Piotr

aliabazari (23143) 2022-06-20 21:26

Hello Silvio
Beautiful view of this statue. Combines well with vegetation. Clarity and lighting done well. Beautiful shot

ifege (49297) 2022-06-20 22:07

Hi Silvio
An education for me this one. I had never realised the origin of the word Echidna which is the name of one of Australia's most loved animals. One of only 2 monotremes (the other being the platypus), the echidna is like a spiny ant eater. I don't see the connection for the animal's name but this is another good photo from the park of monsters.
cheers
Ian

pajaran (116947) 2022-06-20 22:52

Pozdrav.

Lep pogled, interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Lep veliki kip i drvece, dobro pokazano sa lepim bojama i kontrastom.
Dobar rad, lepa fotografija.
Lepa Echidna.

Zelim vam lep i uspesan dan, sve najbolje.
Paja

jemaflor (148124) 2022-06-20 23:36

Hi Silvio,
Very original statue and attitude for this lady with these legs ... well taken, good quality, interesting series about these "Monsters".

emka (158680) 2022-06-21 1:48

Hello Silvio, What a strange sculpture. For me, it is like a mermaid but with two tails. I do not recognize here the serpents.
Best regards MAlgo

mkamionka (75015) 2022-06-21 6:26

Ciao Silvio,
I read your note trying to understand what the sculpture presents. I think here each leg of the creature makes a separate snake. So it seems a combination of a lady and two snakes or a lady with two snake tails.
The structure looks quite big.
Very original reportage,
M

jean113 (28249) 2022-06-22 11:11

Hello Silvio, once again very informative notes.
What a strange sculpture! I can honestly say that I have never seen anything like this before.
The site for the sculptures sounds like an interesting place to go for a walk, so I am glad that you did that on our behalf.
Well managed light.
Kind regards, Jean.

mcmtanyel (69101) 2022-06-27 20:48

Hello Silvio,
A nice walk through this first sculpture park, which inspired me to show sculptures from parks in Colorado. I love the setting within a wooded area.
Regards,
MT