Also called Kyklopes, Brontes, Steropes, Arges, Polyphemus.
Their story
In Hesiod the three Cyclopes, Brontes, Steropes and Arges, are sons of Uranus and Gaia who forged the thunderbolt for Zeus. In the Odyssey the Cyclopes are a lawless race of shepherds, and Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, trapped Odysseus and ate his men. Odysseus blinded him and escaped under a ram, calling himself Nobody.
Best times to give to them
- During thunderstorms
- When working metal or craft
What they like being given
- None are traditional; a craft piece or a candle at a forge fits the smith Cyclopes
- A candle lit while reading or retelling the story
How to honour them
- Reflect on the two kinds: the skilled smiths who made Zeus's thunder and the lawless shepherd Polyphemus.
- Offer hospitality to guests, the value Polyphemus scorned.
How they can help you
- Craft and making
- Understanding hospitality in Greek values
Symbols
- single eye
- thunderbolt
- forge
- sheep
Hesiod's and Homer's Cyclopes are quite different beings.
Sources
- Hesiod, Theogony 139-146, 501-506
- Homer, Odyssey 9.105-566
- Apollodorus, Library 1.1.2, 1.2.1
More Greek spirits
- The Anemoi The four winds
- The Muses The nine daughters of Memory
- The Moirai Spinners of the thread of life
- The Charites The Graces of joy and charm
- The Horae Keepers of the seasons and order
- The Erinyes Avengers of blood and broken oaths
- The Harpies The snatchers
- The Gorgons The three sisters of the terrible gaze