sunshine 2021: eos and the bull of minos

[aliensamba]

Medium: film, fanfiction (fic recs)
Fandom: The Chronicles of Riddick, Blade II, Sunshine, The Lord of the Rings, Ancient Greek Religion and Mythology, Star Wars
Characters: Jack B. Badd (Kyra), Richard B. Riddick, Robert Capa, Gandalf, Aragorn, Asterion (The Minotaur), Nyssa, Blade, Kylo Ren
Notes: Spoiler warning for the films mentioned and also Pitch Black. Violence, Blood and Gore warning because it's Ancient Greek Religion.

Prompt 2: Eos
The dawn goddess Eos was almost always described with rosy fingers or rosy forearms as she opened the gates of heaven for the Sun to rise. Eos had a team of divine horses to pull her chariot, providing daylight as they climbed the arc of heaven scattering sparks of fire across the sky (she was also sometimes depicted aloft by the power of her own wings). Eos is known for having had many lovers, which has led to Eos being known by some as a goddess of joy and pleasure in addition to being the goddess of the dawn.

Bonus Prompt: Bull of Minos

I. Eos

When I read the prompt, the first thing I can relate this to is a scene in The Chronicles of Riddick. It fulfills the dawn and daylight prompt but it is not joyful.

Riddick has fallen and Kyra pleads for him to get up. They are on the planet Crematoria where the surface is very hot in the sunlight like burn-to-death hot. The sun is coming up over the horizon (the middle screencap).

It's ironic because in the first movie (Pitch Black) where these two met, the sun being out was a good thing because it kept the monsters underground.


Get up. Get up.! Please get up. - Kyra to a fallen Riddick


The woman who now calls herself Kyra also reminds me of the dawn. When I searched the meaning of her name, one of the results was "like Ra, the sun".



Thinking about the dawn and daylight also reminds me of this graphic I made for lands_of_magic  (warnings for some blood & gore): Nyssa and Blade in Blade II

The sun is rising and Nyssa asks Blade to let her see the sun one last time. She had been bitten by a poisonous hybrid vampire. They are both vampires but Blade can't die from the sun because he is a Daywalker.



I also thought of Sunshine (Adagio in D Minor) from the OST of the film, Sunshine. I think it fits the all of the prompts: dawn, daylight, joy, and pleasure. It is composed by John Murphy.

listen @ my tumblr
watch on youtube (this video has flashing lights; it's the climax of the movie)


Dawn and daylight also remind me of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers where Gandalf arrives with the Rohirrim to help fight the Orcs who have besieged Helm's Deep.

watch on YouTube
The quote is: "Look to my coming, at first light, on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the East." - Gandalf to Aragorn




II. Bull of Minos

The Bull of Minos can be two things: the sacrificial bull sent by Poseidon, or the Minotaur (who's name was Asterion). I admit that at first I didn't think much of the Minotaur when I first read the myths. But now that I'm older, they have crossed my mind. So I searched for fanfiction about the Minotaur and I'd like to share two recommendations:

Asterion (1490 words) by Faera
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Greek Mythology
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Characters: Asterion the Minotaur (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Ariadne (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Summary:

A story told from the perspective of Asterion, the Minotaur. Monster and executioner, lost and misunderstood child.

asterion (311 words) by danicuh
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Asterion the Minotaur (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Additional Tags: Poetry
Summary:

The Minotaur was not the villain of his story.

The next paragraphs will probably be passionate/salty.

I think another character I'd relate to the Minotaur and the Bull of Minos is Kylo Ren.

Kylo Ren was born Ben Solo to Leia Organa and Han Solo. He was named after Ben Kenobi who was at one time called by Leia as her only hope ("Obi Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope"). Kylo Ren was born at the end of the war which had involved his family from the very start with his grandfather helping the Emperor to subjugate the entire galaxy. The war "ended" when his grandfather had a change of heart and saved his son Luke who was Leia's twin brother.

Kylo Ren's parents were afraid of his power and sent him away to live with his uncle Luke like Asterion (the Minotaur) being banished/hidden away in the Labyrinth. Leia and Han were afraid of his capabilities in the Force (an overarching almost god-like substance in their universe) and that Kylo Ren would turn out like his grandfather who was instrumental in upholding the Emperor's will against the Rebellion. Leia was one of the leaders of the Rebellion.

The Force could be likened to Poseidon who created and sent the Bull of Minos as a sacrifice because the Force created Kylo Ren's grandfather. But instead of just his grandfather sacrificing himself to save his son Luke, Kylo Ren also died like a sacrifice to let Rey live. Kylo Ren gave up his life[force] in healing Rey who was the granddaughter of the Emperor.

*in my head, ODIN VOICE: Your birthright was to die!
but that's told to another fave character*

Anyway, the Minotaur's name was Asterion. It means "little star". :(




Notes:
The Chronicles of Riddick screencaps are from cap-that.