Ariel Andromeda

[Jollyrei]

This story idea was inspired by a number of comments on previous images of the Andromeda myth. You know the one: beautiful girl gets chained to a rock because of some stupid thing her mother said, or was it her father, and she has to get eaten by the sea monster to appease the gods, or some such. I know one lovely person here who gets nicely excited by this sort of thing.

Anyway, there was also some conversation on this theme, and a few suggestions as to how the story would play out. I feel quite free to tell you now, dear reader, that most of these suggestions and ideas were discarded due to the ridiculous amount of time it has taken me to do up the images for the story, and then write some rather meagre text around them. I do hope you like the images. All are original manips by me, with advice along the way on technical issues from @bobinder and @Wragg.

I should just mention that this is not a remake of the original Greek myth (in which Perseus swoops down with his winged sandals, kills the monster and runs off with Andromeda). I know @Eulalia was always a bit distressed by that. In any event, this is not that story, and you'll have to read for yourself to find out what happens. Fortunately (or perhaps not), it's not terribly long.

The model used in the images is Ariel-Lilit (or Lilit-Ariel if you like) who has modeled for Hegre and Femjoy, among others, and also does some fashion and glamour modelling in Ukraine and other parts of Europe. The other elements and figures are taken from a variety of sources, many of which I don't remember. Some of it is from movies and series like "Rome", "Troy" and that Alexander the Great series starring Legolas the Elf, or was that Troy? Anyway, supporting cast to Ariel.

And so, without further ado:

The Myth of Ariel Andromeda
written and illustrated by Jollyrei
With additional material adapted from the poem "Andromeda" by Charles Kingsley.


I would note that this is, at least in part, being posted in honour of Ariel's birthday, October 16. Happy 27th birthday, Ariel. Wishing you many more!

 

[Jollyrei]

Over the sea, past Crete, on the Syrian shore to the southward,dwells in the well-tilled lowland a dark-haired people, and among these was Ariel Andromeda, daughter of a merchant, who loved to walk in the village and hear the minstrels.



But things don’t always stay the same. There was war among the islanders and Ariel’s father was killed. Her mother had been dead for years. Ariel was captured and taken from her home by soldiers who came in the night. Seeing that she was young and beautiful, the captain determined to take her for himself, and he saved her from the attentions of his men, plundering the captured village.

However, being a man used to battle and sport, and prone to gambling, the captain fell into debt. He decided that Ariel had been sent to him by the gods to clear his debts, and took her to his homeland to sell her in the slave markets. Stripped of her modest clothing and wearing only the slightest of coverings, as befits a slave girl, Ariel was taken through the bustling streets of the city, past shopping citizens and other naked slaves.



The captain was not an unkind man. He regretted using Ariel, but saw no other way out of his debts. He explained to her that slaves were often displayed naked, especially if they were beautiful, as this increased the price that one could get, as well as being a way for the girl’s owner to show off his good taste.

They arrived at the busy slave market in full swing. Men and women of all ages were being bought and sold by the residents of the city. The captain explained that he would sell her through a slave dealer, which was legally required in the city. The dealer would pay a price that was worked out through negotiations. The captain was certain he could get the amount he needed.

 

[Jollyrei]

Fortunately, Ariel caught the eye of a fat Phoenician merchant, who approached the captain and offered him an amount that Ariel thought was surprisingly large. The captain and the fat merchant haggled in a good natured manner, finally coming to agreement on an amount that more than paid the captain’s debts, and was considerably less than the merchant would have been happy to pay. Ariel was going to be the sale of the day, he felt, if he could find the right buyer, and the best place to find them was at the centre of the market, right under the statue of the chained slave girl.



He placed her in the company of a beautiful Nubian girl, and it was not long before they were receiving attention from the cream of the city’s society. Finally, a distinguished man in a crown decided that Ariel was worth a closer inspection. She nervously trembled as he stripped her of her shift, in full view of the market crowd, but otherwise tried to look docile and agreeable. She had quickly determined that being a slave of a good and wealthy family was far preferable to a life of tedious labour and possibly poor treatment by a lower status buyer. The elderly man, who was clearly of noble blood and of some stature in the city was pleased with his find, and told the fat Phoenician that Ariel was to be a gift for his son, who was turning 25 and assuming his status as a full citizen and consul of the city.

