Guardian of the Golden Apples

What’s a dragon without a treasure to guard? (Still pretty scary, if you ask me.) Yet many tales do involve treasures watched over by dragons. In this case, the dragon guards the greatest prize of all: immortality!

The people of ancient Greece believed that a magical garden existed far, far to the west. It was home to the Hesperides, a group of nymphs who embodied the glory of the setting sun. In addition to adorning the sky with wonderful sunsets, the Hesperides had responsibility for Hera’s apple orchard.

Eons before, Hera had received a golden apple from her mother, Gaia, as a gift on her wedding day. This marvelous fruit could bestow eternal life upon anyone who ate it. Hera planted the seeds of the golden apple in her garden and assigned the Hesperides to cultivate the trees. Each tree bore golden apples as its fruit.

Such a treasure naturally attracted would-be thieves. The Hesperides were vigilant and never lost a single apple. However, it seems they sometimes indulged themselves and ate a few of the prized fruit. Hera decided to beef up security by adding a dragon to the mix.

Ladon was his name. He was the offspring of two monstrous Titans, Typhon and Echidna. Among his siblings? The dreaded Hydra. Like his father, Ladon had 100 heads and spoke 100 languages, but the one he spoke best was that of terror and pain.  Many mortals tried to sneak into the garden and purloin a golden apple. None returned to tell of it.

A few of the gods were able to gain access, however. It’s said that Eris, goddess of discord, used one of the golden apples to start a quarrel among Hera, Athena and Aphrodite that ultimately led to the Trojan War. It’s also said that the proud warrior maid, Atalanta, was thrown off her stride by a lure of golden apples. These had been provided by Aphrodite to her suitor, Hippomenes.

Come back on Saturday for more of Ladon’s legend.

A few of my other books:

Aunt Ursula’s Atlas, Lucy D. Ford’s short story collection

Masters of Air & Fire, Lucy D. Ford’s middle-grade novel

The Grimhold Wolf, my Gothic werewolf fantasy, and my epic fantasy, The Seven Exalted Orders.