Sunshine Challenge #1: Hades

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Prompt 1: Hades
Hades is the god of the dead and the king of the Underworld with which his name became synonymous. Despite modern connotations of death as evil, Hades was actually more altruistically inclined in mythology; his role was often maintaining relative balance between the realms. He was often depicted as cold and stern in his judgement, and he held all of his subjects equally accountable to his laws. Above all else, Hades ensured the finality of death and that none of his subjects ever left the Underworld. Bonus Prompt: Cerberus, the Hound of Hades


Please feel free to respond in whichever way comes naturally to you, be it thoughts that you share or a work that you create. If you’d like a more specific idea to kick things off: share a poem or drabble that reminds you of the Hades theme.


Title: Waltzing with Cerberus
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes (ACD)
Poetic form: Rhyme pattern of an English sonnet but lines are alexandrine
Length: 122
Characters: Sherlock Holmes & Roy (the dog from "The Creeping Man")
Notes: see below poem
Rating: Gen



he waltzes like a lord, lord of the underworld,
detective-sleuth by trade, his noble carriage glides,
with lissome step, he guides, a nether grace unfurled,
a turn in triple time, across the floor, he slides.

he dances, he instructs, his hum, a lilting praise,
not jerking on the lead, he’s Hades of lithe whim,
his partner has three heads; these three heads he does raise,
an Irish Cerberus, he’s he, himself and him.

the follower is apt, a wolf breed in wiry coat,
his senses are acute, they harken as they traipse,
he knows he jigs with Death; with certainty, they float,
with vigilance, they skate, and not a note escapes.

their silhouette confounds alert pedestrian;
a handsome hellish pair, pure terpsichorean.


Whenever I need a more hefty prompt, I go to my Edward Gorey story cards, The Helpless Doorknob. The centre of the moodboard is one of those which reads 'Agatha taught Adolphus to dance the one-step.'

1.Persephone and Hades: tondo of an Attic red-figured kylix, ca. 440–430 BC
2. Score by Victorian Waltz by Cyril Scott
3. Detail of Pluto-Serapis of Heraklion Archaeological Museum
4. Irish wolfhound stock photo
5. Edward Gorey card
6. Paget's Sherlock
7. The Waltz, by Camille Claudel
8. Gramophone stock photo
7. Waltz stock photo

Comments

[mythicmistress]

Oh, nice! I like this take on the prompt. The imagery is quite nice.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you! I like your icon very much!

[kingstoken]

Cool moodboard

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thanks! I only know how to do them at all because of the book bingo, so it has proved edifying in more ways than one!

[dr_zook]

he’s Hades of lithe whim - Oh, very fine! I also really like your moodboard. :)

Here via Sunshine Challenge!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Oh, thank you very much! Although I used Paget's Holmes here, I think it is much easier to image RDJ's Holmes waltzing with an Irish wolfhound, don't you? :)

[dr_zook]

Haha, personally I think RDJ's Holmes can waltz with anybody, anything or with nothing at all. :D

[smallhobbit]

Great mood board. And I like the idea of Holmes and Roy performing a form of waltz together .

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thanks! Oh, yea! I am so glad you like the idea of Holmes & Roy dancing. I did like the image myself. That's a great icon. I need some new icons.

[pensnest]

This is so very elegant!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you very much! That's a wonderful icon!

[liriaen]

Pure music <3

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Aw, thanks very much!

[impala_chick]

Creative poem, I had to google "terpsichorean" but now I learned a new word :)

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thanks! Learning new words is always fun!

[enemytosleep]

This has a dancing with the devil vibe to it and I like it a lot. The words feel playful, too, their own sort of dance. Love this.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you! Yes, I went with three feet (x 2) to coincide with the 3/4 metre of the waltz so I am glad you picked upon the dancing quality of the verse.

[debriswoman]

Very nice, particularly the last 2 lines...and the gorey cards are a good choice for inspiration:-)

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you! They are my go-to resource when I need more substance to a prompt.

[pauraque]

That's a great poem! I love the musicality of the words you chose.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you very much!!

[yarnofariadne]

It's always a joy to see Edward Gorey! Lovely poem and moodboard ♥

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Yes, he's an absolute favourite of mine. Thank you, thank you!

[rainbowpineapple]

I love the images the poem invokes, and those first two lines especially are beautiful

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you very much!