In Greek mythology, the Telchines were the offspring of the primordial beings, probably born on the island of Rhodes, and in control of powerful magic. They initially used their magic to help the gods, creating magical weapons such as the scythe of Cronus and the trident of Poseidon. As their knowledge grew, they sought to increase and enhance their power, engaging in malevolent sorcery. They eventually poisoned the land of Rhodes, leading to their destruction by the gods.
Origin Stories
Several different origin stories survive for the Telchines, but all suggest that they were created near the beginning of time when the primordial gods ruled, before the rise of the Olympians.
Some sources suggest that they were the children of Tartarus, the primordial father of monsters, and Nemesis, the goddess of retribution (Bacchylides).
Another claims they were the offspring of the primordial gods Pontus and Gaia, the personifications of the sea and earth (Tzetzes).
Yet others say that they are the children of Thalassa, the female personification of the sea (Diodorus Siculus).
Another source suggests that they were made when Uranus’ blood was spilled when he was castrated by Cronus, emerging when his blood touched the earth (Tzetzes). This mirrors one story for the birth of Aphrodite, who emerged when his semen touched the sea. But this contradicts other stories we know about the Telchines.
Creatures of the Sea
The Telchines were imagined as creatures of the sea, usually as fish children with fins for hands and the heads of dogs, or as merfolk with the lower half of a fish and the upper half of a man. They had the rough skin of sea urchins. Nevertheless, the Telchines were described as active both in the water and on land, but it makes sense that they would call an island like Rhodes home.
Other sources suggest that they came from Crete, travelled to Cyprus. They then made their home in Rhodes, and from there they also travelled to Boeotia. Their principal seat became Rhodes, especially the towns of Cameirus, Ialysos, and Lindos. They had established themselves at Telchinis, but abandoned it when they saw that the island would be inundated.
The names of some individual Telchines are mentioned, including Mylas, Atabyrius, Antaeus, Megalesius, Hormenus, Lycus, Nicon, Simon, Chryson, Argyron, and Chalcon.
Divine Artisans and Caretakers
In the earliest surviving stories, the Telchines are described as divine artisans and caretakers.
First, they were expert metallurgists and were the first to work with iron and bronze. They are also credited with making the first marble statues of the gods, which the Greeks considered the vessels of the gods on earth. Diodorus Siculus says that they crafted the statues of Apollo and Hera on Rhodes.
They made two of the important objects owned by the gods. The Telchines made the scythe that Cronus used to castrate his father, Uranus, making it inconsistent that they were born from Uranus’ blood. They are also credited with forging the trident of Poseidon (Callimachus).
The Telchines also sometimes assisted Hephaestus, the god of the forge, for example, in making a cursed necklace for Harmonia (Statius).
They are also sometimes credited with playing a role in raising the younger generation of Olympian gods. In one myth, the Titan Rhea entrusted the care of her son Poseidon to the Telchines, with the help of the sea nymph Capheira to nurse him. This explains why they chose to make him his incredible trident and his affinity with the sea (Diodorus Siculus, Pausanius, Strabo).
In other myths, Rhea also entrusted Zeus to the Telchines when she was hiding him from Cronus. But these Telchines are often called Kouretes, and it is unclear if the Telchines and Kouretes were always the same or if this is a later conflation. They apparently protected Zeus by distracting Cronus with a frenzied dance that included banging their shields and spears together to cover the infant’s cries (Strabo).
Malevolent Wizards
In later accounts, descriptions of the actions of the Telchines change, and they are described more as malevolent wizards. They could control nature, sending lightning, snow, earthquakes, and manipulating the sea (Diodorus Siculus, Ovid). They were also shapeshifters who could change their appearance at will.
This seems to have become after they created Poseidon’s trident and realized their potential power. They became infatuated with creating increasingly powerful objects and increasing their own power. They also protected their power jealously, cursing anyone who tried to learn their secrets (Ovid).
This eventually led them to experiment with mixing water from the river Styx with sulphur, which created a substance capable of destroying all life. They apparently released their foul mixture of Rhodes, destroying all living things on the island (Strabo).
Downfall of the Telchines
As a consequence of their actions, the Telchines were destroyed, but again, there are multiple different stories about this.
Some versions say that Zeus struck them down with thunderbolts (Pindar). Others that he flooded Rhodes, and they were killed alongside many other inhabitants of the island (Ovid).
Other sources say that Poseidon killed the Telchines with the trident that they themselves created for him (Nonnus)
Another source says that Apollo turned into a wolf and killed them in a wild rage (Serius, Ad Aeneid).
Some stories suggest that they were defeated rather than killed and then thrown into Tartarus.
Leave a Reply