Deukalion - Deukalion (English spelling)

The ancestor of mankind in Greek mythology. He was the son of Prometheus and ruled over the Phthia region. His wife, Pyra, was the daughter of Epimetheus and Pandora, and both were righteous and pious people. However, Zeus, angry at the lawlessness of humans in this era (the Bronze Age), tried to destroy mankind with a great flood, so the couple built an ark as instructed by Prometheus, loaded it with necessities, and got on board. They drifted on the water for nine days and nights, and finally reached Parnassus. When the rain stopped and they got off the ark, they found that all mankind except for themselves had been destroyed. They then asked the goddess Themis about the rebirth of mankind, and received an oracle that told them to throw their mother's bones behind them while walking. They threw the bones of Mother Earth, i.e., stones, and a man was born from Deucalion's stone and a woman was born from Pyra's stone.

[Teruo Ito]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ギリシア神話の人類の祖。プロメテウスの子で、フティア地方を統治していた。また、妻ピラはエピメテウスとパンドラとの子で、2人は夫婦そろって行いの正しい、神々に敬虔(けいけん)な人柄であった。ところが、この時代（青銅時代）の人間の無法を怒ったゼウスが人類を大洪水で滅ぼそうとしたため、夫婦はまえもってプロメテウスから教えられたように箱舟をつくり、必需品を中に積み込んでそれに乗り込んだ。そして九日九夜水上を漂い、パルナッソスに流れつくが、雨がやんだので箱舟から降りると、自分たちのほかは全人類が滅びてしまったことを知る。そこで女神テミスに人類の再生を問うと、母の骨を歩きながら背後に投げよとの神託があったので、母なる大地の骨、つまり石を投げたところ、デウカリオンの石からは男が、ピラの石からは女が生まれたという。

［伊藤照夫］

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