The fat Phoenician made back his money and a tidy profit, and set sail for home. Ariel went to her new home, the well appointed villa of the nobleman’s son, Konstantin, who lived there with his wife Apollonia. Now, it should be noted that Apollonia was older than Konstantin. She came from a good family, one with titles and status, but not much money.

Konstantin’s parents were wealthy and had achieved status through their wealth, but the combination of Konstantin’s wealth and the inherited nobility of Apollonia’s titles would cement the family’s future in the city. Konstantin was , at 25, one of the youngest men to be appointed consul of the city, and his father felt this deserved a fitting gift. He also knew that there was no great love between Konsantin and Apollonia, and that she rarely, if ever, allowed him into her bed. The old man was not without a sense of humour, and knew that Konstantin would not be able to resist Ariel for long. The old man reflected that she was having considerable influence on his own sense of composure. She was exactly what he was looking for.

The day of Konstantin’s birthday arrived. His friends gathered to celebrate with him, and minstrels played. Pretty dancing girls performed for the entertainment of the guests. Apollonia was not much interested in Konstantin’s amorous attentions – in fact she didn’t like him that much – but she knew that she could be forced out by another woman, and her titles meant nothing without some influence. She watched her husband to make sure he was not eying the dancing girls too much.

Then came the gift from his father, a beautiful naked girl. Ariel decided that she might as well begin to make a good impression, and she had always loved music and dancing. She found a tambourine and played and danced with the other minstrels and dancing girls, catching the eye of all the guests. She also could not help catching the eye of Konstantin, who stood and watched her dance, completely enraptured. Apollonia was not pleased, but could not raise an objection at the party. She fumed and fussed, but Konstantin didn’t even notice.



Ariel was not sure in the end how it all happened. Certainly, she had remained a virgin in her home village, waiting dutifully for her father to find her a suitable match. She had enjoyed the attentions of a few young men, but girls in her homeland were not free to just take a boy to bed. She had enjoyed the music, which was lively and cheerful.

Here the dancing girls had welcomed her and complimented her on her skill and felt that she had arrived at a good new home. She was allowed to relax and even eat some of the fine food normally reserved for the guests. Konstantin was reputed to be kind and fair with slaves. She began to feel reassured, and she danced more cheerfully.

 

[Jollyrei]

Then she was face to face with Konstantin. She could not think why he should not come over to meet her. She was, after all, a birthday gift to him. But he was asking questions. Where did she come from? How had she become a slave? Who were her parents? What was her homeland like? Ariel saw that he was genuinely interested, and she began to speak freely with him. It had been so easy to forget that he was her master and she was only a slave girl. In the end, she forgot the restrictions of her homeland, or at least, she reminded herself that she had no control, as Konstantin slipped away from the party with her, and into the softness of the Mediterranean night. It was possibly the first time in a while that she had felt she belonged somewhere, and that someone might care a little for her, and so he slipped her into his bed.



But even as Ariel thought she might have found a place in the world, and perhaps even a place in Konstantin’s heart, the lovers were not safe. There was a watcher at the doorway, unseen, but who witnessed Konstantin taking Ariel, and who heard his whispers of love.

 

[Jollyrei]

The next day dawned, cloudy and stormy. Ariel awoke alone in the bed. Konstantin was gone. She wondered what was expected of her now.

Then she heard the angry voices. Apollonia shrilly accusing Konstantin and calling for Ariel to be sold, expelled, anything. Konstantin reminding Apollonia that he only took from Ariel what Apollonia would not give, even though it was her duty.

Ariel sprang out of bed and hurriedly put on a slave dress. She could see that lovemaking with her master had been a mistake, and now she must work hard to show that she would dutifully serve the family. She would make Apollonia see she was not a threat. She ran down the stairs and into the main chamber of the villa just as Konstantin rashly said he could not have resisted her, as Ariel’s beauty surpassed that of the Nereids, the daughters of Poseidon.

Apollonia smiled then. She told Konstantin that she was satisfied with his explanation, but said it in a way that made Ariel feel a chill. Then there were soldiers at the gate. Apollonia looked at the brewing storm, and told the soldiers what Konstantin had said.

