March 29: Women's Month

If Greek mythology is consistent in anything, it’s inconsistency. And every now and again, someone noticed. Take poor Byblis for example, who couldn’t help falling in love with her own brother, Kaunis. When she finally gathered the courage to tell him, his reaction was cruel. Apalled by her confession and disgusted by the affection in her eyes, he drove her out of the house and out of his life. Byblis ran and ran and cried her eyes out. “Why,” she complained in desperation, “is it alright for gods to have affairs with, and even marry, their siblings, but not for humans?” No god dignified that with an answer, and endlessly weeping, she gradually transformed into a spring. Her name lives on in a plant, native to Australia, with mucilage-covered leaves, glistening like tears in the sunlight. Byblis’ tears were caused by shame, but she must have felt some resentment too, towards her brother, towards the gods., towards the double standards of society. Maybe that’s why the byblis is a carnivorous plant.

Byblis und Caunus, Laurent Delvaux, Bode Museum, Berlin, Germany

Byblis, Szeder László, Jardin Lecoq, Clermont-Ferrand, France