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Hymen

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

God of wedding ceremonies and marriage hymns, son of Apollo and a Muse (often Calliope). Invoked at weddings to bless unions, his name became synonymous with wedding songs themselves.

Detailed Definition
Hymen, often depicted with a torch and veil, presided over nuptials; his presence ensured marital bliss. Poets invoke him in epithalamia to bless unions, symbolizing hope, celebration, and the sacred transition into married life.
Example
Example in poetry:
Catullus’s wedding poems invoke Hymen as god of marriage; Ovid’s Metamorphoses references Hymen in tales of union and separation; In Virgil’s Eclogues, Hymen blesses rustic weddings; Later Renaissance epithalamia use Hymen as central celebrant; In allegory, Hymen symbolizes the sanctity and fragility of marital bonds.
Additional Notes
Hymen (Hymenaeus) is god of marriage, invoked in epithalamia (wedding songs). Catullus 61 and 62 are key examples. Students should note his torch (which must not go out) as symbol of marital fidelity. His absence signals doomed unions. Later, “hymen” becomes synonymous with wedding poetry. Related: epithalamion, Aphrodite, marital rites.
Also Known As
Hymen the Marriage God Torch-Bearing Herald Epithalamion Spirit Veiled Uniter
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