Pure are my hands from blood: most pure this heart in my bosom.
Yet one fault I remember this day; one word spoken;
Rashly my husband spoke, and I dread lest the sea should have heard it.
Watching this girl, this slave, as she danced in the joy of her girlhood,
Fairer he called her in pride than the Nereids, the daughters of Poseidon.
Judge ye if this be a sin, for I know none other. ​

The soldiers looked uneasily at the storm, and decided they did not know what was a sin, but their captain agreed to take Ariel before the priests and priestesses of Poseidon. They could decide. Konstantin said nothing. He could feel his influence and position slipping. Apollonia smiled grimly. Then she went out to tell her friends.

 

[Jollyrei]

By the time the soldiers had arrived at the Temple of Poseidon, a crowd had gathered. An oracle had predicted that the coming storm would be terrible, and now Apollonia’s well chosen words had supplied a cause for the gods’ wrath.

By the time they arrived at the temple, the storm was brewing in earnest, and the city was concerned that Ariel, a foreign slave girl, was the cause of Poseidon’s anger. Rumour was started that she had seduced Konstantin in order to take revenge on the people for the destruction of her homeland. Ariel did not know what to say or do. As the accused she was again stripped of her clothes and seated, on display, as the prisoner under examination.

A priestess made an offering of fire and incense to the gods, and the priest of Poseidon made a great show of examining the smoke and the embers. He recounted the story and then gave his judgement.

No word, once spoken, returneth,
Even if uttered unwitting. Shall gods excuse our rashness?
That which is done, that abides; and the wrath of the sea is against us;​

Hateful are they to the gods, whoso, impious, liken a mortal,
Fair though she be, to their glory; and hateful is she which is likened.​

Woe to us; for the land is defiled, and the people accursed.​

That was too much for the gathered crowd of people. They pushed forward in a mob, pushing the priest aside and dragging the naked Ariel out to the steps of the temple. There a soldier threw her to the ground and advanced on her with his spear. Ariel, still in disbelief about her change in fortune sprawled stunned on the ground, waiting for her death.



But another old priest intervened at the last moment and stopped the shedding of blood on the temple steps. But he did not spare her. He agreed she was doomed, but suggested a different verdict, one that would ensure that Ariel’s blood was not on the hands of the people.

Take thou her therefore now, this ill-starred Ariel Andromeda, take her with us;
Bind her aloft for a victim, a prey for the monsters of Poseidon,
Far on the sea-girt rock, which is washed by the surges for ever;
So may the Poseidon accept her, and so may the land make atonement,
Purged by her blood from its sin: so obey thou the doom of the rulers.​

And so instead of a quick death by spear, Ariel was taken out, to be bound to the rocks to await whatever doom the gods might dictate. She did not like the thought of the monsters of Poseidon. She wondered what sort of monsters they were.

Ariel still did not know what she had done, or why nobody tried to help or even defend her. She tried to protest that she had done nothing and said nothing, but the crowds shouted her down.

 

[Jollyrei]

The soldiers dragged her to the base of the cliffs overlooking the sea, and as she huddled against the rising chill of the wind, they brought out sturdy chains with which to bind her. She shivered as the priestesses invoked a prayer of sacrifice, offering her to Poseidon, to purge the sin of pride.



Then bound in chains, she was taken down the cliffs to the water’s edge. The storm was raging out at sea now and getting closer. Once again at the water’s edge, in the presence of the sea itself, Ariel tried to protest her innocence.

But the words of a slavegirl mean nothing against the verdict of priests, and even less against the orders given to soldiers. She was taken out further onto the rocks.

All along, the rising storm, now a hurricane force out near the horizon, and getting closer, convinced the soldiers and other people that this sacrifice had to be made.

Even if she’s innocent, they said, Poseidon will take her, and spare us.

And so she was hurriedly forced down on the rocks, and chained to the stone, naked and exposed, waiting for her doom. The people left her there alone, rushing back to the city, hoping for refuge and shelter.

There they set Ariel Andromeda, most beautiful, shaped like a goddess,
Lifting her long white arms wide-spread to the walls of the basalt,
Chaining them, ruthless, with brass; and they called on the might of the gods.​

 

[Jollyrei]

And it happened that Poseidon noticed the sacrifice, and he knew from the prayers and incense all about the story. And he came to find Ariel Andromeda, chained at the edge of his domain, this girl who dared challenge the Nereids, his daughters.

