Curious Ordinary

Throughout history bats have made their way into the folklore of cultures around the world. Interestingly there is disparity between their role in western folklore to that in the east. Exploring different folktales has given me a new appreciation for this remarkable animal.

The oldest fossils of bats are around 50 million years old. There are over 1000 different species and they are found on every continent except Antarctica. They are particularly prevalent in tropical areas. Bats are rather unique because, as mammals, they carry and feed their babies like humans and other mammals, and yet they don't walk or crawl but rather fly like birds. Often termed liminal, which is to say they are outside the normal order of things, their inability to fit neatly into a particular category of creatures makes them all the more mysterious. It is no surprise then that they have come to be associated with things such as death, hauntings and the dark side of life.


Bats are creatures of the night, …

Many artists over the years have chosen the Greek Myths as the subject of their work. During the late 15th and 16th centuries classical mythology was a particularly popular subject of paintings. Perhaps this is why many of the Renaissance paintings remain timeless for they have tapped into the universal nature of humanity and in them we are able to see ourselves reflected. Due to the vast amount of artwork based on mythology I include here a small selection of my favourite paintings and myths.


Greek goddess Aphrodite emerged from the sea fully-grown after the titan Cronus slew his father Uranus and threw his genitals into the sea. She is the goddess of love, beauty and pleasure and is depicted above in Botticelli's famous 'Birth of Venus'.

Hermes is the Greek god of speech, travellers, shepherds, merchants and thieves. He stole his brother Apollo's cattle the same day he was born. Hermes is often depicted wearing winged sandals and a helmet. He was the messenger of the…