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Cycnus

Mythology
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Name shared by several mythological figures transformed into swans, including sons of Ares, Apollo, or Poseidon. The transformation often occurred at death or as divine mercy.

Detailed Definition
Cycnus appears in multiple myths—killed by Heracles, Achilles, or transformed after mourning Phaethon. The name means “swan,” linking to metamorphosis and lament. Poets use Cycnus to symbolize mournful beauty, transformation through grief, and the poetic voice of elegy, often in Ovidian or Hellenistic contexts.
Example
Example in poetry:
Cycnus, son of Ares or Poseidon, transformed into a swan, appears in Ovid and Pausanias; Poets use Cycnus (“swan”) to symbolize metamorphosis through grief or battle; In Ovid, his lament for Phaethon becomes song—ideal for poetic transformation; “Cycnus’ feathers” might describe white mourning; His name links avian grace and martial origin.
Additional Notes
Cycnus (“swan”) appears in multiple myths: son of Ares killed by Heracles; son of Apollo turned into a swan after mourning Hyacinthus. The swan symbolizes lament, transformation, and poetic song (swans sing before death). Ovid and Pausanias recount variants—useful for analyzing metamorphosis, grief, and the avian as liminal between earth and sky in lyric or elegiac poetry.
Also Known As
Kyknos
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