Leda and Juno - Wrest Park, Silsoe, Bedfordshire, UK - Epic Beings and Creatures on Waymarking.com

Leda is depicted holding a swan and wears partial drapery. Next to her is Juno dressed in classical attire and wearing a laurel wreath on her head. She has a baton in her right hand.

Both statues are Grade II Listed features, listed on 10th January 1985. They date to approximately 1835 and are marble designs on stone plinths. They were probably built for Thomas Philip 2nd Earl de Grey.

Wikipedia describes Leda: visit link

'In Greek mythology, Leda was daughter of the Aetolian king Thestius, and wife of the king Tyndareus, of Sparta. Her myth gave rise to the popular motif in Renaissance and later art of Leda and the Swan. She was the mother of Helen of Troy, Clytemnestra, and Castor and Pollux.

Leda was admired by Zeus, who seduced her in the guise of a swan. As a swan, Zeus fell into her arms for protection from a pursuing eagle. Their consummation, on the same night as Leda lay with her husband Tyndareus, resulted in two eggs from which hatched Helen — later known as the beautiful "Helen of Troy" — Clytemnestra, and Castor and Pollux (also known as the Dioscuri). Which children are the progeny of Tyndareus, the mortal king, and which are of Zeus, and are thus half-immortal, is not consistent among accounts, nor is which child hatched from which egg. The split is almost always half mortal, half divine, although the pairings do not always reflect the children's heritage pairings. Castor and Polydeuces are sometimes both mortal, sometimes both divine. One consistent point is that if only one of them is immortal, it is Polydeuces.'

And Juno: visit link

'Juno was an ancient Roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. She is a daughter of Saturn and sister (but also the wife) of the chief god Jupiter and the mother of Mars, Minerva and Vulcan. Her Greek equivalent is Hera.

As the patron goddess of Rome and the Roman empire she was called Regina ("queen") and, together with Jupiter and Minerva, was worshipped as a triad on the Capitol (Juno Capitolina) in Rome.'

We also include some distant shots of Mercury and Neptune. Perhaps they will join these valuable waymarks one day.

Time Period: Ancient Approximate Date of Epic Period: c. 900-800 BC onwards Epic Type: Mythical Exhibit Type: Figure, Statue, 3D Art

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Date Logged Log   09/25/2010 bill&ben visited it