There was really nothing she could do. She waited in the chill and the cold, the waves growing larger, resolved to try bravely face whatever fate might befall her.

She looked for an answer of wrath: far off, in the heart of the darkness,
Blight white mists rose slowly; beneath them the wandering ocean
Glimmered and glowed to the deepest abyss; and the knees of the maiden
Trembled and sunk in her fear​

And the waves changed form and took shape, growing into the towering form of the god, holding his trident, commanding the seas. Poseidon came to see this maiden, and whether she was worthy of his attention.



Ariel saw him come, knowing these were the final moments of her life. She had no doubt the god or the sea would devour her. She turned to look again toward the city, the place that she had thought would be her home, even as a slave. She vowed to make her death count for something, even if she had not accomplished great things in life.

And as He came to her, she cried out:

Have you no mercy for me, thus guiltless? Dost thou pity the citizens of this land? ​

Why not me, then, more hapless by far? Does your sight and your knowledge
End with the marge of the waves? Is the world which ye dwell in not our world?​

And Poseidon heard her cry, but came on nonetheless, and she felt the sea-cold chill of his hand, grip her. She felt the chains shatter, and waited for her body to be torn apart by the force of the sea and the wrath of the gods.

And Poseidon took Ariel Andromeda – no winged rescuer for her. And she felt the turbulent sea close around her body like cold waves, and she was torn off the rocks and down into the darkness.

But the gods are perverse and sometimes changeable. Even as he grasped Ariel to destroy her, he saw her innocence, and knew what had befallen her, and the focus of his wrath changed.



And his anger reached out to the city, and to its people, and his arm, with the force of the ocean, swept it off the edge of the land. And so those people disappeared from the Earth, and their towers and their deeds were swept into nothing, and so Poseidon punished Apollonia for her jealousy, and Konstantin for his weakness.

 

[Jollyrei]

And the darkness turned to light for Ariel, and she rose.

And from afar, like a dawn in the midnight,
Rose from their seaweed chamber the choir of the mystical sea-maids.
Onward toward her they came, and her heart beat loud at their coming,
Watching the bliss of the gods, as they wakened the cliffs with their laughter​

And they embraced her, and called Ariel “sister”, and in their joy, they took her back to the rocks, now no longer terrible, but a place of freedom and laughter. And Poseidon looked on his beautiful daughters and was content. And Ariel Andromeda called out to the other maidens:

Gladden mine eyes once more with your splendour, unlike to my fancies;
You, then, smiled in the sea-gleam, and laughed in the plash of the ripple.
Awful I deemed you and formless; inhuman, monstrous as idols;
Lo, when ye came, ye were women, more loving and lovelier, only;
Like in all else; and I blest you.​

​

Ariel had found her place to belong.

FIN.

 

[Jollyrei]

For those who want it, there is a PDF version.

 

[Barbaria1]

the ridiculous amount of time it has taken me to do up the images for the story, and then write some rather meagre text around them.

However much time it may have taken to “do up” these images (must be some kind of artist talk), it was well worth the effort. They are superb!

And, I would hardly regard the text as “meager.” That’s selling it way short. It’s every bit as enticing as the images!

A lovely story and breathtaking art. Sure to be a classic, Jolly. WELL DONE!

 

[bobinder]

I would note that this is, at least in part, being posted in honour of Ariel's birthday, October 16. Happy 27th birthday, Ariel. Wishing you many more!

Congratulations on the publication of this delightful short story, timed to coincide with Ariel's birthday - and Happy Birthday, Ariel!

Having seen previews of some of the manips, I had an approximate idea of what to expect, although I did not realise how much originality would be employed in this new version of the story. I rather like the idea of Ariel being rescued and adopted by the angry sea god. In creative terms, what we are seeing is a series of manips which have taken about a year to produce. Most of them have been composed and then modified, refined and re-worked, until they present the visual quality the viewers get to see in the thread.

Whilst the written story is a relatively recent component of the production, the outline of a narrative concept has inspired the illustrations, without tying the author to a definitive version of events. Such a degree of flexibility allows free rein to the creative imagination, to produce the scintillating results published here.

