Eris

Eris, in Greek Mythology, is known as the goddess of discord and strife. She is a powerful goddess and the daughter of Nyx. Indeed, she is a very dark goddess! Though some may not fully understand what she is best known for, most people do know about the Trojan War. Well, guess what? She is best known for having started the Trojan War. Eris was the creator and deliverer of what is known as the golden apple.

The golden apple fiasco happened long before the Trojan War began. In fact, it all began with a wedding. The wedding of Achilles parents to be precise. Eris was filled with discord and strife because she was not invited to attend the joyous event.

In her anger, she made a single apple of gold. On it were the words ‘for the fairest of them all’. Now this may sound like something out of Snow White, but I can assure you it that an apple and those words are the only resemblance between the two tales. When the wedding took place, Eris threw her apple into the crowd and let chaos unfold as it would.

The choices, as we all know, came down to three- Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera. Each one thought that she was the goddess most deserving of the beautiful golden apple. Apparently this fund must have taken place for a prolonged period of time. The next thing we know, the three goddesses are taking their case to Zeus himself.
Refusing to get himself involved, he chooses Paris of Troy to make the final decision. This is commonly known as The Judgment of Paris. The myth continues that the three goddesses get to Paris and offer him gifts should he chose her, though Paris was never allowed to look upon them. Athena promises knowledge, Hera promises power, and Aphrodite promised him Helen of Sparta, who was reputed to be the most beautiful woman in the world. Paris, being both ignorant and-in my opinion- too lusty for his own good- chose Aphrodite so he could have Helen.
And Helen he would have, though he stole her away from her husband. And this was the formal beginning of the Trojan War, compliments of your dark Goddess of discord, Eris.

My friend, confidant, and partner in music was once greatly inspired by this dark goddess. Minnie d’Arc is a musician who can find inspiration anywhere, and in this instance she found it in the form of a dark goddess who caused a war. Her album Eris Unbound is one of the best I have ever had the pleasure of listening to and I hope you’ll listen to the video I post of the teaser and fall as deeply in love with it as I have. Enjoy.