Leo
Published on Nov 20, 2015
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LEO
BY TYREIL WHITE
Untitled Slide
In the first of his trials Hercules (Greek mythology) is tasked with finding and killing the Nemean Lion - an enormous and powerful lion whose hide is impenetrable. Hercules doesn't know this however and shoots the Nemean Lion with arrows, which do nothing but make it really, really mad. Being Hercules (Greek mythology), he decides to make a mad dash at the Nemean Lion rather than run away. The lion runs into its cave, which has two entrances. Long story short, Hercules blocks off an entrance, rushes into the cave, hits the Nemean Lion over the head with his club hard enough to stun it, then proceeds to choke it to death with his bare hands.
In order to prove his victory, Hercules (Greek mythology) is supposed to bring the pelt of the Nemean Lion back to King Eurystheus. Hercules tries to cut the pelt off the lion's body before realizing that it's still impenetrable. After trying a few different tactics, he finally figures out that the only thing that can cut the skin of the Nemean Lion is its own claws. Eventually he is able to use the claws to skin the lion. He brings the pelt back to Eurystheus but ends up keeping it to use as his own personal armor.
This is where the story supposedly connects to the constellation Leo myth. It is repeatedly mentioned in different versions of this story that either Zeus (Greek mythology) or Hera (Greek mythology) decide at this point to create the Leo constellation. Why they do this doesn't seem to be either understood nor all that important to the mythographers. Most legends assume that this is done as an ode to Hercules, but if that is the case, why is the Nemean Lion the one that ascends to the stars, which is typically reserved as an honor?
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