Wild Mythology: Swan Song

Author: Dean Taylor

While many of my articles are inspired by current events or lessons I have learned while on the water or in the woods, the idea for this one perhaps came from having a little too much time on my hands. Natural history and Mythology have always been favourite topics of mine and although they are seemingly unrelated, having multiple books on the go for essentially this whole quarantine period has shown a surprising amount of overlap between the two subjects. While it may only be interesting to me, the articles in this series are going to dive into the Mythological origins of some of the wildlife we have in this country and how these myths have shaped the names and the way we view these animals today; starting with the Mute Swan.

From Germanic lore to Hindu creationism, the Mute Swan has appeared in countless myths across many cultures. While many commonly portrayed animals possess universal traits (such as the Lion's courage or the Coyote's cunning) the portrayal of the Mute Swan is anything but consistent and takes a wide variety of shapes (in some cases literally) over various myths and cultures. In Celtic myth, the Swan is seen as a link to the Otherworld; in Norse myth, pure as the white on its feathers since drinking from Well of Urd in Asgard. Perhaps my favourite story, however, and the one most reflected in current myths surrounding the animal, comes from Greek mythology in the story of Phaeton.

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Phaeton: Son of the Sun God

Appolo, the favourite son of Zeus and deemed God of the Sun, is most commonly portrayed in his golden chariot in which he pulled the sun across the sky every day.

As it would be, his son Phaeton was also a chariot racer, and in a day when the sport was at its highest prestige. In the Isthmian Games, an ancient sporting event as renown as the modern-day Olympics, Phaeton competed in the greatest race of his life. The prize of the event was not only fame and fortune but also a gift of the winners choosing from his own father Apollo.

After winning the race with ease and with a newfound sense of confidence, Phaeton proclaimed he was capable of driving any chariot on earth, including the legendary Sun Chariot. This proclamation was met with harsh ridicule from all his friends and classmates, as no one other than the Sun God himself was thought to be capable of such a task. After constant mocking and ragging, Phaeton decided to cash in the gift from his father to prove to everyone he could drive the notorious Golden Chariot. Since Gods are unable to go back on their word, Apollo reluctantly agreed and Phaeton was set to take the reins the following morning.

With the first half of the flight going surprisingly smoothly, Phaeton decided to take the opportunity to gaze down upon the world in which he briefly ruled and imagine the faces of all those who doubted him looking up at the sky to witness him, a mortal man, expertly handling the God’s famous chariot. Just seconds after letting go of the reins and admiring his greatness, the horses, now lacking direction, charged straight towards the earth just over modern-day Africa.

Although he was able to gain control just before hitting the ground, Phaetons chariot scorched the land it narrowly glided over, evaporating rivers and destroying vegetation in what is now the Sahara Desert. This destructive trajectory continued until the seas began to boil, causing Poseidon (God of the Sea) to demand Zeus strike Phaeton down. Avoiding further disaster, Zeus obliged and struck Phaeton off the chariot and to his eventual death. Mourning the loss of his son, Apollo vowed to never drive the sun chariot again, leaving the duty to Helios who drives the chariot to this day.

Hearing of the crash, Cycgus (Phaetons best friend/lover) rushed to the site of the body at the River Eridanus where he mournfully and uncontrollably wailed over the loss of his friend. Hearing the wail and unable to make it stop, Apollo struck down Cycgus, forcing him to live the rest of his life as a Mute Swan. As the myth would have it, Mute Swans continue to live their life in absolute silence to this day until, just moments before their death, they wail one last mournful song.

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Today, young swans are still referred to as Cygnets to honour the original Mute. The myth surrounding their apparent voicelessness has also inspired the commonly used phrase "Swan Song", often used as a metaphor for a final performance or song given just before death or retirement, frequently used to describe an ageing athlete's final run at a championship or a seasoned pop star's last attempt at a hit single.

Unfortunately, despite how frequently it is repeated, the Mute Swan bellowing out its dying song is no more real than the sun chariot creating the Sahara Desert. In fact, the Mute Swan is actually capable of making multiple noises, defending its territory with strong hisses, greeting each other with quick snorts, and attracting mates with quiet "glock" sounds. Although these sounds are audible from up close, the quiet and muffled tone of their trumpet only carries a very short distance which has perhaps allowed their soundless reputation to live on as long as it has.

In Canada, these birds now exist in both Ontario and British Columbia after being brought over by European settlers in the 1870’s to grace the ponds and lakes of private estates. Despite their status as an invasive species and their destructive eating and breeding habits, these swans are one of the only non-native species to receive Federal protection from the Canadian government, and have perhaps avoided eradication thanks to the purity and allure surrounding the animals public perception.