Considerable care has been taken in the manipulation process. A couple of poses have been successfully duplicated in different images, but once a figure is carefully extracted from a source photograph, complete with windblown strands of hair, it is worth presenting under different conditions. Layer masking has been used extensively, and close attention has been paid to the details of colour saturation, relative contrast and lighting. The blending is therefore convincing, and the illustrations are either attractive or dramatic, or both - and consistently appealing.

I was intrigued to see the male Hegre model, named Alex, who posed with Ariel, playing the part of Konstantin. The underlying rationale becomes apparent in the love scene, whereby both figures are extracted together from the source image. And so Alex is cast in the role, and perhaps the Hegre series inspired this part of the story? Whatever the particular sources of inspiration, a large quantity of time and effort has been dedicated to this production, and for that, and the beautiful results published here, thank you, and well done, Jollyrei!

 

[Migoz2]

I know @Eulalia was always a bit distressed by that

I am another who thinks Perseus should have minded his own business! Nice work, Jolly!

 

[Hugin&Munin]

And the darkness turned to light for Ariel, and she rose.

And from afar, like a dawn in the midnight,​

Rose from their seaweed chamber the choir of the mystical sea-maids.​

Onward toward her they came, and her heart beat loud at their coming,​

Watching the bliss of the gods, as they wakened the cliffs with their laughter​

And they embraced her, and called Ariel “sister”, and in their joy, they took her back to the rocks, now no longer terrible, but a place of freedom and laughter. And Poseidon looked on his beautiful daughters and was content. And Ariel Andromeda called out to the other maidens:

Gladden mine eyes once more with your splendour, unlike to my fancies;​

You, then, smiled in the sea-gleam, and laughed in the plash of the ripple.​

Awful I deemed you and formless; inhuman, monstrous as idols;​

Lo, when ye came, ye were women, more loving and lovelier, only;​

Like in all else; and I blest you.​

View attachment 1075596​

Ariel had found her place to belong.

FIN.

Great story Jollyrei and the pictures go perfectly with it.

 

[messaline]

I only wonder to what those magnifiscent girls can be used in this sea'world ...
Perhaps that later they change themselves into mermaids ?



Well done Jolly !

 

[Jollyrei]

I only wonder to what those magnifiscent girls can be used in this sea'world ...
Perhaps that later they change themselves into mermaids ?

View attachment 1075799

Well done Jolly !

Wow. Nice mermaid. I wonder what a CF story about the little mermaid (obviously not underage) would be like.

 

[Eulalia]

A lovely, sensitive interpretation of one of my favourite themes - the amount of work involved in making those images is surely great, otehrs here know much better than I do, but the end-result certainly rewards the effort. And the tale, told simply but engagingly, is well-crafted too. I hadn't ever read Kingsley's Victorian version, having endeavoured to do so I must say I prefer yours, a lot less wordy! But the extracts you've chosen work well for me, they have the character of a chorus in a Greek tragedy - indeed, you could have persuaded me they were from a 19th century translation - the way you've used them as 'commentary' on the tale adds a kind of dignity, raises it to a timeless myth. Certainly a star - indeed, a constellation - in the heaven of Crux Forums!

 

[Eulalia]

Wow. Nice mermaid. I wonder what a CF story about the little mermaid (obviously not underage) would be like.

We've a mermaid thread that's been dormant for some time,
maybe time to bouncy-breast the waves and flick a tail or two?

Do Mermaids Really Exist?

We all know that a mermaid is a sea creature with the head and torso of a woman and the tail of a fish. The question is, are mermaids real or just fiction? We humans have been fascinated by mermaids for a long time. A few hundred years ago, the myth of beautiful semi-human women living beneath...

www.cruxforums.com

(and @mermaidhunter is still with us, though in well-earned retirement)

 

[Wragg]

Gentle reader, like Bob I can assure you that Jollyrei has laboured long and hard over these exquisite images, and has then skilfully enhanced them with a beautifully told story.

Well done, sir! I loved it!

 

[Arcimboldo]

Great! Like Bobinder and Wragg I know how straining and time consuming this work must have been. I adore your endurance, but in the same manner your technical skills and your sense of esthetics.